cozysquib's Reviews (165)

One Last Rainy Day by Kate Stewart

I am so gutted. Wring me out. Absolutely shattered.

This story is in no way complete until you get through One Last Rainy Day. There is so much story left to tell, so much perspective left to gain, and so many pieces I didn’t even realize were missing until I held them in my hands.

I always felt like Cecilia’s actions in book one were a little too extreme or over the top. Like girl, get a grip. But now? After seeing book one and two through this lens, through this perspective, it all makes sense. I get it now in a way I never could have without this book. Every outburst, every heartbreak, every wild decision she made feels inevitable, because now I see the cracks under her feet that were always going to give way.

The most gut-wrenching thing about this novella isn’t even the pain you already know is coming. It's the falling. Falling in love well after you already know the end. Falling in love with someone who's already slipped from your grasp. I fell in love... I simply fell too late. And if that isn’t the single most heartbreaking thing to experience, I don’t know what is.

If you stop before reading this novella, you are doing yourself and this story a disservice. Full stop.

Now, I will say, the novella itself could have been a little tighter. Not that there were any unnecessary scenes, but every paragraph carried at least one or two extra sentences that restated what we already felt. I get it, the emotions are big and they deserve space, but the repetition added to the series fatigue a bit. Especially since we are retracing steps we already took, just with new eyes.

But even with that, I love it. Through and through. I am fully committed. I am dying to see the next two novellas released, and I have bought them in physical editions to add to my heartbreak horde. This series set up camp in my chest and I’m just going to let it live there rent-free forever.

My rainy days are forever yours Dom. 

The Finish Line by Kate Stewart 

I'm so torn. In so many different ways.

I loved this series for so many reasons, and I loved this book for so many reasons. But I also don't think it was the strongest in the series. Yet at the same time, it is so painfully perfect for what this story needed and how it needed to be told. I'm conflicted.

I love him. I love them. And their story is perfect for their journey.

This was definitely the slowest of the series. The pacing took a major shift with the flashbacks, the dual POV storytelling, and the heavy slice-of-life approach. The emotional weight of this book is undeniable, but at times, it did feel like we were lingering in place, rehashing the same emotional wounds instead of moving forward. But at the same time, it makes sense. After everything, they deserved the time to sit in the aftermath, to unravel, to heal in ways that didn't involve chaos.

This book isn't just about surviving. It is about living. And damn, do they earn it.

So many answers are given, earned, and fought for. There is no way to fully feel the weight of this series without this book, and I pity anyone who doesn’t make it to the end. The first two books demand your attention, but book three is politely asking for it. It's not flashy or demanding, it's just there, reaching out a hand and letting you choose where the finish line is for you. The story wouldn't be whole without this journey.

Some of the messages were a little heavy-handed, but after two books drenched in secrecy and deception, it felt like a fitting shift. It is raw, it is honest, and it makes you sit in the emotions you’ve been desperately trying to shove aside.

I'm processing. I'm feeling. And I am definitely buying physicals to keep this series close to my heart. It wormed its way in, made me cry many times, and definitely purchased land in my Roman Empire neighborhood.

Exodus by Kate Stewart

Well, fuck.

I really thought I had made it through in one piece. I saw the signs, I pieced together the puzzle; I knew what was coming. I thought that knowing would protect me, that I’d outsmarted the heartbreak waiting in the wings. Only, right as I was brushing off my shoulders, feeling all smug and unshaken, that’s when the real punch landed.

Suddenly, I was just sitting there, sobbing, staring at the wall, laughing at the version of me who had been so proud of being unmoved just moments before.

You will not survive this story in one piece.

This book is a wild, desperate race to the finish line. The shifting dynamics bring the story to life as we fight, scratch, and claw our way forward. But the descent? Oh, it's not gradual. It’s a sheer drop off a cliff, and we’re scrambling for purchase, trying to soften the inevitable crash. Yet, when we finally reach the bottom, we realize… the view suits us far better than the sunshine or the rainy days on the mountaintop.

We hiked to the top before we broke. We slid downhill, fighting every inch of the way, only to discover that the valley feels like home.

But home has a price. And it’s steeper than anyone can afford to pay. It will cost you everything.

I loved, I cried, and a part of me died. I had reservations about the boys of book one. I fell for the men of book two. And I broke right alongside Cecelia when we hit the bottom.

That said, part 2 is where things got rough. Odd pacing, the repetition of certain choices, it felt like we were spinning in circles and slamming into the same wall over and over. By the end, I wasn’t even sure how I was still on the same ride that had ripped the floor out from under me.

I earned my damn wings and my lifetime membership to the "Emotionally Devastated by Exodus" club.

Flock by Kate Stewart

Miss Ma’am, it should be illegal to end a book like that. What. The. Eff.

I am not typically a contemporary girlie, so I already knew I’d have to suspend some disbelief, but forgiving the behavior of these men? Yeah, that was a hard no for me at multiple points. And especially you, Mr. Golden Retriever, my ass. You sketchy, manipulative, mother-effing—UGH.

I have feelings. 

Frankly, if that isn’t the best indication of how deeply this book hooked me, I don’t know what is. I am fully, hook, line, and sinker, sunk in this series now.

I’m all for a well-executed hottie Eiffel Tower moment, buttttttttt one mister man absolutely did not do it for me. Maybe it’s just personal taste, but he felt like every “stoner who took a single philosophy class” dude I knew in college, I did not sign up for that energy.

That being said, the mystery? The intrigue? The way this book had me questioning everything? Flawless execution. I was constantly piecing things together, trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and I loved that. What I didn’t love? The heavy-handed carrot-on-a-stick routine where the MMCs refused to give a single straight answer. The silent treatment, the cryptic nonsense, the unnecessary emotional whiplash—infuriating. I wanted to grab our girl by the shoulders and scream at her to demand these men tell her literally anything upfront. But what do I know? I’m just significantly older in my early thirties than her barely-20-year-old self (her words, not mine).

End of book one, and I will 1,000% be finishing this trilogy. But with one MMC already on my sh*t list, and the other? He’s firmly in my side-eye, glaring at you, I’m watching you buster, don’t try me category. We’ll see how this goes! 

 This book kicks off with a strong hook, one of those opening lines that immediately grabs your attention and pulls you straight into the first chapter. Right from the start, I was intrigued and ready to be swept into an epic adventure.

As the world unfolded, the story gave me strong Eragon meets Veiled Kingdom vibes, blending familiar fantasy elements with a romantic undercurrent that had the potential to be something really engaging. The premise? Solid. The intrigue? Present. The execution? Well… that’s where things started to unravel for me.

Let’s talk about the writing style. It’s not bad by any means, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me personally. There’s a noticeable repetition in sentence structures that pulled me out of the story more times than I’d like. Instead of being immersed in the plot, I found myself hyper-focused on the writing itself, which is never a great sign.

Character development also felt like it needed more time to breathe. The relationships, dynamics, and even the dialogue all came across as a little too rushed, making certain emotional beats feel unearned. It was like watching characters go through the motions rather than truly evolving on the page.

And then there’s the dragons. Or, should I say, the lack of dragons? By 60% into the book, the dragon theming (something I was really looking forward to) only made up about 2-3% of the actual content. If you promise me dragons, I expect DRAGONS, not just war camps and passing moments here and there.

I can absolutely see how this could be a great romantasy pick for readers who primarily come from the romance genre and are dipping their toes into fantasy. But for someone like me, who comes at romantasy from a fantasy-first perspective? It felt a little too simplistic and underdeveloped to really hit the sweet spot.

Final verdict? It’s a solid choice if you got here from the romance section and don’t mind a more surface-level fantasy world. But if you’re looking for deep world-building, strong character arcs, and an immersive fantasy experience… this might not quite deliver. 

 A World of Lost Words by Jane Washington

Soooo… we did not stick the landing. Not even close. We catapulted off the deep end, no parachute, no life raft, just pure, unfiltered chaos.

I was seriously considering DNF-ing this book because I thought it was book four, not the fifth and final book. Imagine my shock when I realized I was actually only 150 pages from the end. At that point, I figured I might as well power through to see what actually happens.

Honestly? Kind of wish I hadn’t.

The middle of book five? Pretty solid. If I had stopped reading there and just pretended it was the conclusion, I think I would have walked away feeling much more satisfied. Instead, I pushed through to the actual ending, and yeah… I’m just gonna go ahead and shelve this one under "Had good moments, but ultimately not rec-worthy."

You can tell this is an earlier series for the author—it’s ambitious, with big ideas and interesting plotlines, but it struggled to stay on the rails. And unfortunately, when it came time to tie everything together, it just didn’t deliver.

Final verdict? Some great highs, some serious lows, and an ending that left me more frustrated than fulfilled. 

 A Castle of Ash by Jane Washington

Listen, this book easily takes the top spot as my favorite in the series so far. It has one of my absolute favorite moments across all five books, and honestly? That moment alone is carrying a ridiculous amount of weight in how much I loved this one.

Chapter. Nine. Immaculate. Perfection. The exact vibes I live for in books. I finished it, immediately went back to read it again... and then again... and then just one more time for good measure.

That single chapter is the embodiment of the kind of interpersonal relationship dynamics that completely consume me in a book. The tension, the emotions, the power shift happening in real-time? I ate that up like it was my last meal.

Now, all of that said, the plot itself? It’s starting to veer off the rails a bit, and I can’t tell if we’re in for a chaotic masterpiece or if we’re about to hit a full-speed crash. I’m still strapped in for the ride, but I’ll have to see how I feel by the time we make it to the end. Fingers crossed it sticks the landing. 

 A Dream of Embers by Jane Washington

Okay, this book has officially solidified my descent into this series. I am fully hooked.

All of my hesitations about the FMC’s age from book one have been completely resolved, and honestly, it’s been handled even better than I expected. That lingering discomfort I had early on? Gone. Now, I can just focus on the story itself without any weird distractions.

The plot is still intricate and very much the main driving force, which sometimes leaves the character development, particularly for side characters, feeling a little underwhelming. But I am deep in the trenches now. I devoured all 450-ish pages of this book in a single day, which should tell you how much fun I’m having.

One of my absolute favorite parts of this series continues to be the true enemies-to-reluctant-allies dynamic with just enough romantic undertones to keep things simmering. The slow-burn is slow, and I love that the story isn’t rushing to force relationships before they feel earned. That kind of build-up makes the eventual pay-off so much more satisfying.

That said, I still think some of the world-building details are a bit of a miss. There are occasional time-period-inaccurate words that pull me out of the setting, and too many everyday terms have been swapped for this world’s unique versions. It’s not necessarily bad, but it does make things feel jarring or unnecessarily confusing at times.

At this point, I’m 100% committed to reading the series to completion. It’s fast-paced, entertaining, and keeps me turning pages. However, I suspect this may still end up being a “three-day series” where I’m completely immersed while reading, but if you ask me to explain the story three days after I finish, I might struggle to give you a coherent answer.

Either way, I’m strapped in for the ride. 

 A City of Whispers by Jane Washington

Despite my reservations about the FMC’s age in A Tempest of Shadows, I decided to continue the series and I’m actually pretty glad I did.

She turns 18 fairly early in this book, but the real win is that, while there are still plenty of charged interactions, nothing actually happens. Despite the looming “countdown to legality” that felt like an issue in the first book, there are no real intimate encounters here. Instead, the focus stays on the story, the world-building, and the unraveling relationships rather than rushing into the romance, which is honestly my favorite since I am #TeamSlowBurn.

I really love the direction the plot is taking. It’s layered, messy, and full of intrigue in a way that keeps me fully engaged. At first, I assumed this would be a “three-day book” the kind that’s fun while you’re reading but quickly forgettable, but I think some parts of this one will stick with me longer than I originally expected. There are some fascinating concepts at play, and the stakes feel high in a way that keeps me invested.

The pacing is still a little too fast for my taste. Because everything moves so quickly, some of the relationships and friendships feel rushed in a way that doesn’t fully track. I wouldn’t call it a dealbreaker, but there are definitely moments where I had to just roll with it. From a macro view, the story is extremely compelling. From a micro view, though, there are times when I genuinely have no idea what’s happening and am just trusting the process.

One thing I really love is that 90% of the characters have deeply questionable motives, so you can’t really trust anyone. That kind of constant tension keeps things interesting, especially knowing this is supposed to be a romance. I have no idea how we’re supposed to transition from the absolute enemies they are now into the lovers they’re supposed to become, but I’m curious to see how it plays out.

Fingers crossed that this one sticks the landing. Holding on tight, it feels like it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. 

 A Tempest of Shadows by Jane Washington  

I really liked the plot of this book, but I have some pretty big reservations about recommending it.  

The premise is interesting, somewhere between Greek mythology and colliding worlds. It’s a strong foundation for a fantasy story with heavier themes. While I usually love that, there are some creative choices that didn’t sit well.  

This review contains minor spoilers to explain why parts of the book didn’t work for me. No detail, but if you want to go in blind, this is your warning.  

My biggest issue is that the FMC is 17. Since the entire first book takes place over three weeks, she never actually reaches adulthood. That’s questionable for a story setting itself up to be a harem. But it gets worse. There’s on-page assault, implied desire for intimacy, and at least one scene where things start happening before pulling back. The whole thing felt icky and uncomfortable. . A 17-year-old has no place being the centerpiece of a harem.  

The timeline is another problem. The entire book takes place in three weeks, which just doesn’t allow for organic character development or believable relationship dynamics. A lot of the FMC’s choices and emotions don’t fully track with how little time has passed. She should have never been 17 to begin with, but using the count down to becoming legal as a plot pacing guideline was especially weird. If she had at least turned 18 quickly, it wouldn’t have fixed everything, but it would have helped.  

Lastly, the fantasy naming conventions were a lot. I love unique names, but between pronunciation struggles and how often they were used, it started to feel excessive and clunky.  

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the story, themes, and world-building. But I can’t decide if I want to continue the series because I liked those elements or if I should drop it because some of the author’s choices really didn’t sit right with me.