These books don't miss. I am eating this series up. I loved Dean and Allie's chemistry, and their overall plot. While I was reading this book my tiktok fyp got real personal and recommended an NHL Bruins video. I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE A REAL TEAM??? It's safe to say that now I follow them on all social media and have stared watching hockey compilation videos...

Tuck and Sabrina. Because I read book 1 of Briar U before finishing this series I was spoiled by the big decision, but it didn't change the anticipation or the tension in this book. I loved that we got to see all aspects of this relationship, from the beginning - middle - and the adjustment period after. I love how much we see of the prior characters, and seeing scenes from previous books from a new perspective (SPOILER AHEAD --- > Beau's death hits me so hard man). I'm so happy there is a collection of novellas from our 4 couples to look forward to reading before we move on to the next age of teammates.

While I did enjoy this book more than any of the individual stories from this series, I felt like it ended too abruptly. I was waiting for a closing scene of all four couples together, hanging out at an event and that never happened. That would have made this book perfect, but other than that it was such a fun read.

I really am a sucker for daily lives of characters I adore and this is what we got from this new installation. I loved the story arcs these characters were given in this stage of their lives, and I enjoyed hearing about peripheral characters.

It's my understanding that this novel was written after the second Briar U series, and there were some 'spoilers' of potential next couples that would have made more sense had I read these books in publication order, not series order. Which is my own fault and I don't think will detract from my enjoyment of the next series.

I don't typically go for contemporary romances. I get really bored when there isn't a magical element or something fantastical. But for some reason I'm hooked on these characters. They had such real life problems, and we watched them solve them as they grew and evolved through their college career into post college life. I think that was a huge advantage of these stories for me, as well as the incredibly well written steamy scenes. I know this is a series I'll come back to on a rainy day when I need to get out of a reading slump.

I also might become a hockey fan now. Did you know the Bruins are a real hockey team? My tiktok fyp really said FOR YOU when it recommended me the teams' videos as I was reading this series. *crying laughing emoji*

Gosh. I wanted to like this more, I really did. The writing just was not for me. I felt like the story had a lot of potential, but there just wasn't enough world building or development to the story. It jumped around very quickly, focused very heavily on dialogue, and the descriptions we did get felt repetitive and generic. I know this series is beloved by so many, and I can see why. The chemistry between the characters is there, and the premise was cool. It just wasn't for me, and that's okay. I'm glad I gave it a try.

I really enjoyed their chemistry and the rivals storyline. Definitely one of my favorite couples, after Garrett and Hannah.

This was such a departure from the other books. What I've loved about this connected standalone series (say that 5 times fast) is the way these books don't feel formulaic. Demi starts off the novel with a boyfriend, Hunter as her psychology partner, and a gaggle of male friends. Watching their friendship develop through the course of this novel, and seeing how it evolved into something more was so enjoyable! I'm so glad this author shows versatility in her ability to write romance.

I wish I had written this review closer to when I finished this novel, when the thoughts were fresh in my mind. However, life took an unexpected left turn and here we are, about a month later.

I did enjoy the premise of this novel. There were many aspects that pulled me in, and left me on the edge of my seat audibly arguing with the characters and myself. However, it took almost 300 pages to feel that sense of excitement, and that was a real let down for me personally.

While I enjoy multiple points of view, I didn't enjoy all the characters, which also made the book feel like it dragged along at some points. I never really knew where the story would go next, and I'm glad that through the writing style and devices, the story unfolded in a truly unpredictable fashion.

I did enjoy the writing and world building, and would try other books by this author, but perhaps something shorter next time.

Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite things about reading a book is not knowing all the ways you, as the reader, might relate with the characters on the page. Not only did I relate to Jess having a father who runs his own business as a mechanic, but I also related to Shawn who grew up surrounded by religious based purity culture.

Hot Rod Hookups is book 2 in a series, which I didn’t realize until after I had started reading. Thankfully the characters and their relationship to one another was self explanatory, and I truly didn’t feel like I was diving in mid series. This novel is a contemporary romance that focuses on family bonds, small town vibes, manual labor, and learning to trust in your own strengths and capabilities.

I enjoyed that while our main characters were clearly end game, they seemingly had no idea. Jess starts off the novel with a college boyfriend, and Shawn is still pining over a main character from book 1 in the series. It’s up to happenstance that these two begin to hit it off, and the relationship develops as they morph steadily into their true selves.

Both Jess and Shawn struggle with the self confidence to fully explore who they are, and what goals they have for their futures. Each character has a very unique support system including family members, friends, and coworkers who push them to realize their full potential.

This romance sizzles on the page in a slow burn that finally ignites in a grand finale. Their eventual union is well worth the wait, and made even sweeter by watching them overcome their struggles in order to discover their true selves.

Trigger Warning: car accident fatality/death of a mom - there are scenes alluding to the accident and it is not in any way described in graphic detail

I discovered Katee Robert earlier this year, and have been devouring her entire collection of novels. The Dark Olympus series is by far my favorite, and some of my most anticipated releases. I am lucky enough that my library system seems to agree with my general excitement for these novels, and hosts many of Robert's books on Hoopla as soon as they are published.

Wicked Beauty follows the first throuple of the series which includes Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen. Robert's has a very distinguishable romantic writing style, which is what initially got me hooked on the first and second books of this series. I loved watching the characters fall for each other as the stories progressed. With this book, for some reason, I found myself much more invested in the plot while enjoying the romantic endeavors as more of an exceptional bonus.

We meet our three main characters after the death of one of the Thirteen. They all end entangled in a competition to become the new Ares, and must survive three trials to win the prestigious title. In between the trials we watch each characters internal struggle to reexamine their independent driving force, come to terms with why they are in this competition, and what it will mean for their futures.

The dynamic between Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen fit like a puzzle. Helen is almost equal parts Achilles and Patroclus, which meant she was able to create a bridge between the two men, and ease some of their initial reservations.

The more I read from Robert the more I realize what a distinct writing voice they have. Sometimes repetitive phrases through the course of a novel or series of novels can become so aggravating that I'll become disinterested. With this series, however, I'm still rather invested in the story, and think this novel specifically set up a really great conflict for Radiant Sin, which is expected to be released in early 2023.

Mild trigger warnings: discussion/flashback of verbally abusive relationship, brief discussion of death of a parent & miscarriage, fighting/general violence during the trials

4/5 Stars

Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: August 6, 2022.

Divinity & Ruin has everything I love about dark adult fantasy: murder, gods and goddesses, demons, the chosen one trope, curses, lust, and a budding reverse harem. We meet Tita the night she is murdered, an act that becomes the catalyst for her journey to another world she never knew she belonged to. 

It was so easy to get swept away by the fast paced plot, and electrifying energy of this story. There is a lot that worked in this novel, and what truly stands out the most is the potential. What exists as a really good story, could become a great, all encompassing, immersive and expansive world with a vast band of characters who use each other to heal deep-seated emotional (and physical) wounds. 

This novel is relatively short for a fantasy of this size and magnitude. While I appreciated how quickly the author was able to deliver a digestible plot, I don’t think the characters had enough time to form genuine connections. Instead our harem forms seemingly out of thin air (literally). The character I’m the most curious about is the only one who held himself apart, and who didn’t automatically accept the arrangement with open arms. 

The romantic aspects of this story were really well done. It’s hard to discuss why it’s well done without giving away a major spoiler or two, but I thought that choosing to build the initial relationships off of lust and attraction alone was a very smart way to force the harem together. 

There is a lot happening in this story, which was equal parts exciting and daunting. Greek gods and goddesses play a major role, as well as titans, angels and demons, fae creatures, and of course, humans. I think this story would be so much stronger if there was a little more time spent on world building. There are moments where events are broken down for our main character to understand, but she (and us the reader) are forced to just accept the reality presented without question.

Divinity & Ruin was entertaining and a quick read. It was a nice escape back into adult fantasy, after I’d taken some time off to review children’s fiction. Ellary Rose is an author who very clearly develops the plot of their story. I hope in the future they also take the time to develop the relationships of the characters, as well as the world building. The ideas are there. I think the more time the author spends evolving the dynamics between characters, the hungrier readers will become to see them come together. 

Some editing notes:
PG 9 “I looked around, checking to see if my barricade was still intake.” - typo, should be intact? 
PG 73 “Luckily, he most hasn’t…” - should say, he most likely hasn’t?
PG 215 “We want you to be with you, Tita” - too many yous in that sentence or no punctuation between ideas. We want to be with you, or we want you is what I’m assuming was intended.