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mollyreadsandcrafts's Reviews (978)
•spoilers for book 1 and 2 of Captive Prince trilogy•
check cw/tw: nonconsensual sex acts, sexual assault, sex slavery, horrible people
I made it folks! After a rough start, I've finished up the Captive Prince trilogy on a high note. This book was similar to the second with action and drama, but we finally get that spark of romance between Laurent and Damen.
The final book picks up immediately where the previous one left off. Damen and Laurent have plans to meet up and face the Regent, but of course things go awry. As they continue their journey to overcome the Regent and take back both their thrones, secrets come out and choices have to be made.
It's never easy for these two, but throughout this series they've developed a bond of (wary) trust and respect. This slowly grows into something akin to affection. When the times comes, they both have to decide, their throne or everything else? Damen remains my favorite through this series. He can be a little naive, but he has strength in his morals and honesty. Of course this is the opposite of Laurent, who's cunning and smart, and will do what is needed to make sure all their plans succeed. However it's these difference that draw them together, changing their values and what they expect from their futures.
I did read The Summer Palace epilogue short, and I thought it wrapped up everything better than just the ending of the book. They both have a lot of hurt between them that needs to be overcome, and this story was their first steps on making that happen.
The up and down of the drama kept me hooked in book two and three. After everything, I really wish their enemies got a more gruesome demise. It ended almost too easy for the villians, I wish they got a more deserving ending than they did but I guess everything worked out. The whole trilogy was a rollercoaster for me, but I did enjoy the political drama and overall plot (past the first book). I don't have a huge desire to read the other shorts. I'll be a little cautious going into this author's other works, but still curious about her other stories.
Read if you like:
• enemies to lovers
• opposites attract
• slow burn
• political intrigue
check cw/tw: nonconsensual sex acts, sexual assault, sex slavery, horrible people
I made it folks! After a rough start, I've finished up the Captive Prince trilogy on a high note. This book was similar to the second with action and drama, but we finally get that spark of romance between Laurent and Damen.
The final book picks up immediately where the previous one left off. Damen and Laurent have plans to meet up and face the Regent, but of course things go awry. As they continue their journey to overcome the Regent and take back both their thrones, secrets come out and choices have to be made.
It's never easy for these two, but throughout this series they've developed a bond of (wary) trust and respect. This slowly grows into something akin to affection. When the times comes, they both have to decide, their throne or everything else? Damen remains my favorite through this series. He can be a little naive, but he has strength in his morals and honesty. Of course this is the opposite of Laurent, who's cunning and smart, and will do what is needed to make sure all their plans succeed. However it's these difference that draw them together, changing their values and what they expect from their futures.
I did read The Summer Palace epilogue short, and I thought it wrapped up everything better than just the ending of the book. They both have a lot of hurt between them that needs to be overcome, and this story was their first steps on making that happen.
The up and down of the drama kept me hooked in book two and three. After everything, I really wish their enemies got a more gruesome demise. It ended almost too easy for the villians, I wish they got a more deserving ending than they did but I guess everything worked out. The whole trilogy was a rollercoaster for me, but I did enjoy the political drama and overall plot (past the first book). I don't have a huge desire to read the other shorts. I'll be a little cautious going into this author's other works, but still curious about her other stories.
Read if you like:
• enemies to lovers
• opposites attract
• slow burn
• political intrigue
•spoilers for book 1, Captive Prince•
check cw/tw: the echoes of the awfulness of the last book are still in the second - nonconsensual acts and slavery
After book 1 and all the struggle I had with it, I was still rooting for Damen. He's my favorite throughout the whole series for because he's the only decent person. I was invested in seeing how everything played out for him. Overall a better read, still low romance (though it picks up slightly), with lots of political/royal drama.
Laurent is sent to the border to fight/train/do army stuff, but it's all just a ploy for his uncle (The Regent) to have him killed. Damen goes along, because he doesn't want Laurent's uncle to start a war with his home country if he takes over the throne instead of Laurent. They spend weeks traveling to the border forts - their journey filled with secret missions, underhanded dealings, and political conspiracy.
All the while, Laurent and Damen form a tentative alliance. They have a begrudging respect for one another through most of the book. Their romance is the slowest of all slow burns. I think of it like a match. The first book throws water on the match, and then this book is the match drying out so it might be able to one day spark. There are definitely looks, and moments, but there's also a lot of secrets and hurts between the two.
This book was a lot easier to read than the first one. I don't know if the author was trying to go for shock value with the awfulness of the first, but I still don't think I would recommend it. This second book still had those undertones but it wasn't as in your face. There was a lot more focus on an actual plot and the very slow forming relationship between Laurent and Damen. It reminds me of a low key Game of Thrones without magic. The ending was really interesting, and I'm intrigued in how this will all end.
Read if you like:
• enemies to lovers
• slow burn
• political intrigue
check cw/tw: the echoes of the awfulness of the last book are still in the second - nonconsensual acts and slavery
After book 1 and all the struggle I had with it, I was still rooting for Damen. He's my favorite throughout the whole series for because he's the only decent person. I was invested in seeing how everything played out for him. Overall a better read, still low romance (though it picks up slightly), with lots of political/royal drama.
Laurent is sent to the border to fight/train/do army stuff, but it's all just a ploy for his uncle (The Regent) to have him killed. Damen goes along, because he doesn't want Laurent's uncle to start a war with his home country if he takes over the throne instead of Laurent. They spend weeks traveling to the border forts - their journey filled with secret missions, underhanded dealings, and political conspiracy.
All the while, Laurent and Damen form a tentative alliance. They have a begrudging respect for one another through most of the book. Their romance is the slowest of all slow burns. I think of it like a match. The first book throws water on the match, and then this book is the match drying out so it might be able to one day spark. There are definitely looks, and moments, but there's also a lot of secrets and hurts between the two.
This book was a lot easier to read than the first one. I don't know if the author was trying to go for shock value with the awfulness of the first, but I still don't think I would recommend it. This second book still had those undertones but it wasn't as in your face. There was a lot more focus on an actual plot and the very slow forming relationship between Laurent and Damen. It reminds me of a low key Game of Thrones without magic. The ending was really interesting, and I'm intrigued in how this will all end.
Read if you like:
• enemies to lovers
• slow burn
• political intrigue
Check content warnings and trigger warnings - rape, sexual slavery, sexual assault, physical assault, pedophilia
You think with all of those content/trigger warnings it would be mentioned somewhere before you started the book? It's not. Everything from the prologue up to 70%ish was unnecessarily awful. There's rape and nonconsensual sex everywhere. You can write sex work and slaves into a fantasy/historical/whatever this is trying to be without the amount of non-consensual acts
I was invested in Damen, and that was about all I took out of this. There was barely an overarching plot, and anything similar to one only started in the last third. There's no romance at all, and I would say it's the opposite of romance.
I'm extremely on the fence about continuing the series, even with the glowing reviews. I don't love the authors style either - I hate when authors use big, uncommon words just for the sake of it, which seemed to be the case here.
So why not 1 star? Just because I wanted to see how Damen would get out of the situation, and he seemed to be the only one with any common sense and morals.
You think with all of those content/trigger warnings it would be mentioned somewhere before you started the book? It's not. Everything from the prologue up to 70%ish was unnecessarily awful. There's rape and nonconsensual sex everywhere. You can write sex work and slaves into a fantasy/historical/whatever this is trying to be without the amount of non-consensual acts
I was invested in Damen, and that was about all I took out of this. There was barely an overarching plot, and anything similar to one only started in the last third. There's no romance at all, and I would say it's the opposite of romance.
I'm extremely on the fence about continuing the series, even with the glowing reviews. I don't love the authors style either - I hate when authors use big, uncommon words just for the sake of it, which seemed to be the case here.
So why not 1 star? Just because I wanted to see how Damen would get out of the situation, and he seemed to be the only one with any common sense and morals.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
•spoilers!!•
Hazard and Somers are in for a surprise when Hazard's ex shows up to town, claiming to need protection. Hazard takes him on as a client, but is led right to the murder case that Somers is currently working. Somers and Hazard are still figuring out the dynamics of their relationship, but faces from the past bring up old feelings and shine light on their struggles.
My heart hurt for Hazard for this whole book. You know his exes were bad, but the true depth of how much they hurt him doesn't really hit until they show back up. He really wants to be his best for those he loves and tries to be whatever they want, but he can't let go of who he is at his core. He tries but I really think some therapy is needed there, though I can only imagine his response to that kind of conversation. He loves Somers more than anything, but his insecurity constantly makes him feel like an outsider and that he'll be left behind. I want him to really come into his own mental strength, but I know that there are so many outside factors waiting to knock him back down. I love how much he is devoted to his family - Somers and Evie (they have the cutest relationship) - hope he devotes the same kind of love to himself eventually.
I know Somers has his own issues but he reverted back to the Somers from series 1 that I really didn't like. Even if Hazard is moving on, I'm still not over that one scene at the bar. The Valentine's dinner was cute but it's not going to fix such a big problem. I'm hoping he gets his shit together after this and it becomes more of a turning point rather than a problem that causes more cracks in their relationship. He truly loves Hazard and I think would be lost without him, but I wish he just made better choices. They both have the ability and love to understand the other better, they just need a little push in the right direction.
In the first series one of my little complaints was that I wanted Billy to have a more justified ending after everything he put Hazard through. After seeing how much worse he was than I even imagined, I'm so glad karma caught up with him in the end. Plus the North and Shaw cameos were everything! I'm here for an unexpected friendship with Somers and Shaw (that I'm basing off one hug). The case Somers was working on also had a really satisfying ending even if it wasn't too intense of a mystery. While the book had a lot of relationship struggles with Somers and Hazard, there were still some laugh out loud moments and I really enjoyed the story as a whole.
Every book that's closer to the end increases my anxiety. The Keeper plot line is so creepy, kinda giving Criminal Minds vibes of just a psychopath on the loose. What makes it worse is I have no idea who or what it could be! Something has to happen soon, and I'm hoping it won't be too difficult for our guys. (Maybe for Somers because I'm still mad at him)
Read if you like:
• romantic suspense
• private investigator/detective
• hurt/comfort
•••••••••••••••••••••
Hazard and Somers are in for a surprise when Hazard's ex shows up to town, claiming to need protection. Hazard takes him on as a client, but is led right to the murder case that Somers is currently working. Somers and Hazard are still figuring out the dynamics of their relationship, but faces from the past bring up old feelings and shine light on their struggles.
My heart hurt for Hazard for this whole book. You know his exes were bad, but the true depth of how much they hurt him doesn't really hit until they show back up. He really wants to be his best for those he loves and tries to be whatever they want, but he can't let go of who he is at his core. He tries but I really think some therapy is needed there, though I can only imagine his response to that kind of conversation. He loves Somers more than anything, but his insecurity constantly makes him feel like an outsider and that he'll be left behind. I want him to really come into his own mental strength, but I know that there are so many outside factors waiting to knock him back down. I love how much he is devoted to his family - Somers and Evie (they have the cutest relationship) - hope he devotes the same kind of love to himself eventually.
I know Somers has his own issues but he reverted back to the Somers from series 1 that I really didn't like. Even if Hazard is moving on, I'm still not over that one scene at the bar. The Valentine's dinner was cute but it's not going to fix such a big problem. I'm hoping he gets his shit together after this and it becomes more of a turning point rather than a problem that causes more cracks in their relationship. He truly loves Hazard and I think would be lost without him, but I wish he just made better choices. They both have the ability and love to understand the other better, they just need a little push in the right direction.
In the first series one of my little complaints was that I wanted Billy to have a more justified ending after everything he put Hazard through. After seeing how much worse he was than I even imagined, I'm so glad karma caught up with him in the end. Plus the North and Shaw cameos were everything! I'm here for an unexpected friendship with Somers and Shaw (that I'm basing off one hug). The case Somers was working on also had a really satisfying ending even if it wasn't too intense of a mystery. While the book had a lot of relationship struggles with Somers and Hazard, there were still some laugh out loud moments and I really enjoyed the story as a whole.
Every book that's closer to the end increases my anxiety. The Keeper plot line is so creepy, kinda giving Criminal Minds vibes of just a psychopath on the loose. What makes it worse is I have no idea who or what it could be! Something has to happen soon, and I'm hoping it won't be too difficult for our guys. (Maybe for Somers because I'm still mad at him)
Read if you like:
• romantic suspense
• private investigator/detective
• hurt/comfort
•••••••••••••••••••••
Boone is in the final steps of his divorce, trying to find a new balance for his family. When his ex-wife's brother Grady moves back to follow his passion of photography and stays with them, they find a new depth to their previous relationship. One night changes their dynamic completely, and they both become torn between family and love.
Grady and Boone are both trying to figure out life after making some big changes. Being in close proximity on the road only increases the tension between the two. Grady gives Boone a fresh look on life and makes him want to put himself first for once. Boone is the man of Grady's dreams and someone who he can share those dreams with. They were a bit of a slow burn, but had amazing chemistry when they finally got together.
I liked this for the most part, but it wasn't that interesting overall. There's nothing bad about it at all, it just didn't hold my attention or pique my interest. The forbidden romance aspect had a lot of potential, but I just didn't feel the angst. It didn't quite work for me, but I did read the whole book and like I said, there wasn't anything bad about it. I'm curious about the next couple, but will probably hold off reading until I see some of the reviews.
Read if you like:
• forbidden romance
• forced proximity
• small town romance
•••••••••••••••••••••
Grady and Boone are both trying to figure out life after making some big changes. Being in close proximity on the road only increases the tension between the two. Grady gives Boone a fresh look on life and makes him want to put himself first for once. Boone is the man of Grady's dreams and someone who he can share those dreams with. They were a bit of a slow burn, but had amazing chemistry when they finally got together.
I liked this for the most part, but it wasn't that interesting overall. There's nothing bad about it at all, it just didn't hold my attention or pique my interest. The forbidden romance aspect had a lot of potential, but I just didn't feel the angst. It didn't quite work for me, but I did read the whole book and like I said, there wasn't anything bad about it. I'm curious about the next couple, but will probably hold off reading until I see some of the reviews.
Read if you like:
• forbidden romance
• forced proximity
• small town romance
•••••••••••••••••••••
A funny, sweet rom-com. It felt like almost like a tv sitcom or something like a rom-com movie. Oliver and Luc were great, a real fun cast of side characters and a ton of laugh out loud moments.
•minor spoilers•
I thought Luc was hilarious and I loved his internal monologue. It was the perfect humor for me. I liked Oliver, he seemed super sweet but he always used $10 words that I eventually stopped googling and just guessed the meaning of. They had a very sweet relationship, that was never felt like the "fake dating" they attempted to pull off.
My biggest complaint is Luc's whole dad story line. (Maybe bigger spoilers here) but that stuff at the end? That was really messed up and I needed a bigger reaction to that because I was livid for Luc.
I loved the whole cast of characters, Luc's group of friends and his coworkers. But Alex was the funniest, hands down. The whole story felt like it was right out of a tv sitcom. It didn't focus on the emotional or physical relationship too in depth but rather more of Luc going about his daily life with all the randomness that happened and he also happened to be fake dating a guy. It was very low on the romance scale for me, but I laughed so much and really enjoyed it.
This is my second Alexis Hall book, and in some ways I'm not a huge fan of his writing style. In general it's alright, but at times it's a bit much. I don't know if it's an American/British thing, but I like to think I'm fairly educated and still didn't know what a good amount of what Oliver was trying to say, like the honest vs truth thing. I'm curious about the next installment, even though I'm not sure what it could really be about. I'm assuming more sitcom like antics, and if it's as funny as this one I'll be happy!
Read if you like:
• opposites attract
• fun friends
• fake dating
•minor spoilers•
I thought Luc was hilarious and I loved his internal monologue. It was the perfect humor for me. I liked Oliver, he seemed super sweet but he always used $10 words that I eventually stopped googling and just guessed the meaning of. They had a very sweet relationship, that was never felt like the "fake dating" they attempted to pull off.
My biggest complaint is Luc's whole dad story line. (Maybe bigger spoilers here) but that stuff at the end? That was really messed up and I needed a bigger reaction to that because I was livid for Luc.
I loved the whole cast of characters, Luc's group of friends and his coworkers. But Alex was the funniest, hands down. The whole story felt like it was right out of a tv sitcom. It didn't focus on the emotional or physical relationship too in depth but rather more of Luc going about his daily life with all the randomness that happened and he also happened to be fake dating a guy. It was very low on the romance scale for me, but I laughed so much and really enjoyed it.
This is my second Alexis Hall book, and in some ways I'm not a huge fan of his writing style. In general it's alright, but at times it's a bit much. I don't know if it's an American/British thing, but I like to think I'm fairly educated and still didn't know what a good amount of what Oliver was trying to say, like the honest vs truth thing. I'm curious about the next installment, even though I'm not sure what it could really be about. I'm assuming more sitcom like antics, and if it's as funny as this one I'll be happy!
Read if you like:
• opposites attract
• fun friends
• fake dating