Another winner from Mrs Bev! I really loved reuniting with the LeVeq family and reading about such a strong and fiercely independent Black woman. I also appreciated the banter between the two and found that the third act miscommunication was well done as was the "grovel". They were believable without being too dramatic and easily overcame because communication! Highly recommend as I do all of this author's books.

This was an adorable read and the title says it all. Jordan and Rex's meet cute was delightful. I also loved the close relationship both men had with their grandmothers. And while the grovel is never a make or break for me, I really enjoyed this one because it was perfectly suited for this settling. Highly recommend!!

So I enjoyed this book overall but I see why others had issues with. Honestly, not a lot did happen. It was the recounting of someone's eternal life.

Then again that was also kind of the point. This is definitely a play on a Faustian tale and I'm sure not much happened in those once the bargain was made. Because eternal life gets boring after about the first century.

The only drawback is after a while Addie's annoyance with Luc/The Darkness got tedious. I only say that because even at the age of 23, she knew she was making a bargain with a devil-like creature. and then cried foul. Initially I got it, but she was doing it in present day as well, after 300 years. Luc never presented a false exterior about the type of creature he was and on some levels that much stark honesty is respectable. She never really faced up to the fact, even to herself, that she made a poor choice. And if there had been a hint of that in there, I feel it would have given it an extra 'oomph' because then it shows growth on her part.

Still it was a very beautiful story. It was very poetic and lyrical and again while there were no big conflicts or action parts, with the exception of the references to war, it played pretty much the way I expected. I was surprised at a very turns in the story but this is one I could re-read again.

I loved this book, which shouldn't be surprising since I've enjoyed all her of her other books. But this one definitely stood out for more than a few reasons.

First, it's a romance horror or horror romance depending on how you view it. I never really know which genre should go first in a blending one. Is it the one the for which the author is best known for or alphabetically? Either way it's both and it does balances both phenomenally. There were a few moments (coughs in Chapter Nine) where I would see how it started and be like "No, no, no, not starting that tonight." My dreams are vivid y'all and I don't need help with my nightmares thank you.

Second, Black love. Always love to see it, especially when both protagonists are roughly my age and not young twenty-somethings.

Third, it was a strong story. It really was. The horror was there without being overbearing and while it had a happy ending (which it had to cause romance) the horror was nothing to scoff at either especially if you're one who likes atmospheric horror. It's got that in spades.

All in all, again LOVED this book. I will definitely re-read it and hopefully Helen gets her own story soon. Because I would love to hear more about her.

Really 4.5

I love Taming of the Shrew and Ten Things I Hate About You. So naturally I was excited for this retelling. What I loved about it is how Kareena and Prem were essentially co-conspirators instead of him being hired to 'tame' her. That was an appreciated change and nod to the modern telling of it. It was also sexier than I anticipated which isn't bad but it was a surprise.

I didn't mind Prem having a name for his man part like others did. It was all internal and he never told Kareena to call it that so it seemed a eccentricity. Personally I'm more offended with romances where the "alpha male" pushes the other person down to their knees with demands to suck them off....but to each their own.

My main issue was the relationship with Bindu. I feel Kareena should have torn her a new one a long time ago. The 'kind' sisterly moments were so few and far between that I didn't believe she cared for Kareena at all. A convo between Prem and Kareena helped me to understand how she was so graceful with her Dad and Grandma. But Bindu was a sibling and someone should have told her off long before it happened.

Overall very entertaining and would recommend and re-read.

This slow burn off the pages Sapphic Romance was a delight! I loved how the friendship between Caro and Amy was firmly established before a romance began. It was clear they respected each other above everything else and that was appreciated. Then the communication they had, even after the conflict they went through (which I wouldn't classify as a third act break up more like a fight) was believable in what happened and how it was resolved. I can't wait to pick up the next one.

I loved this book. I felt that the author did a very good of describing how conflicting it can be to be partially in the closet in a super conservative location. I know some many judge Amy harshly for the way she lived her life, but honestly it's one of those that I can understand why she made the choices she did.in terms of that, especially considering how her family treated her when she came out.

That said, it is not an easy read, especially if you're someone who is also in this boat in some way. But it was accurate in describing how it might feel and I appreciate the honesty and directness of that.

I also enjoyed how Amy actually grew throughout the story. Because at first, yeah, she was a little selfish in some aspects. And not always mindful that she had to also be a listening ear as well as a speaking mouth. But she finally realized that and I think that all her relationships were that much the better for it.

While the romance was light in this, I would still classify it as one because the relationship with Charley was always there driving the plot. But so was Amy's journey of self-love and that was amazing to see. and I cheered every step of the way. This was an amazing debut and I can't wait to see more from the author.

I was given a free eARC by the publisher for an open and honest review.

While a lyrical and beautifully written novel, overall it was just okay. I'll admit that I wasn't a fan of the ending at all. To go into why would be spoiler-y but suffice to say even if it was close to the myth I feel, all things considered, Ariadne deserved to have some type of victory. And there are tons of different versions about her, so we didn't necessarily need to go for the traumatic one.

True, a lot of that was a prison of her own design because she allowed her sister, who she hadn't seen in literal years, allow her to question the happiness she had in her life after she was betrayed by Theseus. Because honestly? Her life on Naxos, all things considered, was fine. Dionysus wasn't the best of husbands true and he let his godhood get to him like all of them did even the ones we think of as most fair; but I do believe he cared for her.

I also feel the author did herself a disservice by including Phaedra's story. Honestly, she could have written two different stories and devoted one to each sister. The name of the book is Ariadne, so I was not expecting to, nor did I necessarily want to hear about Phaedra. The little snippets we got from her made her 'realization' at the end of her story seemed phoned in whereas if she had her own book, it could have been fleshed out more.

Yes, there's a lot of commentary there that could and should be expanded on with regards to how women were treated in all types of mythologies and even literature and on that it's very strong. This could be dissected for days in a college level class. But overall, it was just okay for me. I don't regret reading it but I don't imagine I will re-read it at all and if so it would have to be in a couple of years to see if age has changed my perspective in any way.

This was a cute debut novel. The subject matter was a little heavier than one might expect from a MG novel, but I found the author handled all the delicate aspects of the story very well. I loved reading about the joy Zoe had in baking (wish they had put the Froot Loop cupcake recipe in the book) and her perseverance in finding the truth. this is a good book to help introduce a hard concept to young readers and, while it has a happy ending, it's a good way to open the doors for conversations where that won't be the case.

Oh man, I loved this book SO much. I think that one thing I enjoyed the most about it was the low angst. Like, there was no big misunderstanding at the last third of the book. There were red herrings thrown in to make it seem like it would derail their relationship but they were false. Honestly, their biggest hurdle was their own self-doubts that they were enough for the other and if they could convince their partner of their love. Which smacks of so much truth and reality it almost hurt...but in a good way.

I also think that the author did a good job differentiating between the two narrators. Each character had a distinct tone and personality that was all their own and came out in the writing. I was kind of sad to finish it because it meant that the story was over but of course I can always re-read it!

I was given an eARC of this book for an honest review.