Thank you to the author for an eARC.

HI, I LOVE THIS BOOK.

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It was absolutely everything I could have hoped for when I was thinking about Van’s story. I devoured this read. And I feel like it’s hard to even put my words down because I don’t want to spoil a thing about this book. This is truly a best read blind book and trust me, it will DELIVER.

I loved getting Van’s perspective. A character I have been waiting to know and understand better. I loved the layers and journey. He’s such a charming man and I could not get enough of his heated and swoony actions. His love language is physical touch, and you. can. tell. Also I got a jersey moment which is one of my favorite tropes in sports romance so of course I went feral when that happened.

And I liked Amelia a lot too. She was slightly frustrating but in that way that is totally relatable and had me sitting there going, yeah I’d respond the same way too. I loved that she found her courage and voice in the end and got a chance to live her love story.

I’m always obsessed with any interactions involving the Appies and the text threads were *chefs kiss*. One of my forever favorite fictional hockey teams. I LOVED Van’s sisters too. They were the perfect balance for him and I loved seeing them take Amelia into their family.

I honestly could just keep going. I loved this book. It’s always hard for me to choose a favorite Emma St. Clair book but this definitely ranks up there.

Overall audience notes:
- Sports Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low
- Content Warnings: physical altercations, loss of a parent (recounted from past), divorce, cheating (not between the two leads in any way) 

Full review to come!

Full review to come!

 Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy.

THE OCD REP.

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This has got to be on the best and most raw representations I’ve ever read of someone with OCD. And as someone who has loved ones currently looking at potential diagnosis for OCD I was feeling all sorts of emotions. I was crying by the end which clearly means it gets five stars and a shout to say READ IT.

I loved the soft sub-romance too. Manuel was THERE. And he fought for Eliot. Those moments also made me cry. There were many heart wrenching moments. And the complicated family dynamics were incredibly well written. It was dramatic without feeling DRAMATIC. The variety of which that doesn’t cause me to roll my eyes but rather feel deeply engaged to the core issues that having a family + life’s knockdowns can cause. There’s grief and heartache and emotional turmoil woven throughout with quiet moments of levity and love.

I don’t tend to pick up books that don’t lean heavier to the romance plot line, so take that as you will for if you should read this book (you should though). It was profound, well balanced, with amazing mental health rep. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: low-moderate, scattered throughout
- Romance: 1-2 brief open door
- Content Warnings: OCD representation (throughout, main theme), loss of a sibling, grief and depression depiction 

Thank you to Orbit Books for the physical copy and LibroFM for the audiobook.

I’M STILL CONFUSED.

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That is unfortunately my biggest takeaway. I am still confused by this world and some of these characters and why the heck this was 17 hrs of audio? The heavy world dumping in the beginning didn’t stick.

It’s a fun idea and the bones are definitely there. There’s noticeable pop culture references and some of the humor does it well. I just don’t think ALL of it did the intended job. It kind of felt like the TV show adaptation of My Lady Jane. Honestly, I think Long Live Evil would work best as a show. With the real world cross overs and setting this could be great for TV.

There’s some good themes on the perception of others and choosing the best option from a list of bad. I did like most of the characters and different scenes were interesting or perfectly comical.

I’m undecided on picking up book two right now. If I do I will probably do the audio again. There’s a great twister of an ending at least.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy + Romance
- Language: moderate, scattered throughout
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Content Warnings: terminal illness (cancer, theme throughout), murder 

 4.5 stars

LOVELY STANDALONE.

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I loved loved loved being back in this world. It hit that fantasy romance craving I am always in search of and it was MARRAIGE OF CONVENIENCE. How was I supposed to resist???

I loved Skadi and Jonas. I love seeing a man fall hard and do whatever he can to make Skadi feel comfortable and safe with him and his family.

Jonas stilled for a breath, then leaned forward, drawing his cheek alongside mine. “Be kind, be gentle, and be monstrous. I will want you every way.”

This line was used a few times throughout and I was OBSESSED every time I read it. Who doesn’t want to be loved this way? Through the darkness and the light. It resonated deeply and made this passionate book all the more.

The physicality of the relationship started to outweigh the plot in the second half. And that did bug me enough to notice and mark it. Otherwise I don’t have any issues. The plot is slower and heavily romance focused rather than the larger plot. It has the edge of feeling cozy while still dark and gritty. I can’t wait for more books with future couples!!

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: high
- Romance: 4+ open door
- Violence: high
- Content Warnings: self harm (recounted), murder, assault, kidnapping, torture, mentions of emotional and mental abuse 

Full review to come!

 Somewhere between a 2 - 3 star. I haven't decided how I feel about the ending.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the gifted AR.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TELL Y’ALL.

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I am sitting here to write this review after finishing it the previous day and I still haven’t figured out how I feel about it and what I want to do about it. I DID enjoy the audiobook. If you want to read ASTDR I would definitely recommend that avenue. Loved the narrator, no issues on that front.

My main issue stems from how short this book felt. It is barely over 300 pages and for a standalone fantasy that can be hit or miss. I thought things were moving TOO FAST and I couldn’t keep up with the speed of the timeline. It also made the main romance line feel off-kilter. I would have loved more connection and time between them.

I didn’t mind the plot. It’s one I’ve read before, but do enjoy often. But, as the story went one it took some final turns that have me in a befuddled state. I think it boils down to this not being the style of fantasy romance I personally like.

I’ve enjoyed Ann Liang’s previous books in the YA Contemporary Romance category, and I would still read her next book.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical fantasy romance
- Language: low
- Romance: make-outs; low innuendo
- Violence: moderate-high
- Content Warnings: weapons violence, poisoning, attempted murder, actual murder, loss of life, war themes 

Full review to come!

WORTH THE HYPE.

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I took the plunge and read this thick beast of a book and I loved it!! I was going to go with four stars originally because I did think it was a bit slow in the beginning. BUT, this turned out to have one of my favorite tropes that I don’t often talk about (because it’s often not written well). Quicksilver was definitely the exception to this rule and I loved how the romance played out.

I also loved all of the characters honestly. The good and bad guys. I love distinct voices and thoughts and reasonings and all of these characters delivered in that department. The world building was excellent and I adored the little additions that kept being added as the book went on. I was increasingly glued to my screen with a need to know.

The magic system had my attention and I loved how complex it was without feeling overwhelming. I had a good time with the entire book and I love the space created for the next installment.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: high
- Romance: 3+ open door scenes
- Violence: high
- Content Warnings: blood/gore depiction, murder, torture, loss of life, war themes