(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Bailey Black for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
3.5 stars!
Give me all the Peter Pan retellings! (Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Bailey Black for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
3.5 stars!
Give me all the Peter Pan retellings!
This story could also be a little confusing to people who have not read Peter Pan before. The idea of Neverland, the concept of the lost boys and time would be all new to someone who hasn’t read it before. As such, I would always recommend readers to read the original tale before embarking on retellings.
This book did build up the plot well, I liked the twist to it because it was exciting to read. And the cliff-hanger, I did not expect it so I’ll need to continue the next book.
The reason why I’m giving it 3.5 stars is because of Peter’s character development. I don’t really understand some of his actions and I couldn’t relate to it so it felt like there were some aspects that were not clear. I liked Wendy’s character though I did think she was too nice towards her sister.
Still a retelling that everyone who loves Peter Pan should read!...more
(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Natalia Lourose for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
3 stars!
Please check trigger warnings before (Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Natalia Lourose for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
3 stars!
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
This was my second ARC from Natalia and for that I’m grateful!
This book is a re-release that features changes to the original book. I did not read the original book so I am not able to compare a before and after.
I liked how this book wasn’t just about a couple who are intertwined with their love and animosity for each other but it had the thriller/suspense aspect to it. Reading toxic relationships teaches you more too, right? Have no doubt that Mikaela and Noah are indeed toxic for each other.
This book showed how mental health is important especially if you’re in a relationship/environment that isn’t good for you. My mental health isn’t doing good now and reading this gave me another perspective.
Because I know they’re toxic for one another as a reader it was a little difficult to empathise or agree with Mikaela’s actions. I couldn’t understand the relationship dynamics between herself and Noah.
A good aspect that I must highlight though is that the plot was fast paced so that kept my interest in the book.
Overall, this is still a book that’s worth reading!...more
(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Rachel Callahan for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
3.5 stars!
Please check trigger warnings befor(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Rachel Callahan for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
3.5 stars!
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
Reverse harem reads have been gaining more popularity and this is a book you’d want to read! It is also my first from Rachel.
This book focuses on Giana who tries to leave the abusive relationship she is in. With her best friends by her side, she plots to retaliate back against the villain of her story.
It was exciting to read because I liked the attitude that Giana had to ruin whoever who hurts her, a FMC taking matters into her hands is always nice to see. As stated by Rachel, her character development was good. I also liked the harem, how there was each kind of MMC you’d see in RHs to balance out the harem. I also liked that it ended on a cliff hanger, especially if it is on an interesting note because it leaves the readers curious and I think this book achieved that.
Personally, I couldn’t stand the slow burn as with every other 1st book of RH, I wanted things to speed up a little more. I also could not appreciate the time jumps because it was way too frequent and it didn’t allow me as the reader to absorb either POV more. I do know that the purpose of the time jumps was to provide background and clarity which it did.
I went into this book blind and I think it was a good choice because that made me anticipate more! ...more
(Thank you Peachy Keen and the authors for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
3.5 ⭐!
I always(Thank you Peachy Keen and the authors for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
3.5 ⭐!
I always have this impression of anthologies as mini films – they are straight to the point and the plot/smut is built up right from the start so there is no opportunity for boredom in between.
Ten authors wrote this anthology consisting of their 7 short stories which each represents a sin. I liked the diversity in pairings so it spiced up the book a little bit. The cliff hangers were all good because they all ended on the right page that left me wanting to read more of it (good news, it will be released eventually!)
I liked the idea of the 7 sins but I felt that the stories in this anthology was too short to classify it as a sin, some stories could have been a little longer with more tension and angst.
Otherwise, it is a good introduction and you’d definitely want to check this authors out!...more
(Thank you to the author May B Bound for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
This was an interesting start to the journey of Alice and Hunter. Al(Thank you to the author May B Bound for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
This was an interesting start to the journey of Alice and Hunter. Alice has always been interested in the dominance-submission world and meeting Hunter at a club kickstarts her journey into learning how to be a submissive. Hunter came up with a list to let her learn 12 kinks within 12 months to get her to be the best submissive. To inherit the house left behind for her, Alice decided she has to do this so she can build a BDSM club for like minded individuals as herself.
I need to be clear about this: this is not a romance. Do not expect any heart-melting moments or swoon worthy lines.
This book felt more like a crash course to what's the BDSM world like and about certain kinks or items used during the dominant-submission play. There was a lot of detailed information on how does the kink work and how do you execute it.
I expected Hunter to be around more since he is the one who's involved in this arrangement other than Alice but he had a supporting role in this book instead. I felt like it gives more opportunities for Alice and Hunter to have misunderstandings. I would want to see Hunter being more involved than just being a shadow behind the process.
This book would definitely interest readers who'd want to know more about the dominant-submissive world or to those who have already dipped their toes in. ...more
(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Kell Frillman for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
Please read trigger warnings before reading thi(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Kell Frillman for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
Please read trigger warnings before reading this book!
Paranormal is not my go to genre but seeing that this was a RH, I immediately signed up for this (RH has been my go-to trope lately).
This book is written in the third person POV but it was easy to read. It is also a retelling of Alice in Wonderland.
The life of Alice was indeed a rough journey from a young age to when she knew it would all get worse. The characters that we commonly know are in this book and they each have a role in Alice’s world. I liked that they each had development - where they had their own connections with her. It didn’t feel like any part of the harem was only focused on Alice and one of the four men.
I felt that the flow between some parts of the book was not as smooth but this may be because I took breaks in-between reading.
Otherwise, this book was a good start to the series. ...more
This book's cover caught my eye, I found it unique and pretty The name of the characters also interested me because I've not read any books with those names before.
This book definitely did have a lot of kinks explored, a lot of dirty talk and a lot of detailed sex scenes as explained in the disclaimer at the start of the book. So if this is a turn off or not your type of genre, I wouldn't suggest picking this book up.
The good aspect of this book is that you can literally read through it quickly. It's a fast read.
However, the relationship development between Orion and Antonia felt way too fast for me. I thought it based more on lust than a genuine attraction and that caused them to end up together. I couldn't relate to their connection sadly. If it had been a purely only sexual relationship, it would have made much sense.
There wasn't much plot to follow along, I expected more angst given the forbidden nature of their relationship. I ended up skimming to get through it because some of conversations between Orion and Antonia were repetitive.
I do admit there was a particular scene that I did not expect and after which that's when the plot got better. But it was a little too late because it was almost at the end of the book and it was dragged out too long to get there.
That being said, Antonia and Orion's kinky age gap relationship is not something that is light to read, I can't say if it is realistic or not since I'm not well versed in the dom/sub relationship but it could be triggering for a newbie. The smut in this book is one of the most I've read, without comparing to novellas.
Overall, this book wasn't entirely bad but maybe some aspects of this book could have been better....more
This book is described as a dark romance on BookSirens but there really wasn’t enough content covered in this book to make it seem that way.
The plot: Heroine has trauma, hero is supposedly a bad guy, hero rescues heroine, put both in a room and that becomes romance. Except there were over the top descriptions of everything else except their connection to one another.
This book had a lot of short forms/slangs of words and I couldn’t get used to that type of writing till the end, mainly because I’m not exposed to them. I couldn’t connect with both Whisper and Slater, their “connection” seemed to be based on lust more than genuine feelings. The more I read the more I wanted to be done with this book because there wasn’t much plot or character development.
The book’s length could have been shorter and the language definitely needs to be clearer so that it attracts a wider audience....more
(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Natalia Lourose for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
Please read trigger warnings before reading t(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Natalia Lourose for the eARC in exchange for a spoiler free review)
Please read trigger warnings before reading this novella!
This erotic novella is one of the best I’ve read so far. This book had most of my favourite kinks which made it so exciting to read. There isn’t much plot in this, it being a novella but it was interesting enough to read it in one sitting.
The idea of a kink app is fascinating, I would be curious to see how it would have worked out. It seems like a safe idea at the same time dangerous because the thought of landing in the wrong hands would freak me out.
I liked how there was a mutual understanding between Connor and Ivy before making the fantasy a reality, after care is very important after these type of kink plays and Natalia made sure to include it in this book.
I would have loved to see this novella as a full book! I think the descriptions of the kink plays and the plot would have been interesting.
I'm definitely going to read the rest of the Dirty Desires series! ...more
(Thank you Candi Kane PR and the author Michelle Heard for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
I am sad that this series has come to an end.
Vikt(Thank you Candi Kane PR and the author Michelle Heard for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
I am sad that this series has come to an end.
Viktor’s book was one I really looked forward to because of the foreshadowing of Rosalie and his relationship in the previous books.
The plot moved along well, it was well balanced and I felt that it had the right pace to keep the reader hooked onto it. The revelations came at the appropriate times and they were enough to continue reading.
I loved how there was a fair amount of angst between Viktor and Rosalie. It made the book more interesting and helped me as the reader to understand their relationship more. The character development that both had was the best in the series, they grew individually and as a whole which made their connection seem so beautiful. I loved the action especially in this book, it made a deep impact given the circumstances and it was realistic enough to imagine. Every time Viktor spoke Russian to Rosalie my heart melted a little more.
Also the smut in this book? Literal flames. It’s right up my alley.
I also loved how the Priesthood appeared for everyone throughout the series. The epilogue of this book was so cute and the family they became is something I’m so happy to have read and experienced.
This is also a sign to read all of Michelle’s other books, this series was my first from her. I’d have to get into her other mafia books because they’re so good!
(Thank you Grey's Promotions and the author Laramie Briscoe for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
I've never read Laramie(Thank you Grey's Promotions and the author Laramie Briscoe for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
I've never read Laramie’s books before; this is a first. It is also the second book of the series but I didn’t read the first and it could be well read as a standalone.
I don’t usually read single parent tropes because my heart is too fragile for that but I decided to give this a shot because its single, hot, firefighter dad trope. Add in the best friend’s sister trope and this book sounds promising.
Cameron was a sweet and doting father to his daughter, Trinity whom he easily would give his life for. Despite having a tough job he was never an absent parent. Natalie, the babysitter and Cameron’s best friend’s sister is the forbidden fruit he can’t go for. The more their paths crossed, the more things can’t change from what they became.
It was a light and quick read, not much to linger upon or feel angsty towards. I liked the pacing of the chapters, especially for readers who have a short attention span like myself. I liked the bond between Natalie and Trinity as well.
Unfortunately, the chemistry between Cam and Natalie felt too unpassionate and bland. It portrayed the characters as one dimensional which made me not connect with them. I liked how they were individually rather than how they were together. I would have liked this single parent trope to provide more angst and more groveling.
(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Sarah Amelle for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
This book was an introduction to the new series, La Fa(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Sarah Amelle for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
This book was an introduction to the new series, La Famiglia.
The book had a promising start; marriage of convenience trope is always a breeze to read. Sophia and Croccifixio aka Rocco started off on the wrong foot which made it even more interesting to read. It all became better when they start learning about one another after being forced to be within proximity, however a lot is at stake when there are secrets in the way. I would say the mafia aspect was very watered down: not intense, readable but not too much action-packed. Smut wise, it was not intense or explicitly described.
I felt that the writing style was monotonous for me, I would have liked a little more emotion in the dialogues but it felt bland. The book was also starting to get draggy after the halfway mark so I had to skim read to get through certain chapters. Sophia and Rocco also felt like they were forcing a connection throughout the book, I couldn’t connect with them unfortunately.
Overall this was a light read which could be the introductory book to the mafia genre if anyone is interested in trying it out. ...more
(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Nikki St. Crowe for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 01 September 2022
4.5 ⭐
⚠️ TW: Dub-(Thank you Peachy Keen and the author Nikki St. Crowe for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 01 September 2022
4.5 ⭐
⚠️ TW: Dub-con, CNC, graphic violence, submission, blood play, choking. For more triggers, please read the start of the book.
What was that cliffhanger? I did not expect that at all, I literally gasped.
I am not a fantasy reader, it is not my go to genre but this series is so addictive that I literally read two books in a day, consecutively.
One thing I've said throughout the series so far: the short chapters are what makes you want to keep reading the book. I had to take a mini-break in between but if not I'm sure I would have read it in one sitting as I did for the previous book. The short chapters is especially good for people who don't have long attention spans like me, I don't need to read 20 pages of a chapter to know what happens next.
This book had an excellent balance of plot development and smut, I wouldn't say either one aspect was overpowering. Everything felt right and it was a smooth reading - of course plot twists were anticipated and some parts of the plot was slightly predictable (which is why the rating) but otherwise the writing did make me want to continue reading more. The way Nikki writes is short, sweet and to the point so you really don't feel like you're wasting your time reading.
I can finally admit that this book was what I needed to feel that Winnie belonged with men. In the previous books I was not warmed up to her but this book showed just how important her presence was in Neverland. I loved all the POVs that we got, especially from the main four (Peter Pan, Vane, Kas and Bash) and the other supporting characters that had appearances in book 2 because it all explained the plot more. I would say all the main characters have had development, although in various levels but they've definitely grown over the series.
I literally can't wait for the next book because that cliffhanger - I'm still not over it. I have so many questions!
(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 09 August 2022 Publisher: Sounds True
Thoughts
This(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 09 August 2022 Publisher: Sounds True
Thoughts
This isn't a storybook but a guided journal with affirmations. I enjoyed reading these affirmations and wrote some of them onto my phone and journal.
One con of this guided journal was the association to the term "empaths" because I personally felt it could be unrelatable. An empath can be understood as "having the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of others outside of your own" but what if the individual picking up this book doesn't have the ability to do so, will this journal not cater to them then? I felt that it was very streamlined towards a particular audience.
Another con was the journal questions, it was repeated throughout the book. There are 8 different parts to this journal but the questions didn't change accordingly which defeats the purpose of the journal. ...more
(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 09 August 2022 Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Thought(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 09 August 2022 Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Thoughts
2.5 ⭐
This is my first book from this author and I chose this book for the blurb. It sounded like an interesting thriller, I usually do not go for books that has forgotten/recalled memories but made an exception for this.
I did not have a good first impression of Hallie because of how fast she decided to give up. She didn’t keep up to the description of her by the author. I thought she was quite messy and quick to jump into making decisions. Somehow I didn’t like her throughout the book.
I did like the minor twists in the book, the antagonist was easy to spot but the method was not easy to decipher. This book also had some sci-fi aspects in it which kept the book interesting. The side characters made this book worth reading till the end....more
(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 02 August 2022 Publisher: Harper Muse
Thoughts
This(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 02 August 2022 Publisher: Harper Muse
Thoughts
This is my first book from this author and I chose this book for the blurb. A book about books is always a weakness for readers.
It did show the reality of bookstore owners and how do they cope with the challenges of running one which is the only good aspect of the book.
Unfortunately the book’s writing style couldn’t keep me interested. There were too many subplots to keep track of and the flow of the book was messy. There were also more side characters than I could count, it felt like the focus was not as much on Sophie as it should have been. This book could have definitely been better. ...more
(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 02 August 2022 Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Plot
A(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)
Publication date: 02 August 2022 Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Plot
A criminal reporter named Geneva Chase investigates a case in which an anchor-man held his wife captive because of being threatened with extortion by an escort company called The Whisper Room. But when escorts who worked for The Whisper Room are found deceased, Geneva is convinced that there is more going on. Will she be able to discover the truth prior to any further fatalities?
Thoughts
This is my first book from this author and I chose this book for the blurb. It’s also part of a series which I didn’t the previous books of but was still able to read it without feeling lost.
This book was fast paced, making it easy for me to read without putting the book down. I read it in one sitting because of the mystery it had. I liked Geneva’s resilience, she had her own issues in life but she got through them and put them aside for her to solve the case.
However, the book had a lack of flow at certain points and it also didn’t seem believable because of the sub plotlines. There also wasn’t much about Genie (Geneva’s) past other than in passing but I think it could have made her character development better. ...more
(Thank you Grey's Promotions and the author Adelaide Forrest for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
3.5 ⭐
I've never read (Thank you Grey's Promotions and the author Adelaide Forrest for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
3.5 ⭐
I've never read Adelaide's books before, this is a first. The blurb of the book was interesting and knowing it was a mafia romance I just couldn’t not apply for it.
I must admit the writing style didn’t really interest me as the tone of the book felt monotonous. But it got slightly better over the chapters.
Calix is the protective character who is a “one woman only” man and he gives his all to Thalia. In mafia books, these kind of characters make the book much better. Thalia had a traumatic past but she grew up to be a fierce woman and which showed her resilient character. They bring out the best in each other and encourage each other to stand against everyone.
At times it felt like their chemistry wasn’t genuine and it felt like Calix was continuing the cycle of Thalia’s abuse against her. There were also some questionable scenes of dubious consent/non consent that may be too much for readers who aren’t exposed to them.
To my understanding there are other characters who appear in this book from her previous books but I’ve not read them before and still was able to read this book. Hopefully book 2 would clear up some of these questionable scenes. ...more
(Thank you Valentine PR & Literary Management and the authors Alta Hensley and Livia Grant for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)(Thank you Valentine PR & Literary Management and the authors Alta Hensley and Livia Grant for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
I read this book without reading the first one from the series as the blurb said it could be read as a standalone.
I’ve not read much books that has the criminal cleaner trope in it so reading this was refreshing. After Rowan gets into a mess that requires Z’s help, they escaped and have to keep themselves alive. It was a quick paced book and it was easy to read without feeling bored. Z is the man who continues his father’s footsteps and tries to be the best at his job without leaving traces whereas Rowan is the girl who’s strong but gets affected by her social media life.
I did not like Rowan initially because she portrayed a typical influencer image and she only cared about her side of everything. Their attraction to each other also felt instant more than genuine which didn’t appeal as much to me. It also did feel draggy at some parts of the book. ...more
(Thank you Valentine PR & Literary Management and the author Bella Jewel for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
This is my(Thank you Valentine PR & Literary Management and the author Bella Jewel for the eARC in exchange for a honest, spoiler free review)
Thoughts
This is my first book from Bella and to my understanding this is a series previously written by her under the name of Bec Botefuhr.
I loved the cover; it looks pretty and I like the mystery vibes it gives. Also dark romance means it’s an auto request from me.
Captive tropes in books are hard to find and that being a major plotline in this book is something I had no choice but to like. Willow had a bad beginning to life and throughout she was fighting for herself and never backed down. Johnny aka Jagger wasn’t that easy to like because he gave whiplash towards Willow but the plotline of mmc-using-fmc-to-get-revenge never gets boring so I liked that aspect. The book ended on a cliff hanger but that is understandable as it is part of a series.
One thing I couldn’t connect with was their relationship dynamics, it didn’t feel as genuine to me. I couldn’t understand why they fell for each other. I also had to go back and re-read pages because the flow wasn’t as smooth though re-reading did help me to understand a little better.
For a first book of the series it was good enough. ...more
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