I am feral about this audiobook! If you love romance where he is super into her and kind of along-for-the-ride then read this today! Both narrators diI am feral about this audiobook! If you love romance where he is super into her and kind of along-for-the-ride then read this today! Both narrators did a fantastic job with Amanda's manic energy and Dave's calm-except-when-she-looks-at-me attitude. It moves very quickly so I couldn't believe that I was already at 20% when I checked. Perfect pace!
Based on the number of scenes I would say it's mild spicy. But based on the ATMOSPHERE (fanning myself now) it was delivering on that adult romance. We're talking dips in the lake, accidental shower run ins and sheltering in a small cabin during a thunderstorm.
Amanda and Dave are from opposite side of a small-town family feud. The animosity is intense but you can't help giggling because the family empires are built on gingerbread and fruitcake in a christmas-year-long town called Tinsel. When Amanda's family tells her to come home and take over the family legacy, she lies and says that she can't because she's engaged to Dave. When that isn't enough to get her disowned, she and Dave agree to keep up the lie and use it as leverage to force their families to get along. If they end the fighting, maybe they can convince their families to let them leave Tinsel for good.
The scheme is silly but it dives into generational expectations in a way that is cathartic and sincere. I really like the way it all worked out. There were actual consequences and fights to work through. Dave's personality reminds me of Kai Rhodes from "Caught Up" and Bo from "Out on a Limb". Very dependable and also down-bad for his girl.
My only criticism is that I did not like the bonus chapter from the dog’s perspective. And the narration made it even weirder....more
Sarah Ready's mind works on a whole different level. Books 1 & 2 explored time and space. Book 3 explored dreams and I couldn'Love changes everything.
Sarah Ready's mind works on a whole different level. Books 1 & 2 explored time and space. Book 3 explored dreams and I couldn't anticipate how she would distinguish that from a wish, but she did! And that difference is a huge part of the plot.
Anna has been living that Cinderella life -- she cleans houses full time to help provide for her mom and sister. Hospital bills and her estranged step dad has made life difficult but they hold on tight to each other. Anna feels a lot of love and responsibility for her family. Max is living a completely different life. He's the sole heir of a jewelry empire and the loneliest person Anna has ever met. She's spent the last three years working in his house, obsessing over him, but they've never spoken. Until he walks in and accuses her of stealing his family's sapphire necklace!
Anna goes to bed hungover, unemployed and desperately wishing that life had turned out differently -- that Max could love her back. When she wakes up, her wish has come true! But only she and Max remembers what life was like before.
I was afraid that Max would be angry but they quickly move on to trying to solve the magical mystery. They travel through Geneva, Paris and St Tropez in an alternate world where they are happily married. Max notices how much better his life seems with Anna in it, and is willing to get to know her more. He's the kind of person that would never have entertained a relationship without the magical intervention and that's what makes it so compelling.
Audiobook review: I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator's accent but the dialogue moves well. The pace of this story is a lot slower but there will be a signature twist at the halfway mark that will blow your mind....more
Maybe it’s the Disney adult in me but this would be one sexy vacation. Atlas runs his familial hotelIf Tall Dark & Handsome ran the Haunted Mansion.
Maybe it’s the Disney adult in me but this would be one sexy vacation. Atlas runs his familial hotel in the heart of Grimstone. Gothic and opulent, the Monarch sits on the cliffs above the black sand shoreline. Family portraits decorate the halls including one of Grammy who poisoned Pop Pop (her fourth husband).
When Elena arrives one night, Atlas can’t believe that she’s engaged to the pompous author who has been staying there for months. He can’t resist following her through the halls of his hotel. Especially when she seems to enjoy his presence just as much. But Elena has a past to run from and her fiancée is her only chance at escape.
You could cut the (sexual) tension with a knife! Think: rendezvous in rose gardens and secret passages. It felt like being lulled into a dream AND swept up in wave of longing.
It’s really fun if you enjoy yelling at characters in scary movies. Elena isn’t naïve, she’s just trapped. Atlas is a tender giant that you love from the start. He takes pride in being an attentive host. Swoon! I can’t resist a man who makes you food at 1am. She feels Atlas’ presence everywhere, his stare on her, his supporting arms. But when she’s in danger, Atlas unleashes the beast!...more
Audiobook review: I confess... I picked this up because I adore Shane East as a narrator. But I think Carly Robins really shined here and I will be adAudiobook review: I confess... I picked this up because I adore Shane East as a narrator. But I think Carly Robins really shined here and I will be adding her to my auto-listen list. Both characters were tenacious and it was easy to following along with the cast. When Cami opens up to Riggs about her hesitancy with sex, things really heated up. It was nearly 10 chapters of spice in a row and I ATE IT UP! The chemistry was excellent. I would definitely recommend this, audiobook first.
This feels like the perfect balance between women's fiction, sports romance & an romance. First, Cami's arc is about finding peace in her body. She changed everything about her life to protect herself. Including moving away from her family's racing empire and adapting a baggy wardrobe. That is a huge theme that is revisited a lot. But being around Riggs is the first time she's felt comfortable with emotional and sexual intimacy.
They start off fiery but the relationship turns sweet. Even when you think she's going to drag him for messing up, it takes a tender turn. The banter is fun and light-hearted throughout. It made for a very enjoyable read. Also plenty of formula one racing going on! Riggs is fighting to become an F1 driver and you get to experience all the drama during the races with him. He's the underdog with immense talent but a short fuse.
Strong trigger warnings! --for sexual assault. If you have a personal history, this may be difficult to read. Otherwise, the assault happens six years in the past (off page) but she retells the experience as part of her healing journey at the end. The insight she shares from therapy though was quite moving and may offer some comfort. --for the death of a parent. Riggs witnesses his father's during in a formula one race.
I like Jeremy’s character in the series. They may even be my favorite couple. But maybe because this happens concurrently with Book 1 & 2, the pace feI like Jeremy’s character in the series. They may even be my favorite couple. But maybe because this happens concurrently with Book 1 & 2, the pace fell a little flat. Yet there were highlights like the times he saved her & her obsession with Landon. ...more
Applause for the pain and kidnapping spice here. My favorite part was really Cray’s reaction to hearing about Anni’s fake dating scheme. He went from Applause for the pain and kidnapping spice here. My favorite part was really Cray’s reaction to hearing about Anni’s fake dating scheme. He went from refusing to talk to her to suddenly “You will not fake date anyone.” It turns into dating in secret.
He was the character that I was most interested in from Book 1. So far I have ugly cried once in each haha.. tears streaming down my face. So even though the writing isn’t always polished, the emotional build up is top-tier.
CONTENT WARNING- there is suicidal ideation towards the end of the book. Very romeo/juliet but could still be triggering....more
Assistant to the Villain? Try being HR to a Hitman.
Imagine falling in love during an Icebreaker game! Sitting around a corporate table with the weird Assistant to the Villain? Try being HR to a Hitman.
Imagine falling in love during an Icebreaker game! Sitting around a corporate table with the weird coworkers you definitely don't hang out with after hours. Cold pastries passed around while the HR manager is trying to pitch Teamwork and Communication.
Except... this meeting room is underground in a secret facility for a covert group ran by the FBI. And you're one of the four Operatives in the room with no real identity or history besides a long list of dead targets. And the HR manager? She's a total civilian who abhors violence and used to run the top tech companies in Silicon Valley. And she is SO. INTO. YOU.
Eden & Lincoln are immediately attracted to each other. But his professional skill set is not an easy pill to swallow. Especially for a woman who's code name is Bambi (total deer in the headlights). Eden doesn't belong in his world. But she's been the target of constant persecution since she blew the whistle on her last company. The covert FBI lair is really the only place left for her to hide.
This has the entertaining setting of a spy drama without being super political or military in nature. The plot is really structured and driven by the romance. My friends who adore Molly Briar's "Ungoverned Spaces" series will enjoy this. The relationship between Eden & Lincoln is very sweet. Less spicy that Kay Cove's other book "Camera Shy" so this really nails the romantic suspense genre.
I'm excited for Book 2 which follows two of the other operatives and they seem more unhinged....more
This will definitely scratch that itch for dark erotica. I picked this up because of a quote about him being mute with a spicy sign-launguae scene.
ThThis will definitely scratch that itch for dark erotica. I picked this up because of a quote about him being mute with a spicy sign-launguae scene.
Then I found out it was taboo but since they're foster/adopted I continued anyway (no blood relation) but it’s definitely dubious. The next day, haters blew it up ok tiktok hahaha.
Part 1 is when they’re teens and Part 2 is after she put him in jail. The adult portion delivered on the dark, masked man, D/s kink. Very entertaining. ...more
This book rekindled my obsession for the series. The exploration of bi-awaking was sooo good. Definitely aided by the fact I promise to NOT marry you.
This book rekindled my obsession for the series. The exploration of bi-awaking was sooo good. Definitely aided by the fact that I adored Cody & Miles.
Both are new to the Nashville hockey team but Miles is a rookie and Cody was traded from Seattle. They quickly become bestfriends. Cody is afraid of rushing into his next relationship (he already has four ex-wives). Miles is struggling to reconcile his feelings for Cody with his own identity. He is very close with his parents but he may have internalized their conservative bias more than he realized.
It's spicy, goofy and has plenty of hockey for the sports fans. I really loved this addition to the series.
Fun energy of Hazbeen Hotel in a dark, historical setting.
I loved two big elements of this book but they just didn't connect together to bring home a Fun energy of Hazbeen Hotel in a dark, historical setting.
I loved two big elements of this book but they just didn't connect together to bring home a 4th star. The atmosphere created and the spicy relationship was excellent, but the plot of the Phantasma games fell through.
Ophelia has entered a magical competition hosted by a mansion of devils called Phantasma. Each night, the competitors enter a game based on one of the 7 deadly sins. In between each level, Ophelia and the others are contained within a haunted mansion where their greatest fear are brought to life. Whoever survives all the haunting and levels will win the Devil's promise to grant any wish. Everyone else either dies or sell their soul to the Devil to be spared.
Ophelia is only there to find her impulsive sister and escape. She makes a bargain with a Phantom to help him escape this purgatory if he helps her cheat through the levels. But this is no Casper, the friendly ghost. Blackwell is hot as hell, and as tensions rise the pair become far more familiar with each other than anticipated. Explicit spice after the 50% mark, HEA.
If you've watched Supernatural (tv), it's like that. More haunted mansion that demonic Satanism. The variety in tests was really creative - chess board puzzles (where people die), pulling yourself up a cliff (where people die), navigating a orgy (where people die). You see the theme? lol. I also loved the characters. Ophelia and Blackwell have very well developed personalities. Their interactions were snarky, filled with lust and felt very much like true love.
Unfortunately, these great elements felt very disconnected. The first part is written like a horror novel where you don't expect to find answers until the end. Then it switches into a romantasy style with the trials and mystery. And the ending was softer than I expected from the rest of the book.
Because Blackwell is helping Ophelia, most of the plot development is him explaining things to her. Even when things happen to her when he isn't around, he shows up and explains what everything meant. He's not a mansplainer, but it made the story more passive. I prefer more angst but other readers may not have the same issue.
All in all, a fun romantasy-esque read with a horror-inspired ambience. I would like to see the next book be more solidly in the soft or edgy side of romance and maintain that level of angst throughout.
Audiobook Review:
You need to hold out and have patience. The narration style started very slowly for me. It was almost over-dramatized in the first chapters before she enters the mansion. I can appreciate that there's a gothic and eerie vibe before the excitement of the Phantasma competition, but it was too much. I almost DNF.
But once the hauntings/trials start, the pace picks up and the narration feels more casual and approachable. I really enjoyed the banter between the female lead Ophelia and the phantom Blackwell.
My toxic trait is that I don't read books written by men anymore. So it means a lot when I say I adored this series. I had a sneakinThis is a romance!
My toxic trait is that I don't read books written by men anymore. So it means a lot when I say I adored this series. I had a sneaking suspicion that it's because it feels like Sci-fi written FOR women. Darrow says something in Book 2 about how the only difference between him and others in his position were the women he had in his life. Eo, his mother, Mustang. All dragging him back into the light. AND THEN I FINISHED MORNING STAR! Now I'm convinced that this is a true Romance novel in Sci-fi sheep's clothing. I absolutely loved it. I almost don't want to read the rest of the books and risk shattering my version of a HEA....more
… I’m a total Darrow-ite now! The pace NEVER lets up. At the very end Darrow even says he feels like he’s sittIf I thought that I was obsessed before…
… I’m a total Darrow-ite now! The pace NEVER lets up. At the very end Darrow even says he feels like he’s sitting down for the first time in weeks and it’s true. Absolutely loved this move into space war with ships, and airlocks and planetary defense. It’s easy to read and follow along with so you don’t need to be a sci-fi expert. And it was hilarious! The banter between the whole crew is incessant. I really enjoyed it. And many MANY secrets will be revealed. ...more
Mini Review: Not bad but not enough for any rave reviews IMO. It's a feel-good, fake dating romcom using alpha/omega dynamic. The setting felt like AlMini Review: Not bad but not enough for any rave reviews IMO. It's a feel-good, fake dating romcom using alpha/omega dynamic. The setting felt like Ali Hazelwood x Greys Anatomy, but without the medical plot. Instantly dating, but slow-burn romance since the spice starts after 50% (she goes into heat & they shift into wolves once). Just as many fade-to-blacks.
Great if you're looking for paranormal relationship without any heaviness. But the fake dating felt generic with very little customization.
Audiobook Rating: 2⭐ The fmc narration was too goofy and the mmc was too monotone....more
It’s easy to call this a slow burn since the characters delay the physical aspect of their relationshThe way they took care of each other SOOTHES me.
It’s easy to call this a slow burn since the characters delay the physical aspect of their relationship. But the emotional intimacy develops very quickly in this sweet, friends with non-sexy benefits. Henry is struggling in classes that Halle is generous enough to help him with. So he agrees to be her muse/coach as she tries to write a romance with very little relationship experience.
She discovers that Henry is not the party-jock womanizer others claim. He feels a lot of responsibility to join is as the captain of their hockey team. He discovers that Halle is much more extroverted as she finally has the opportunity to make friends with the girls he knows.
The real complication in the story is their stress loads! Halle is the eldest daughter of a “normal” family. But IMO they were toxic as hell. Everyone kept calling her to take care of things for them despite her living alone and going to school. Henry is coping with different learning style and overwhelm. But he doesn’t have the official support of an ADHD diagnosis so his professors aren’t very understanding.
I adored how they navigated everything together. She took care of him. He took care of her. Their friends learned how to show up in the ways that they needed. They also have a lot of fun along the way between parties, dares and dates. So fun, so spicy, so dreamy!
Fans who have read Psycho Shifters have to understand what I'm talking about. The story is addicting but thThis is classic Jasmine Mas writing style.
Fans who have read Psycho Shifters have to understand what I'm talking about. The story is addicting but the technical aspect of the writing is not what new readers may expect from a viral release with 5-star cult following. But it's classic JM and somehow... it always works! Don't let the style put you off from experiencing this edgy, post-apocalyptic, gladiator-infused urban fantasy.
Like many literary baddies, Alexis' life starts in the mud. She's an abused orphan, barely surviving her horrible foster parents, who are barely surviving the post-nuclear world of 2040. The Titans of greek mythology broke free from their prisons and ravaged the Earth. The immortal "Spartans" of Olympus are too weak to fight them. Only the Underworld immortals from the houses of Hades, Aphrodite, Artemis and Ares have the deadly power to slay titans.
Hoping to win herself a sponsorship for college, Alexis takes the immortals test. But when they discover Spartan blood in her veins she is ripped away to compete in their trials. Tiktok has been having a field-day teasing the identity of her four trainers: vengeful Patroclus, muzzled Achilles, the hunter Kharon, and top-dog Augustus. I thought this was going to be insta-reverse-harem. But they ACTUALLY hate her! Fans of enemies to (hopefully) lovers will be tested to their limits.
But I think what is so addicting about this book is that it's NEVER sunshine and roses. Alex grows up starved and homeless. Alexis' inner monologue reminds me of Shatter Me because she rewrites her own thoughts and is very eager to stop living. When the immortals get their hands on her, she is tested and pushed to the brink of death multiple times. There is always a dark but vicious tone that is so entertaining to read. Even reading it feels risky.
The sparkling moments of light that motivate you to keep going is the familial love - everybody goes hard to defend and protect their brothers. The only really Alexis cares to survive is to return to her mortal brother. The four trainers are a mix of cousins, half-brothers and partners but the loyalty is strong. I'll definitely be coming back for more.
"If she's upset, I'm upset." Julian Vos is the book boyfriend equivalent of a fairy godmother. He’s certain that he can’t handle a relationship in his "If she's upset, I'm upset." Julian Vos is the book boyfriend equivalent of a fairy godmother. He’s certain that he can’t handle a relationship in his current mental state. But he goes around silently making Hallie’s life easier.
Hallie finds out about these little deeds and it reignites the crush she’s had on him since high school. So she starts writing him letters as a secret admirer. I thought it was cute how he wished the anonymous letters were from Hallie, so it felt reciprocal instead of creepy ...more
Mikaela T (mikaelabooks_)
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