GIMME MORE.

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Here I am, once again swept away by kindle unlimited fantasy books. I am definitely wanting to get my hands on book two soon and see what happens next. I loved a lot of the set up that I know is going to give away to an amazing storyline.

I hoped for a bit more build up between Creon and Emelin. Once I caught up to how fast they were moving I really enjoyed the relationship. I am very much committed to them now and like the push and pull they gave. There’s some good chemistry and enemies to lovers here. Add in some hidden secrets and untold stories and I now want it all.

The plot is filled with learning and action. I adored the sentient mountain and love quirky additions like that. I can’t wait to explore more of the world and magic because I feel like I was given enough info to continue, but definitely need more to be satisfied.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 2-3 open door; med-high explicit
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and magical altercations, torture, loss of loved ones, kidnapping 

FANTASTIC RETELLING.

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I had no idea this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling until I got into the story. What a pleasant surprise because these are my favorite kind! This is a super quick read that I was able to get through in a day and I continually enjoy Mimi Matthews books and this was another good one.

This was written well and I loved the set-up between these two. A good dose of second chance romance and some hidden unrequited feelings. I liked the little dash of mystery to solve what happened to the missing letters and how it led Sebastian and Sylvia back to each other.

There was a small dash of miscommunication I didn’t love, and I kind of had a hard time with the meddling sister too. Besides that things moved swiftly and there some great swoony kiss scenes and a nice HEA.

Overall audience notes:
- Regency Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: medium
- Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple mentions of suicide and suicide ideation, loss of a parent from suicide, grief 

 INTRIGUED.

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I have found myself in an odd thought zone after this one. I was simultaneously disgruntled that there were a loooot of Throne of Glass similarities and delighted that it had many essences of my favorite series ever. A juxtaposition that ultimately worked out because I’ve already started reading book two.

I did enjoy the friendships and many of those dynamics. I love strong bonds like that because found family is always my jam. I’m curious how those will further change throughout the series.

The romance grew on me. I thought it could have used a bit more something but I liked Nik and all that he was able to teach and help Faythe with (I’m continually trying to remain vague to not spoil anything).

Plot was good too. A decent balance of slow and action fueled moments. Even some good twists that kept the pages turning. I am very much interested in continuing because I have some ideas for book two that I can’t wait to see how they play out.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy + Romance
- Language: a little
- Romance: heated make-outs
- Violence: med-high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and magical altercations, imprisonment 

CHARMING!

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I had no expectations going in to this and was pleasantly charmed by the story. It was fun and full of wilderness adventure.

Drew and Denali had some great chemistry and I loooove dual perspective and getting both sides of the story. It’s a fast paced romance that has some good swoony kiss scenes and learning how to fit into each other’s lives.

I also liked the single mom trope here. Sawyer was such a great kid and learning about all sorts of different animals as apart of the nature and rescue aspects was unique to romances I’ve picked up before. I always enjoy coming acorss something I haven’t read before.

There’s good family and friend dynamics. Blended families that actually want to make things work pull at my heart strings. It is super easy to read in a day and I think many would like this one!

**Audiobook note: one thing that did bug me (but did not affect my rating) was the speed differences between narrators. Both were great BUT the male narrator was infinitely faster than the female and I had to change reading speeds with chapter changes.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: animal encounters 

EVERYTHING I WANTED.

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I had no idea (since I didn’t read the synopsis) of what I was getting into when I binged this BUT I knew that I needed the story Atlas and Lily deserved. AND GOSH DANG IT HAPPENED.

I LOVE that they were the focus. The story was about them. Moving towards the place they’ve always wanted to be, together. My heart melted and I was a giddy mess every dang time Atlas was on page. One of the best heroes I’ve ever come across. The support, care, love, endearing nature, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

And I love the strength of Lily. Making hard decision after hard decision just trying to get to the best situation she could. These characters come across incredibly real and human and squeezes my heart all the more.

And the supportive friends?! Good heavens. Unsung heroes of this book too. I loved them all and the pivotal roles they played in creating a future worth fighting for.

IT WAS EVERYTHING I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: multiple brief open
- Violence: med
- Trigger/Content Warnings: child abuse, homelessness, divorce/custody battles, domestic abuse, vandalism 

Full review to come!

EMBRACE IT.

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Oh my goodness, this book was wholly different than any other holiday read I have come across before. And I adored it???

We have a completely unlikable main character who has some major growth and things to work through. Enter in the book personification of Buddy the Elf and you have the love interest, Hall. I liked these two together! The reverse grump / sunshine trope worked perfectly here and I thought the ending was sweet.

Plot wise, I can’t say much was going on that I could gather. It’s a bit scattered for awhile and yet I burst out laughing more than once. The quips and one liners and all of the name drops somehow fit right in. The quirkyness of the story allowed a lot of free flow.

The spirit of the holiday season was brought to life. I loved many of the second half sentiments and now I feel like I am ready for all things Christmas after this book. Perfect for the season if you’re looking for something lighter and fun.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Holiday Romance
- Language: a little
- Romance: kissing
- Trigger/Content Warnings: brief mentions of psychological abuse from a previous relationship 

 ALL THE HOLIDAY SWEETNESS.

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This is one of those, sit and read in one evening, kinda novellas. I love reading these sometimes! And this was a fantastic quick paced romance that I thought was well written and gave me all the necessary Christmas vibes.

I like that that this was a childhood friends / second chance-ish romance. These seem to work best for something so short. The immediate need to feel a connection between the love interests was there and I was whole heartedly for Maddy and Bo. I love a good forced proximity moment as Christmas plans fell through and they got a chance to reconnect.

Super short. Super sweet. A great read for the season. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something in that category!

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance Holiday Novella
- Language: none
- Romance: make-outs 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

ALL THE FEELS.

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It takes a talented author to make me cool with things I don’t normally love in romance books. Jimenez has accomplished that here (of which I won’t be saying too much more because spoilers).

I loved Briana. I loved Jacob. I JUST LOVED THEM BOTH SO MUCH. For many reasons too. I felt deeply connected to their personal growth stories and the fact that Jacob reminded me of someone in my life really had me going. I adored Jacob and the anxiety representation was raw, real, and emotional. Alongside Briana’s trauma and coping mechanisms that took the strength of love showing up to work through. Jimenez creates stories to make you feel and I love knowing these characters.

With some of the responses that I generally have a hard time enjoying, I thought the way it was handled made me understand why things were happening the way that they were. It’s a testament to the ability to create such a character dynamic you can see and get the why.

There was a bunch of tropes and plot devices that I did absolutely LOVE. And the execution, as always, was top notch for me. I loved the letter writing, soft dates, all the little touches, comforting when the world got heavy and more. Seriously y’all. This is another must read.

**Read the author’s note too!

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 2ish brief open; low explicit
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: multiple mentions of different ER scenarios (cuts, wounds, vomiting, etc.), cheating spouse (recounted), chronic kidney disease, divorced main character, clinical anxiety, mention of pregnancy loss and suicide 

BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

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This has been floating on my radar for awhile but I kept putting it off for other books. I had a small break in-between audio holds and here we are! I now have a new series I want to continue (Thank heavens it’s already complete).

I LOVED this dystopian reimagining of Les Mis. I could clearly see the nods and allusions to the original classic, but throwing it much more sci-fi aspects on a whole new planet.

The characters were perfectly set for a YA fantasy read. I don’t think I have any major complaints about anyone. I liked the progression of individual journeys and how things flowed up and down until that intense ending. I would love to continue and see how things continue to shake out.

It is a BIG book and I did read it as an audio. I don’t know if that helped me move through it better of if I would have thought things were a bit long. There’s a lot more to the world building and political system I’m intrigued by and the raw experiences that kept happening.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Dystopian
- Language: a little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: torture, death/execution, persecution, murder, oppression, abuse