buffyreads's Reviews (575)

3 ⭐️ Messy boats falling in love in ancient china | physical 

This book was Prince Huai's messy love adventures while also political things happen.  The first half focused on Prince Huai the imperial "uncle" being schemed against by his wife and playing spy to protect the young emperor from a coup. I felt bad for him because even when he tried to do good he somehow ends up being seen as an evildoer. During this part he also fell in love like twice, if not 3 times... I didn't really feel partial to either of his love interests and was bummed that the emperor wasn't one of them. Both Yun Yu and Liu Tongyi's true feelings were hard to understand. The second half is after

he is set up and faked his own death to finally be free from the constant speculation and conspiracy against him

. This part was boring to be completely honest. I really had no idea where the story was going now. A lot of conversations explaining what happened from other characters perspective during the first half and what happened after Prince Hua left. None of it was particularly interesting. I still had no idea who he was going to be with and didn't particularly care. Even the ending... I wish it was as good at the first half. 

2⭐️ i liked the muzzle thing too much... |

tropes: forced proximity, demon fmc, angst | high steam | digital 

Mia is a fake spirit seer abducted and sold to a demon named Aris who needs her powers to communicate with her ex-companion. Mia and Aris had physical chemistry but I struggled to feel emotional chemistry between the two. Mia is super understanding (if not way too understanding) and Aris is full of guilt and self-flagellation over her past actions towards humans. The major conflict point was meh. Like, "i should have told her the truth" vs "i literally bought her after she was kidnapped" it's like I don't feel like Mia is in the wrong or should feel sorry at all... What was she supposed to do? Seriously. I don't think I connected with these characters at all which doesn't usually happen to me. I don't know why exactly it didn't hit for me. 

4⭐️ Miscommunication that doesn't pmo? We win! | tropes: possessive mmc, miscommunication, plus sized fmc | high steam | audio 

I saw official art of this on instagram... Immediately borrowed the audiobook. I liked the pro-choice messaging, after a one night stand Ariadne finally escapes from her father, yeets the fetus and flees from the possessive shadow that is the Minotaur. Ariadne and Minotaur / Asterion are ridiculous but I love them. Ariadne is an anxious mess yet determined to live through this war her father has started. Asterion is her dad's weapon who is ruled by his desire for her. I am a sucker for "the bosses daughter" / obsessive dynamic and this does it well. The set up for this book made me think it was going to be darker than it was and I'm grateful with that the dynamic we got. Though possessive, dangerous, and definitely stalkerish I never felt like Asterion was going to harm Ariadne and that book a lot of stress off of my "friend that is too woke" brain. The only thing I didn't love in this book was the plot itself but that is my fault in this series in general. Great characters, interesting dynamics, amazing chemistry but the plot 7 books in still hasn't gripped me. I'm excited about Poseidon and Icarus's book next!

4⭐️ an excellence start to a series! | tropes: grumpy/sunshine, servant x prince, fae x human | medium steam | digital + audio 

🩶 Saffron is a changeling living in the Fey world as a Beantighe, a human worker for the High Fey. I loved his character at lot. He is a hopeless romantic and so empathetic (even to his own detriment).

🩶 Prince Cylvan was such a complex character. At first you think he's an arrogant powerful prince but slowly we get to see how desperate and afraid he is with the weight of fae politics and powers pushing against him.

🖤 The world building of this book was interesting. The idea of humans who live in the Fey world as servants who live similar to peasants in the human world made up of both people who were born there and changelings. The dynamics between the humans and the fae were really interesting and I'm hopeful it will be delved into even more in future books. p

🖤 I loved how Saffron and Cylans characters grew to really care for each other. I really understood what each character saw in the other and felt them bond in impossible situations. 

❌ I got a little confused towards the end and hopefully book 2 will clear up that confusion. I think I need to understand the world more to really connect to the weight of things occurring. 

2 ⭐️ they need one night of couples counseling | tropes: one nightstand, marriage of convenience, accidental pregnancy | high steam | audio 

Overall Thoughts 💭:

First, I have to say that I usually enjoy all the tropes in this book and expected to love it! I liked both Nic and Lexy separately and felt their physical chemistry was undeniable. However, the whole plot hinging on them being able to have one mature conversation about what's upsetting both of them made my eye roll at times. And when they finally do talk about it he believes she's lying even though he think it doesn't make sense for her character. Lexy's reasoning for believing he didn't want to see her made way more sense then him creating the idea she's a liar and choose to suffer because she's petty? I just wish the conflict was more external because the miscommunication and misunderstandings dampened the whole story. These people have spent more time believing each other is a terrible person than actually loving each other and their only connection is their attraction to each other and I wanted more from their relationship. 

5⭐️ This was so good!!! The yearning, the longing, he wanted her so bad!! | tropes: forbidden love, fake dating, secrets | medium steam | digital 

🖤 I loved Declan and Grace! Both of their characters were so different yet very much the same. They compliment each other very well and had chemistry that was off the charts! 

🖤 I loved Grace's story and how she was strong in so many ways but craved being safe and secure. I loved how smart she was but how she at times put what she felt was right over what was good for her. 

🖤 I liked the commentary about how Chinese and English culture were different but neither was necessarily better. Grace went from struggling as an orphan and treated poorly because of her biracial identity in China to being rich and still treated poorly because of her biracial identity in England. Both places she had to deal with the worst of men and plot and outsmart in order to survive. 

🖤 I loved Declan's journey to standing up for self and understanding his rage instead of fearing it. His childhood and his mother's treatment of him made clear why he was so scared of his own feelings.  Seeing Grace understand him and be able to calm him through simply explaining and defusing simple situations was amazing.

🖤 I also loved that their differences in society and the many hurdles they would have to face weren't brushed over. They acknowledged it would be hard and their children might never be truly accepted but the love they share and will share for their children would be enough. Especially since England is not the whole world. 

3⭐️ | mommy kink ON TOP! | tropes: older woman/younger man, femdom, trans mmc | high steam | digital