Thank you Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

I’M TRYING.

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I have realized that friends to lovers is a trope I struggle to get on board with and this unfortunately became another case with reading this book. I thought the writing was just fine and I did like the characters, I didn’t love the plot choices though.

There was too much focus on Miles and the girl that everyone thought he was supposed to be with even if there wasn’t any legs for that plot line to stand on. I was tired of hearing about Lisette and how forceful Jemma and others were about the situation. I didn’t mind the dating lessons and thought those provided good opportunity for some closeness.

I’m not going to keep going on here, this one wasn’t for me, and that’s okay.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low 

 4.5 star

ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

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Let me tell y’all, when I passed that halfway point I became an unhinged reader of this book. UNHINGED. The dramatic chaos that presented itself had me literally dropping my jaw and saying “noooooooo” and then getting a little teary-eyed too. This is an atypical romance for me. It does not follow a smooth pattern and brings the angst and WILL THEY EVER GET THEIR MOMENT vibes that left me breathless.

I really loved JP. And I loved Julia. EVEN IF I WANTED TO SHAKE THEM MULTIPLE TIMES. I don’t know how I feel about a few particular plot points but I jumped on the speeding train of this journey and rolled with it. There were so many good moments throughout and a lot of Julia’s family/mother dilemmas hit a little close to home.

My one tidbit about the romance was that every time JP and Julia were together there was a bit too much focus on the physicality of the relationship vs. other pieces I would have loved to see more of.

I thought it beautifully came together in the end and I am truly a fan of Caitlin Moss’s writing.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: moderate
- Romance: 4+ open door
- Violence: low
- Content Warnings: cancer, loss of loved ones, an emotionally abusive mother 

 Thank you William Morrow for the gifted copy and LibroFM for the audiobook.

NOT SURE THIS WAS FOR ME.

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This is my first KMM book…and it might be my last? I liked the writing style and I thought most of the aspects of the plot were perfectly fine. Those were the pieces I enjoyed and made for a decent read. I also thought the audiobook production was good so if you want to try this book that format, go for it!

What bugged me the most was how the “romantic” plot lines were used in this book. I’m just personally not a fan of one night stands or lets just do it to let some steam off. I wanted much more true romance and connection, even some chemistry between the FMC and the love interest(s) (yes, I think there’s a love triangle?). The scenes weren’t over the top graphic but too lusty for me overall.

I thought the last quarter had some nice reveals and turns to really bring the action and tension of the plot. And y’all know I love a good cliffhanger. But I’m not sure it’s going to be worth picking up the sequel.

Overall audience notes:

Paranormal Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3 open door; innuendo
Violence: moderate 

 UNDER RATED.

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At present, I am the only person I know of who has read this book and I think y’all need to get on this too! It is a standalone young adult historical fiction/fantasy with some enemies to lovers/oh wait we both hate the same guy romance that I loved listening to.

Now this book does NOT shy away from the atrocities committed by the king in question. I learned a lot from this book and from the author’s note at the end about this point in time. I love when books broaden my knowledge of time periods I knew little of. I do think some of the historical aspects and characters got lost in the shuffle of trying to create this as a standalone but that was my only issue.

I loved that this was dual POV and that both characters were people you wanted to root for. There were so many scenes that gutted me and so many scenes that pulled at my heart. I loved the intensity and how things came together in the end. It’s a fantastic book.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Historical fiction / fantasy / romance
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Content Warnings: mentions of rape and abuse, war themes, animal violence, sexual abuse, misogyny, kidnapping of women and girls, incent (mentioned), suicide (mentioned), infanticide (mentioned), panic attacks — the author does have a full trigger warning page at the beginning of the book; because I listened to the audiobook I might have missed something else to note here 

 Thank you to the author for an eARC.

WHAT A START.

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OH my gosh I loved this book y’all. I need book two ASAP. I LOVE Jennifer Jones. Her whole character is immaculately crafted and I am obsessed with her snarky personality that is also filled with love and loyalty to those around her. This book kind of reads like one of those NCIS types of shows but throw in a whole bunch of paranormal characters.

I loved the entire cast. I just don’t have one negative to say about the entire book. I was hooked from the get go and the slow reveals were fantastic. It’s fast paced and full of action. I loved the flashback chapters and the world set-up. As someone who’s generally not an urban fantasy lover, this one HIT ALL THE MARKS.

But excuse me, THE ENDING. I am shooketh. And I’m so curious how this story will continue and where things will lead to next.

Claudia Cain is a hidden gem and you absolutely need to take a chance on her books.

Overall audience notes:
- Urban Fantasy Mystery
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Content Warnings: blood/gore depiction involving deaths from vampires, murder, kidnapping, torture, werewolf attacks 

 Thank you S&S / Saga Press and CPBT for the gifted copy and Simon Audio for the audiobook.

A GREAT STANDALONE.

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I know many are often on a quest for a romantasy standalone and I gotta say this was a great one! For a 300 page book it was substantially packed with good world building, dragons, and an endearingly romantic story too.

I loved that this was from Sai’s point of view. I feel romance book aren’t often written solely from the male main character and I enjoyed his journey a lot. There’s a fairytale-esque writing quality to it and I also listened to the audiobook and loved that format too.

There’s some intense action, some hidden identity and a love story that transcends time and place. I adored the very sweet and tender moments between the main characters and would absolutely love to read this author’s next story.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: fade to black
- Violence: low – moderate 

 Thank you PRH Audio for the audiobook and Berkley (Berkley Partner) for the gifted copy.

WELL THIS FREAKED ME OUT A BIT.

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I am in my horror reading era apparently and have found myself enjoying another one! This went back and forth between past and present and I liked waiting for that moment of collision where all the pieces made sense. This is definitely on the darker side and doesn’t shy away from some awful things that made it hard to listen to at times.

The pacing did drag somewhat and I spent a lot of time waiting for the other foot to drop. I did like the atmosphere and it is perfect for the spooky season. It covers a lot of ground and leaves you feeling haunted.

Overall audience notes:
- Horror Historical Fiction
- Language: moderate
- Violence: high
- Content Warnings: persecution of women (including torture, false imprisonment), abuse, cult behaviors, loss of life, murder, extensive burn wounds 

 Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

A SWEET STORY.

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I love a good story set out on the sea and this was another amazing book from Arlem Hawks. I enjoy her historical stories so much and she’s a must read author in this genre.

I adored May and Elias. I loved that May had to work through a complicated past and learn from mistakes and she grew and took in new information about life aboard a boat. And sweet Elias who wanted to be loved for him. All of the soft and quiet things he did for May had me melting.

And getting to see the Peyton’s too!! I’m so happy they were included in this story and I loved being back on this ship. It’s a short and heartfelt romance. Y’all know I’m a fan of forced proximity and maybe that’s why I loved ocean stories so much?? They get to be together all the time and you get to see a genuine slow burn romance bloom in the best ways. Combined with action and the thrill of wondering what ship was on the horizon this isn’t a book to be missed.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Content Warnings: life threatening injuries, skirmishes on a boat, loss of life 

 Thank you to PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

IT WRAPPED UP WELL.

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First of all I am absolutely obsessed with the audio productions of these books. I loved that this had a full cast and that each POV had a different narrator. Audiobooks are a MUST for this duology. Highly recommend.

I do think some of the general plot got lost in the shuffle of so many POV’s > length of the book. Trying to build so many characters and relationships while also putting together this big arc with returning gods and such worked for the most part, but also left me wanting something more.

The characters though? I loved them all. I loved that the villain’s POV was included too. I do tend to love character driven stories and I appreciated seeing where each character was coming from and how the romantic sub-plots were woven throughout. There’s some good action and a bit of politicking, found family and a conclusion that wrapped up the story well. I can’t wait for more Kaufman books!

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: make-outs
- Violence: moderate 

 Thank you to Flatiron for the gifted ARC and Macmillan audio for the ALC.

4.5 stars?

LOTS OF THOUGHTS.

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Alright, y’all know this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and I thought it delivered in the end. I do tend to have a hard time with an urban-ish setting where the characters kind of flip back and forth between fae/human lands. I thought enough time was spent in the fae lands that I was able to enjoy the fantasy world.

I loved that it was multiple POV. I love having views from all the characters. And with shorter chapters the pace was moving well and I was getting every angle of the story I needed to see the big picture.

The world building was perfectly fine and I love books with fae so no issues at all for me there. I thought Bristol was a FMC I could get behind and I think her potential is brewing and I liked the growth and strength throughout this book. There were some good reveals that you could see coming but enjoyed all the same with the dramatic fall outs.

I also loved the romance. It was a slow burn where the characters actually got to know each other and gave good push and pull with banter and heated moments. This is OPEN DOOR for anyone who has read her previous series. It’s vague though (my preference) and didn’t overwhelm the plot.

The audiobook was amazing. I listened and read my copy and loved the experience. I thought the narrator did a fantastic job for reading all of the POV’s and creating distinct voices.

I’m just a huge fan of MEP and I loved being immersed in her writing and world again. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: low-moderate
- Romance: 3+ vague open door
- Violence: moderate-high
- Content Warnings: murder, loss of life, weapons violence