Take a photo of a barcode or cover
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: First person with alternating chapters for hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? Lots of character focus
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, about 12% in a shorter novel
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: It’s not labeled, but yes the last chapter wraps things up a few months later
Format: read e-book on Kindle Unlimited
Should I read in order?
Maybe start with Virilian Mail Order Mates series? (Trak is book 1) You CAN read this one alone – it’s very character focused and it gives the details so you understand the alien/Earth relationship, but I want to say it would be better after reading that series? I found myself wanting to go read it afterwards at least!
Basic plot:
Sekar attempts to make a quick stop on Earth to rescue an endangered animal carried by another spacecraft when he’s snowed in on Nessa’s 200 acre farm in Maine.
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- Earth setting
- holiday romance
- shorter novel
- snowed in
- kids in the story – heroine has 2 daughters that are 8 and 11
- divorcee/widow heroine in her 40s
- royalty – hero is a prince
- average novella steam – 1 steam
Ages:
- Heroine is 40, didn’t see hero mentioned
First line:
Bring him back alive.
My thoughts:
This is a cute story! It’s pretty low angst, with Christmas and snowed in vibes. I liked the character focused story and liked the bit of tension building here.
I’m not a huge fan of children in my stories because I’m mean like that, but this worked out pretty cute. I was a touch overwhelmed at first with the world building of the alien race and Earth’s alliance and what was going on...I’m assuming that’s all already established once you’ve read Blake’s Virilian Mail Order Mates series, but it was simple enough over all.
I liked Blake’s writing and definitely want to try another by her and see how I feel.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- Hero has a tail
- Has light brown hair streaked with blond that’s shoulder length
- Golden skin with glue-gray markings
- Black skin around the eyes with light blue eyes
- 6’ 5” at least
- I think cock is normal!
- He changes into a primal form to protect his mate – eyes turn from blue to red (?), and forearms bulge with red vein-like markings, burns hot and incinerates clothing (he wears fireproof leather pants of course!), large flame covered horns, and body gets slightly larger, skin is molten armor
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
My imagination spiraled off, wondering what it would feel like to have his arms around me. What his mouth would feel like on mine. I imagined exploring that rigid stretch of muscled abdomen, testing the weight of that huge bulge below. My mouth went dry and my breasts tingled. Desire surprised me with dampness between my legs as my thoughts turned carnal.
Then, as if he could sense my arousal, his gaze snapped to mine, hot and sharp and aware. His nostrils flared and his head came up just a little, as if smelling something in the air other than the cinnamon-vanilla candle and the Christmas tree.
---
I added hot milk, stirred, and dropped a candy cane in each. I handed him one.
He took a cautious sip, then his eyes closed and his lips curved into a blissful smile. “This, on the other hand, is delicious.”
I took a sip of my own. “I’m glad you like it.”
His gaze moved over my face. Then dropped to my mouth. “It is not all I like.”
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- mention of death of parents 2 years prior
- heroine is divorced
- dead aliens found from crash
- death of husband mentioned
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex? No
46% - kiss
53% - kiss
59% - kisses, oral for her, missionary
98% - kiss
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: First person with alternating chapters for hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? Lots of character focus
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, about 12% in a shorter novel
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: It’s not labeled, but yes the last chapter wraps things up a few months later
Format: read e-book on Kindle Unlimited
Should I read in order?
Maybe start with Virilian Mail Order Mates series? (Trak is book 1) You CAN read this one alone – it’s very character focused and it gives the details so you understand the alien/Earth relationship, but I want to say it would be better after reading that series? I found myself wanting to go read it afterwards at least!
Basic plot:
Sekar attempts to make a quick stop on Earth to rescue an endangered animal carried by another spacecraft when he’s snowed in on Nessa’s 200 acre farm in Maine.
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- Earth setting
- holiday romance
- shorter novel
- snowed in
- kids in the story – heroine has 2 daughters that are 8 and 11
- divorcee/widow heroine in her 40s
- royalty – hero is a prince
- average novella steam – 1 steam
Ages:
- Heroine is 40, didn’t see hero mentioned
First line:
Bring him back alive.
My thoughts:
This is a cute story! It’s pretty low angst, with Christmas and snowed in vibes. I liked the character focused story and liked the bit of tension building here.
I’m not a huge fan of children in my stories because I’m mean like that, but this worked out pretty cute. I was a touch overwhelmed at first with the world building of the alien race and Earth’s alliance and what was going on...I’m assuming that’s all already established once you’ve read Blake’s Virilian Mail Order Mates series, but it was simple enough over all.
I liked Blake’s writing and definitely want to try another by her and see how I feel.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- Hero has a tail
- Has light brown hair streaked with blond that’s shoulder length
- Golden skin with glue-gray markings
- Black skin around the eyes with light blue eyes
- 6’ 5” at least
- I think cock is normal!
- He changes into a primal form to protect his mate – eyes turn from blue to red (?), and forearms bulge with red vein-like markings, burns hot and incinerates clothing (he wears fireproof leather pants of course!), large flame covered horns, and body gets slightly larger, skin is molten armor
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
My imagination spiraled off, wondering what it would feel like to have his arms around me. What his mouth would feel like on mine. I imagined exploring that rigid stretch of muscled abdomen, testing the weight of that huge bulge below. My mouth went dry and my breasts tingled. Desire surprised me with dampness between my legs as my thoughts turned carnal.
Then, as if he could sense my arousal, his gaze snapped to mine, hot and sharp and aware. His nostrils flared and his head came up just a little, as if smelling something in the air other than the cinnamon-vanilla candle and the Christmas tree.
---
I added hot milk, stirred, and dropped a candy cane in each. I handed him one.
He took a cautious sip, then his eyes closed and his lips curved into a blissful smile. “This, on the other hand, is delicious.”
I took a sip of my own. “I’m glad you like it.”
His gaze moved over my face. Then dropped to my mouth. “It is not all I like.”
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- mention of death of parents 2 years prior
- heroine is divorced
- dead aliens found from crash
- death of husband mentioned
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex?
46% - kiss
53% - kiss
59% - kisses, oral for her, missionary
98% - kiss
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (I feel like most of what you get to know from Nina is present events, but there is some background)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋💋 (Any scenes are super short and vague and lacking the emotional pull I want)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 (some are even shorter)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 (There’s a handful of on page scenes but nothing really detailed)
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person only from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? a mix but probably more plot focused
Cliffhanger: I mean, kind of? I guess not? I guess I would say it’s a happy for now.
Epilogue: No, and it does feel like it ends abruptly
Format: bought paperback
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone novel
Basic plot:
This story follows Nina and her life trying to become an actress in New York
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary fiction (I usually review romance so want to note this is not a romance novel! It’s women’s fiction with romantic elements)
- aspiring actress heroine
- you’re okay with some content warnings including graphic on page rape as well as abuse, physical and mental
- a novel that gives you hope after living abuse
Ages:
- Nina is 21
First line:
I knocked.
My thoughts:
Oof I struggled with this novel. It’s all from Nina’s POV and can I just say that I really disliked her? I tried so hard to like her, but I just could not. From the way she repeatedly put herself in dangerous and unsafe situations, from the way she behaved and spoke to people…
We are only in Nina’s head, and what she does half the time just made no sense to me. This is a heavier book, with a lot of things Nina experiences and I found myself just not caring if she made it or not. I’m going to get into some specifics, so avoid for spoilers please.
I did want things wrapped up better at the end. I lot was left a bit uncertain. But I did overall like the ending...after everything that happened.
Specific things that didn’t work for me:
- We’re told Nina is usually safe with sex and uses condoms, but I wouldn’t say it was often. She is always worried about almost getting pregnant, or getting pregnant, having sex with strangers and then getting STD tested (there is some condom usage on page)
- Nina seems to just follow along with what everyone else tells her/wants her to do in life. Any time someone tries to get her to do what they want, she seems to give in, no matter if it puts her in danger or not. She doesn’t seem to have a sense of self or real goals for herself. Where did this anthropology desire come from? We still don’t even know she just randomly starts getting a degree in it at the end of the book when her character (at least to me) hasn’t shown an interest in that.
- Nina’s religion – like what is going on with that? Is she Jewish? Is she Christian? She seems to just float through life going wherever is convenient at the moment. She doesn’t seem to have a strong relationship with god, then goes to church, then is pretty severely abused through religion, then is going to church again, then is Jewish? At one point she is screaming, crying, railing into the rain against god and how can god do this to her, but a few sentences later with her current male friend seems to answer all of her religious angst that she just needs to listen closer to god.
- I was SO confused when Nina finally breaks from her severely abusive husband. Why did she have no one to call? Why didn’t she call her FATHER? Or even her old roommate? She was going to move to Hawaii randomly wtf….
- The fact that Nina repeatedly puts herself in danger is SO frustrating. She has a plan to get away from her abusive ex – who has literally threatened her life – but makes sure to encourage him by rewarding him repeatedly with communication, including sending him emails, pictures, giving him alone with with her purposefully when she never needed to let him into her apartment at all….So, so frustrating.
- I am not one to use TSTL heroine. But here it is.
- one of the villain-ish figures of the story is a gay man that rapes her....
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- pregnancy and birth on page
- scenes of graphic abuse on page including anal rape, religious abuse, mental and physical abuse
- plenty of religion and god focus
- scenes of employee abuse – Nina gets a job for massages and is encouraged to have sex with them (and does)
- scenes of cheating – Nina is cheated on my boyfriend at the time
- some minor scenes of smoking (tobacoo and weed)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: Sometimes? There is some condom usage but she has unsafe sex multiple times resulting in pregnancy and STD checks
I didn’t mark all the scenes, sorry. There are quite a few with various men but all quite short
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (I feel like most of what you get to know from Nina is present events, but there is some background)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋💋 (Any scenes are super short and vague and lacking the emotional pull I want)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 (some are even shorter)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 (There’s a handful of on page scenes but nothing really detailed)
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person only from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? a mix but probably more plot focused
Cliffhanger: I mean, kind of? I guess not? I guess I would say it’s a happy for now.
Epilogue: No, and it does feel like it ends abruptly
Format: bought paperback
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone novel
Basic plot:
This story follows Nina and her life trying to become an actress in New York
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary fiction (I usually review romance so want to note this is not a romance novel! It’s women’s fiction with romantic elements)
- aspiring actress heroine
- you’re okay with some content warnings including graphic on page rape as well as abuse, physical and mental
- a novel that gives you hope after living abuse
Ages:
- Nina is 21
First line:
I knocked.
My thoughts:
Oof I struggled with this novel. It’s all from Nina’s POV and can I just say that I really disliked her? I tried so hard to like her, but I just could not. From the way she repeatedly put herself in dangerous and unsafe situations, from the way she behaved and spoke to people…
We are only in Nina’s head, and what she does half the time just made no sense to me. This is a heavier book, with a lot of things Nina experiences and I found myself just not caring if she made it or not. I’m going to get into some specifics, so avoid for spoilers please.
I did want things wrapped up better at the end. I lot was left a bit uncertain. But I did overall like the ending...after everything that happened.
Specific things that didn’t work for me:
- We’re told Nina is usually safe with sex and uses condoms, but I wouldn’t say it was often. She is always worried about almost getting pregnant, or getting pregnant, having sex with strangers and then getting STD tested (there is some condom usage on page)
- Nina seems to just follow along with what everyone else tells her/wants her to do in life. Any time someone tries to get her to do what they want, she seems to give in, no matter if it puts her in danger or not. She doesn’t seem to have a sense of self or real goals for herself. Where did this anthropology desire come from? We still don’t even know she just randomly starts getting a degree in it at the end of the book when her character (at least to me) hasn’t shown an interest in that.
- Nina’s religion – like what is going on with that? Is she Jewish? Is she Christian? She seems to just float through life going wherever is convenient at the moment. She doesn’t seem to have a strong relationship with god, then goes to church, then is pretty severely abused through religion, then is going to church again, then is Jewish? At one point she is screaming, crying, railing into the rain against god and how can god do this to her, but a few sentences later with her current male friend seems to answer all of her religious angst that she just needs to listen closer to god.
- I was SO confused when Nina finally breaks from her severely abusive husband. Why did she have no one to call? Why didn’t she call her FATHER? Or even her old roommate? She was going to move to Hawaii randomly wtf….
- The fact that Nina repeatedly puts herself in danger is SO frustrating. She has a plan to get away from her abusive ex – who has literally threatened her life – but makes sure to encourage him by rewarding him repeatedly with communication, including sending him emails, pictures, giving him alone with with her purposefully when she never needed to let him into her apartment at all….So, so frustrating.
- I am not one to use TSTL heroine. But here it is.
- one of the villain-ish figures of the story is a gay man that rapes her....
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- pregnancy and birth on page
- scenes of graphic abuse on page including anal rape, religious abuse, mental and physical abuse
- plenty of religion and god focus
- scenes of employee abuse – Nina gets a job for massages and is encouraged to have sex with them (and does)
- scenes of cheating – Nina is cheated on my boyfriend at the time
- some minor scenes of smoking (tobacoo and weed)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
I didn’t mark all the scenes, sorry. There are quite a few with various men but all quite short
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (Personally s/m doesn’t inspire romantic feelings in me, but the whole, I will journey multiple lives to be with you is!)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (not a big emotional pull for me in the scenes)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? let’s just go with sex focused
When mains are first on page together: Almost immediately (about pg 3 or so)
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after (my HEA was guaranteed in the ‘bonus story’ section
Epilogue: No? But there was a ‘bonus story’ at the end that feels like one
Format: bought e-book
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone.
Basic plot:
Monika defends herself against a home intruder and realizes it’s the Yule Devil
Give this a try if you want:
- monster romance
- Maryland/other realm setting (mostly in the Krampus’ realm)
- Krampus hero/human heroine
- anxiety and ADHD rep (heroine)
- size difference – 7 foot tall hero, 5 foot tall heroine
- kidnapped heroine
- High steam – 6 scenes if you read the bonus story (kink includes acts of punishment, pain, hair grabbing, spanking, edging, biting/blood, levels of sadism/masochism, light choking)
Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned, but would guess heroine is in 20s and the Krampus is immortal and is at least 100+ years old
First line:
I grip the edge of the kitchen counter and wait for the anxiety attack to pass.
My thoughts:
I love when authors add in a playlist for their books! How fun.
This one is a quick and quite naughty holiday read. The kink went a bit too far into pain that I’m not as into, but that’s my own personal preference. Aside from that, I enjoyed this story and the characters! I was a bit confused for a moment when it started switching towards the end to give reveals and background but it works out. I loved the fated mates of this one.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- Hero is a krampus and speaks German
- He is 7 feet tall
- red eyes
- claws (retractable!)
- horns
- fur
- fangs
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
“Oh, it’s too late for that, little one. You had your chance to be good.”
---
I gently tap the hand holding the rope. Krampus smiles.
“Good girl. Now give me your hands.”
---
He reaches out and runs his fingers through my long, honey-blonde hair, his claws gently scarping my scalp. I shiver at his touch.”Such a good girl. A shame you had to act so naughty.”
---
“You take women,” I whisper, not a question. A statement.
“I took one,” is his only response. “No more questions, meine Schone.”
He then sinks to his knees before me, his horned head level with my stomach.
“What are you doing?
“Rewarding you for your obedience.”
---
“I’m not a pet,” I say, trying to sound as firm as possible when really I’m shaking from the cold, and fear, and horribly wanton anticipation.
He takes my face in his hand and traces a claw gently down the curve of my jaw.
“Of course you’re not. But you are mine.”
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- heroine shoots the hero when he is inside the house
- check out the levels of kink in the steam details/above in steam summary
- suicide by knife on page
Author given content warnings: The author includes a note that says the book is intended for readers 18+ and contains darker themes and links their website for a full list of triggers.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex? I don't believe so
24% - fingering for her (incomplete because he’s edging her)
33% - 🔥oral for her
“What are you doing?
“Rewarding you for your obedience.”
38% - 🔥biting, breast play, cuffed to a bench with a collar and spanking orgasm
"Tell me the truth," he whispers in my ear. "Do you like when I touch you?"
49% - 🔥fingering for her
"You may not come until you're screaming. You must beg me to come."
64% - 🔥 her on top
"You can take it, meine Schone."
71% - 🔥 (flashback?) he chains her former self to the wall by her wrists, bites her breasts until they bleed, then missionary in the bed
"Love me. Be wicked. Be terrible. Just love me."
83% (this is in the ‘bonus scene’ section of my version of the story) – 🔥switch usage on her thighs and pussy, oral for her, sex against a tree
"That's it, Monika," he says, "give it all to me."
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (Personally s/m doesn’t inspire romantic feelings in me, but the whole, I will journey multiple lives to be with you is!)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (not a big emotional pull for me in the scenes)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? let’s just go with sex focused
When mains are first on page together: Almost immediately (about pg 3 or so)
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after (my HEA was guaranteed in the ‘bonus story’ section
Epilogue: No? But there was a ‘bonus story’ at the end that feels like one
Format: bought e-book
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone.
Basic plot:
Monika defends herself against a home intruder and realizes it’s the Yule Devil
Give this a try if you want:
- monster romance
- Maryland/other realm setting (mostly in the Krampus’ realm)
- Krampus hero/human heroine
- anxiety and ADHD rep (heroine)
- size difference – 7 foot tall hero, 5 foot tall heroine
- kidnapped heroine
- High steam – 6 scenes if you read the bonus story (kink includes acts of punishment, pain, hair grabbing, spanking, edging, biting/blood, levels of sadism/masochism, light choking)
Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned, but would guess heroine is in 20s and the Krampus is immortal and is at least 100+ years old
First line:
I grip the edge of the kitchen counter and wait for the anxiety attack to pass.
My thoughts:
I love when authors add in a playlist for their books! How fun.
This one is a quick and quite naughty holiday read. The kink went a bit too far into pain that I’m not as into, but that’s my own personal preference. Aside from that, I enjoyed this story and the characters! I was a bit confused for a moment when it started switching towards the end to give reveals and background but it works out. I loved the fated mates of this one.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- Hero is a krampus and speaks German
- He is 7 feet tall
- red eyes
- claws (retractable!)
- horns
- fur
- fangs
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
“Oh, it’s too late for that, little one. You had your chance to be good.”
---
I gently tap the hand holding the rope. Krampus smiles.
“Good girl. Now give me your hands.”
---
He reaches out and runs his fingers through my long, honey-blonde hair, his claws gently scarping my scalp. I shiver at his touch.”Such a good girl. A shame you had to act so naughty.”
---
“You take women,” I whisper, not a question. A statement.
“I took one,” is his only response. “No more questions, meine Schone.”
He then sinks to his knees before me, his horned head level with my stomach.
“What are you doing?
“Rewarding you for your obedience.”
---
“I’m not a pet,” I say, trying to sound as firm as possible when really I’m shaking from the cold, and fear, and horribly wanton anticipation.
He takes my face in his hand and traces a claw gently down the curve of my jaw.
“Of course you’re not. But you are mine.”
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- heroine shoots the hero when he is inside the house
- check out the levels of kink in the steam details/above in steam summary
- suicide by knife on page
Author given content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex?
24% - fingering for her (incomplete because he’s edging her)
33% - 🔥oral for her
“What are you doing?
“Rewarding you for your obedience.”
38% - 🔥biting, breast play, cuffed to a bench with a collar and spanking orgasm
"Tell me the truth," he whispers in my ear. "Do you like when I touch you?"
49% - 🔥fingering for her
"You may not come until you're screaming. You must beg me to come."
64% - 🔥 her on top
"You can take it, meine Schone."
71% - 🔥 (flashback?) he chains her former self to the wall by her wrists, bites her breasts until they bleed, then missionary in the bed
"Love me. Be wicked. Be terrible. Just love me."
83% (this is in the ‘bonus scene’ section of my version of the story) – 🔥switch usage on her thighs and pussy, oral for her, sex against a tree
"That's it, Monika," he says, "give it all to me."
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I lost interest throughout quite a few parts of this one and kept having to tell myself to come back to it and finish)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine, as well as Jonas, who is the hero of the next book (A Kiss from a Rogue), and also some brief scenes of the villain while murdering people...
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, 5% or so
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
Should I read in order?
Yes. There’s a lot of overlap from prior events and this whole villain/mystery is a continuation of the plot line in book6, Confessions of a Dangerous Lord. In book 6, Colin’s story comes into play and that is established in book 3, Desperately Seeking a Scoundrel. But to enjoy book 3, you should read books 1 and 2 where the story is really started. And you should read the prequel novel because I loved it. So yes, start at the beginning.
Basic plot:
Eugenia tries to help Phineas not only find a wife, but protect his honor when he’s a suspect in a case of poisoning.
Give this a try if you want:
- Late Regency – around 1825 - I didn’t catch the year for this one, but it mentions book 6 happened 5-6 years ago and that book I have at 1819
- London/country estate setting
- size difference – hero is an inch or two above 6 feet and heroine has to crane her neck to see him well
- ruined heroine
- compromised….hero?
- milliner heroine/botanist heroine
- complimenting the garden is foreplay
- surprise virgin
- villain danger
- medium to higher steam – 4 scenes but they are all after 60% and gives it a bit of a slower burn feel
Ages:
- Heroine is around 22, hero around 33
First line:
Hoar frost, shaggy as an old man’s beard, coated the castle’s long drive.
My thoughts:
Oof I don’t know what happened with this one but this one is not a favorite for me in this series. I might just be in a mood because a few books haven’t worked for me lately.
Braden does some point of view switching from the mains that I am never a fan of but probably doesn’t bother most people. Here, we are in the villains head as well as the hero for a future book. With how much page time Jonas and Hannah were getting I was wondering if I was going to get some lame, skipped over second romance thrown in, but it’s the set up for their story in book 9.
I also think maybe I haven’t fully recovered from the whole poisoning villain of book 6 in the series, because this had so many similar feelings to me as that book and I read it fairly recently.
This one had a lot that I really love as tropes in here, so I was hoping I would have loved it more. Maybe because it’s a bit of a slower burn? It felt like their relationship didn’t really get started until well into the book and by then I was grumpy.
Something that I really dislike in romance is family rudeness and bullying – and we found that here a bit with Hannah being petulant. It really does bother me because of things I’ve experienced personally, but in this story I really loved the way the ending worked out. It gave me emotional female friendship feels I don’t get very often in romance and I loved that and I think made Hannah’s character stronger for me.
I did really like some parts of this story. As always, I appreciate Braden’s emotional turmoil she puts her mains through, I love the angst of thinking you have lost it all when it means everything to you. The steam was good. But this one isn’t one I will gravitate back to as a reread.
Endearments
the hero calls the heroine ‘briar’.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
“Nevertheless, we will marry.”
“But-I’m a disgrace. You don’t want me. And I don’t want a husband-”
“And you will be my wife by week’s end.” He steeled himself before returning his gaze to her. By god, she was a temptation. Defiant. Rebellious. A curved, cat-eyed provocation.
“Accept it.”
A perplexed frown crinkled her brow. “How am I to accept something so absurd?”
Between one blink and the next, he moved from his seat to hers. Another blink and he had Eugenia flattened beneath him, startled and flushed.
“Accept it,” he repeated.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- remembrance of murder in self defense, poisoning, attacks, danger
- on page poisoning, attempted murder, danger, violence, kidnapping of heroine by villain
- child abuse
- grooming of a child (by villain)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: No
42% - kisses
58% - nuzzles and touches
62% - 🔥 kisses, breast play, v loss for heroine on the table (hero doesn’t realize she was a virgin until after)
“I’m going to lift you onto the table now.”
“I suppose that would be – oh!”
There, that was better. He drew his shirt over his head.
68% - kisses
69% - 🔥 kisses, fingering for her against a trellis, her on top
“This belongs to me,” he whispered against her lips, his breath hot and fast.
75% - kiss
84% - 🔥 kiss, blow job
“Does the blackness like knowing you are the only man who has ever been inside me?”
His head dropped forward onto her shoulder. He groaned and kissed her neck.
“Yes. Bloody hell, yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you are mine. Only ever mine.”
100% - 🔥 fingering for her, missionary
“How naked should I be for your experiment, my lord?” She paused at her knees. “This naked?”
“More.”
Readability: 📖📖📖 (I lost interest throughout quite a few parts of this one and kept having to tell myself to come back to it and finish)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine, as well as Jonas, who is the hero of the next book (A Kiss from a Rogue), and also some brief scenes of the villain while murdering people...
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, 5% or so
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
Should I read in order?
Yes. There’s a lot of overlap from prior events and this whole villain/mystery is a continuation of the plot line in book6, Confessions of a Dangerous Lord. In book 6, Colin’s story comes into play and that is established in book 3, Desperately Seeking a Scoundrel. But to enjoy book 3, you should read books 1 and 2 where the story is really started. And you should read the prequel novel because I loved it. So yes, start at the beginning.
Basic plot:
Eugenia tries to help Phineas not only find a wife, but protect his honor when he’s a suspect in a case of poisoning.
Give this a try if you want:
- Late Regency – around 1825 - I didn’t catch the year for this one, but it mentions book 6 happened 5-6 years ago and that book I have at 1819
- London/country estate setting
- size difference – hero is an inch or two above 6 feet and heroine has to crane her neck to see him well
- ruined heroine
- compromised….hero?
- milliner heroine/botanist heroine
- complimenting the garden is foreplay
- surprise virgin
- villain danger
- medium to higher steam – 4 scenes but they are all after 60% and gives it a bit of a slower burn feel
Ages:
- Heroine is around 22, hero around 33
First line:
Hoar frost, shaggy as an old man’s beard, coated the castle’s long drive.
My thoughts:
Oof I don’t know what happened with this one but this one is not a favorite for me in this series. I might just be in a mood because a few books haven’t worked for me lately.
Braden does some point of view switching from the mains that I am never a fan of but probably doesn’t bother most people. Here, we are in the villains head as well as the hero for a future book. With how much page time Jonas and Hannah were getting I was wondering if I was going to get some lame, skipped over second romance thrown in, but it’s the set up for their story in book 9.
I also think maybe I haven’t fully recovered from the whole poisoning villain of book 6 in the series, because this had so many similar feelings to me as that book and I read it fairly recently.
This one had a lot that I really love as tropes in here, so I was hoping I would have loved it more. Maybe because it’s a bit of a slower burn? It felt like their relationship didn’t really get started until well into the book and by then I was grumpy.
Something that I really dislike in romance is family rudeness and bullying – and we found that here a bit with Hannah being petulant. It really does bother me because of things I’ve experienced personally, but in this story I really loved the way the ending worked out. It gave me emotional female friendship feels I don’t get very often in romance and I loved that and I think made Hannah’s character stronger for me.
I did really like some parts of this story. As always, I appreciate Braden’s emotional turmoil she puts her mains through, I love the angst of thinking you have lost it all when it means everything to you. The steam was good. But this one isn’t one I will gravitate back to as a reread.
Endearments
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
“Nevertheless, we will marry.”
“But-I’m a disgrace. You don’t want me. And I don’t want a husband-”
“And you will be my wife by week’s end.” He steeled himself before returning his gaze to her. By god, she was a temptation. Defiant. Rebellious. A curved, cat-eyed provocation.
“Accept it.”
A perplexed frown crinkled her brow. “How am I to accept something so absurd?”
Between one blink and the next, he moved from his seat to hers. Another blink and he had Eugenia flattened beneath him, startled and flushed.
“Accept it,” he repeated.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- remembrance of murder in self defense, poisoning, attacks, danger
- on page poisoning, attempted murder, danger, violence, kidnapping of heroine by villain
- child abuse
- grooming of a child (by villain)
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
42% - kisses
58% - nuzzles and touches
62% - 🔥 kisses, breast play, v loss for heroine on the table (hero doesn’t realize she was a virgin until after)
“I’m going to lift you onto the table now.”
“I suppose that would be – oh!”
There, that was better. He drew his shirt over his head.
68% - kisses
69% - 🔥 kisses, fingering for her against a trellis, her on top
“This belongs to me,” he whispered against her lips, his breath hot and fast.
75% - kiss
84% - 🔥 kiss, blow job
“Does the blackness like knowing you are the only man who has ever been inside me?”
His head dropped forward onto her shoulder. He groaned and kissed her neck.
“Yes. Bloody hell, yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you are mine. Only ever mine.”
100% - 🔥 fingering for her, missionary
“How naked should I be for your experiment, my lord?” She paused at her knees. “This naked?”
“More.”
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Alternating first person from both the hero and heroine
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, the second chapter
Format: bought audiobook
Should I read in order?
This is the first book in Rhodes’ Shades of Sin series.
Basic plot:
An arranged marriage to forge a treaty brings a Hunter and Shade king together.
Give this a try if you want:
- Monster romance
- Shadow Realm/contemporary Earth setting - mostly shadow realm setting
- Hades and Persephone vibes
- Shadow King hero
- Hunter heroine
- Naughty drawings
- Arranged marriage
- Other woman drama
- Size difference – hero is a head taller than heroine
- Hero will literally bite your underwear off
- Higher steam – 4 scenes with knotting and breeding vibes, biting/marking, primal play
Ages:
- I think the mains are around 30? I can’t recall the hero
First line:
I wonder if any of my colleagues will be monster food tonight, I thought idly, smiling and nodding at whatever they were saying while tracing lines in the condensation of my glass.
My thoughts:
I ended up really enjoying this one! I will say, the first chapter, the prologue, kind of threw me for a loop and didn’t help me understand this monster/human world very well. The heroine is some kind of graphic designer? And it’s like a work colleague dinner? But none of this is ever mentioned again and then all of a sudden we are thrown into a world of shades and hunters. Personally didn’t like this prologue much. BUT I was very much into this arranged marriage between shade and human.
The next couple chapters I was very into. I loved the shade world and its fantasy/historical feel (my jam). But, after the wedding, I felt like I was waiting and waiting and waiting for the mains to DO something together. Ophelia wandered the gardens, Alaric loomed in shadows but I started getting bored because they weren’t together much. I got whiny around chapter 8 (and as the book is only 25 chapters or so, this felt like a lot of the book to me).
I also am not the biggest fan of other women catty and jealous behavior and that does take quite a main point in this book.
But, thankfully, once naughty drawings are discovered, the book got much better to me and became quite fun. I enjoyed the world building of the shades and I loved Alaric and Ophelia’s relationship. I really enjoyed the narration, especially Will Thorne. The latter half of the book was a lot of fun to me. I loved that as a couple they were vulnerable together, but playful and really just delightful!
Cock/Hero Stats/World Building:
- It’s a contemporary Earth, with a shadow realm inhabiting by shades. There are a select pact of humans that are Hunters that hunt the shades. Shades feed on human’s fear
- Shades become incorporeal in the human realm but have solid bodies in the shadow realm
- The hero has horns, black tipped claws, fangs, a black tongue that is long and rough and is a head taller than the heroine
- The hero (and all the shades) have amazing senses of smell and can smell human’s emotions like fear and arousal
- KNOTTING
- Hero makes almost a purring sound at some points when aroused
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own) More quotes under steam scenes at end of review
Faster than she could track, I grabbed Ophelia by the waist, spinning her until she was pressed back against the wall by the doors out of sight of my subjects. I caged her in, my arms braced either side of her head and called on the shadows to curl around us, creating our own little bubble of privacy.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- Death of parents mentioned
- Some scenes of violence and death
- Mention of war
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex? Heroine is on birth control
Chapter 12 – 🔥 oral for her, her on top
“Come to me, wife.”
Chapter 15 – 🔥 in the throne room – him holding her upside down 69, then her on top in the throne
With a growl of frustration I stood, scooping Ophelia off the ground bridal style for a moment before flipping her upside down, her upper thighs balanced on my shoulders and her face level with my...
Chapter 16 – 🔥 oral for her on a desk
Before I could question him, Alaric lifted me onto a pitch black desk, uncaring as half the contents went flying, and dropping to his knees, shoving my dress up over my thighs.
Followed a bit later by a partial scene starting but interrupted
Chapter 17 – 🔥 gardens – heroine runs from the hero and hero catches her, oral for her, doggy with a biting mark
“Little huntress, are you suggesting I hunt you?”
Chapter 18 – fade to black scene
Chapter 24 - kiss
Total chapters: 25
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: Alternating first person from both the hero and heroine
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, the second chapter
Format: bought audiobook
Should I read in order?
This is the first book in Rhodes’ Shades of Sin series.
Basic plot:
An arranged marriage to forge a treaty brings a Hunter and Shade king together.
Give this a try if you want:
- Monster romance
- Shadow Realm/contemporary Earth setting - mostly shadow realm setting
- Hades and Persephone vibes
- Shadow King hero
- Hunter heroine
- Naughty drawings
- Arranged marriage
- Other woman drama
- Size difference – hero is a head taller than heroine
- Hero will literally bite your underwear off
- Higher steam – 4 scenes with knotting and breeding vibes, biting/marking, primal play
Ages:
- I think the mains are around 30? I can’t recall the hero
First line:
I wonder if any of my colleagues will be monster food tonight, I thought idly, smiling and nodding at whatever they were saying while tracing lines in the condensation of my glass.
My thoughts:
I ended up really enjoying this one! I will say, the first chapter, the prologue, kind of threw me for a loop and didn’t help me understand this monster/human world very well. The heroine is some kind of graphic designer? And it’s like a work colleague dinner? But none of this is ever mentioned again and then all of a sudden we are thrown into a world of shades and hunters. Personally didn’t like this prologue much. BUT I was very much into this arranged marriage between shade and human.
The next couple chapters I was very into. I loved the shade world and its fantasy/historical feel (my jam). But, after the wedding, I felt like I was waiting and waiting and waiting for the mains to DO something together. Ophelia wandered the gardens, Alaric loomed in shadows but I started getting bored because they weren’t together much. I got whiny around chapter 8 (and as the book is only 25 chapters or so, this felt like a lot of the book to me).
I also am not the biggest fan of other women catty and jealous behavior and that does take quite a main point in this book.
But, thankfully, once naughty drawings are discovered, the book got much better to me and became quite fun. I enjoyed the world building of the shades and I loved Alaric and Ophelia’s relationship. I really enjoyed the narration, especially Will Thorne. The latter half of the book was a lot of fun to me. I loved that as a couple they were vulnerable together, but playful and really just delightful!
Cock/Hero Stats/World Building:
- It’s a contemporary Earth, with a shadow realm inhabiting by shades. There are a select pact of humans that are Hunters that hunt the shades. Shades feed on human’s fear
- Shades become incorporeal in the human realm but have solid bodies in the shadow realm
- The hero has horns, black tipped claws, fangs, a black tongue that is long and rough and is a head taller than the heroine
- The hero (and all the shades) have amazing senses of smell and can smell human’s emotions like fear and arousal
- KNOTTING
- Hero makes almost a purring sound at some points when aroused
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own) More quotes under steam scenes at end of review
Faster than she could track, I grabbed Ophelia by the waist, spinning her until she was pressed back against the wall by the doors out of sight of my subjects. I caged her in, my arms braced either side of her head and called on the shadows to curl around us, creating our own little bubble of privacy.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- Death of parents mentioned
- Some scenes of violence and death
- Mention of war
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex?
Chapter 12 – 🔥 oral for her, her on top
“Come to me, wife.”
Chapter 15 – 🔥 in the throne room – him holding her upside down 69, then her on top in the throne
With a growl of frustration I stood, scooping Ophelia off the ground bridal style for a moment before flipping her upside down, her upper thighs balanced on my shoulders and her face level with my...
Chapter 16 – 🔥 oral for her on a desk
Before I could question him, Alaric lifted me onto a pitch black desk, uncaring as half the contents went flying, and dropping to his knees, shoving my dress up over my thighs.
Followed a bit later by a partial scene starting but interrupted
Chapter 17 – 🔥 gardens – heroine runs from the hero and hero catches her, oral for her, doggy with a biting mark
“Little huntress, are you suggesting I hunt you?”
Chapter 18 – fade to black scene
Chapter 24 - kiss
Total chapters: 25
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I wanted a bit more explicitness for perfection to me)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 (the scenes are definitely on the short side, about a page or so)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥+ (There’s 3 scenes but they are quite short so I settled at a 2 scale)
Humor: Absolutely!
Character focused or plot focused? More plot focused but there is a decent amount of close proximity for the mains!
Perspective: First person perspective mostly from the heroine but a few small scenes from the hero
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, five weeks later.
When mains are first on page together: A little bit in (Chapter 3)
Format: voluntarily read a copy given from the author in paperback version
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone novel.
Basic plot:
Regina breaks it off with her cheating fiance but still tries to enjoy her beach honeymoon...until she comes across a djinn on her beach walk.
Give this a try if you want:
- Contemporary...paranormal?
- Djinn hero/human heroine
- height difference
- pets – Lenny the dog is beloved by the whole family
- low to mid steam – there are 3 scenes or so but they are on the short side
Ages:
- Hero is unsure but around 1,034 years old, didn’t catch heroine
First line:
Death was an odd combination of sensory deprivation and overstimulation, pitch black and sprinkled with a five-week-old plague-infected vermin flavoring.
My thoughts:
This book is so hilarious and silly and sweet. Don’t go into this one looking for something serious or angsty.
There are so many hilarious parts to this. It’s such a fun romp. Regina’s family and friends are so lovely and the dialogue and banter is playful and silly. Regina’s grandmother is an absolute treat and I would totally read a novella about her shenanigans.
For book perfection, I found myself wanting a bit more character driven of a plot. There was a lot of events happening and so many interruptions for the mains! Also the heroine took forever to come around and I wanted to shake her at some points and be like believe it! AND ENJOY HIM!!! 😂
I did love Pascarella’s tension building. There were so many little scenes that I really enjoyed that led to a feeling of longing for the mains. Overall I would have loved my scenes a bit longer but that’s just personal preference.
I heard she’s going to be coming out with some historical romance novels so I’m definitely going to try one of those!
Endearments
Hero calls the heroine ‘little nymph’.
Cock/Hero Stats:
- hero is a djinn that is cursed. He must serve a certain number of masters and wishes (I can’t remember now...maybe 1000 wishs for 100 masters?)
- he gives 10 wishes to each of his masters
- he can use magic
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
Grandma’s expensive teeth glowed in the moonlight.
“Little nymph, do you like the lampposts?” Fazil’s words tickled my neck.
My answer was a bobbing nod.
“They are like a thousand fireflies lighting a path through the night,” he cooed in a soft, seductive baritone.
I trapped my moan in my throat as Fazil’s thigh pressed against mine.
“And the ocean breeze is like a mermaid whispering to her lover from across the sea,” he said, his lip brushing against my ear.
I gasped and a light summer gust blew across my cheek.
Fazil pointed to the golden globe in the sky. “If you ever laugh, your smile will be as bright as the moon above.”
---
“Much nicer than your words, Regina Reynolds. Should I say, fucking shell is fucking wet? I wish for a fucking dry shell?”
His enunciation of the unseemly word caused me to howl with laughter.
He frowned.
I laughed so hard I snorted.
His expression changed, and his eyes lit up. “Johnny Kingston is a fucker. I am going to fuck-up Chelsea Benton.”
I couldn’t recall ever having expressed myself in quite that way, but I found his impression of me hysterical. “Oh, my god, Fazil,” I said between hoots. “Stop. I get it. You hate the word.”
His taunting voice became deep and sultry, sliding across my chest and shoulders as he cooed out, “I think I should like to fuck you.”
---
This is the kind of tension building I love!
“Yep. I heard. About the Eighth Century.” I tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in my mouth.
Fazil licked his lips. “Closer to the Ninth Century.”
I rolled my eyes as another kernal landed on my tongue.
Fazil’s eyes darkened, and every candle flickered at once.
---
He turned from the mirror to reach into the tub, and his forward bend exposed the back of his well-formed thighs. He discarded his pillow and blanket onto the floor. The towel followed. Then he leaned a sinewy forearm against the all as he turned on the shower.
I swallowed the mouthful of saliva threatening to choke me.
“Little nymph,” he said in a voice so raw and rumbly it caused me to gasp. When he faced me, his eyelids were heavy, and his blue eyes smoldered. “Why do you hide and watched?”
My breath hitched. “I–I–“
His gaze bore into my soul. “Do you wish to come in?”
More than I wanted to breathe.
----
I threw my hands in the air. “Are you freaking following me?”
“I do not know. Does that mean I heard you leave and quickly ran after you to see where you were going?”
“Yes,” I huffed.
“Then I most definitely freaking followed you.”
----
He studied me with gentle eyes. “Good night.”
“Night, Fazil.”
He passed by me on the way to the bathroom. His lips never moved, although his voice echoed in my mind. Little nymph, women can orgasm three times. Sometimes four. Maybe even five.
I stood motionless.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
“Um, nothing,” I said.
“That is very good.”
His flippin’ sexy smile caused a drip in my panties.
---
I clutched my hat between my fingers as I peered up at him through my lashes. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”
He twirled a strand of my hair between his fingers.
“I’m sorry, I thought you were crazy.”
His answer was a minty exhale that blew across my cheek.
“I’m sorry I was a bitch.”
He placed an arm on either side of me, caging me against the door. His raw voice vibrated low in my belly. “Maybe I cold have my wish, now.” His head titled to the side, letting me know he wanted to enter our room.
---
“May I kiss you, Regina Reynolds?”
Kiss me? He could throw me down on that elevator floor and devour me. I considered making my lascivious wish out loud, but I only had two left and a world to save.
I met his gaze and whispered. “Fazil, can a human and a djinn do this?”
He leaned down until his lips cupped my ear. “I am first and foremost a man.”
---
“I will drive,” said Fazil.
“Do you have your license?” I asked.
“I can drive a chariot and handle a camel in heat,” he declared with a puffed chest.
----
I chuckled and sat my hand beside his.
He hissed, then turned his attention from the road to his thigh.
My face grew warm, and I withdrew my touch. A second later, he grasped my fingers. A sizzling electric current consumed me as our hands clasped on his lap.
---
“Deeper!”
“I will hurt you, little nymph.”
Hurt my body. No way. Break my heart. Most definitely.
“Fazil.” Don’t leave me. Love me. “Harder!”
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- some scenes of harassment while dancing and physical deterring from the hero
- mention/remembrance of slavery/captivity
- some death mentioned on page
- heroine experiences the recovery from a bad, cheating relationship on page
- shark attack with recovery
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex? Heroine mentions she’s on birth control.
Pg 178 – kiss
Pg 188 – kiss
Pg 205 – kiss
Pg 236 – 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary
Pg 245 – 🔥 kisses, missionary
Pg 262 – 🔥 sex on the bathroom sink
Total pages: forgot to find this earlier, but I believe it's under 300 pages
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (I wanted a bit more explicitness for perfection to me)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑 (the scenes are definitely on the short side, about a page or so)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥+ (There’s 3 scenes but they are quite short so I settled at a 2 scale)
Humor: Absolutely!
Character focused or plot focused? More plot focused but there is a decent amount of close proximity for the mains!
Perspective: First person perspective mostly from the heroine but a few small scenes from the hero
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, five weeks later.
When mains are first on page together: A little bit in (Chapter 3)
Format: voluntarily read a copy given from the author in paperback version
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone novel.
Basic plot:
Regina breaks it off with her cheating fiance but still tries to enjoy her beach honeymoon...until she comes across a djinn on her beach walk.
Give this a try if you want:
- Contemporary...paranormal?
- Djinn hero/human heroine
- height difference
- pets – Lenny the dog is beloved by the whole family
- low to mid steam – there are 3 scenes or so but they are on the short side
Ages:
- Hero is unsure but around 1,034 years old, didn’t catch heroine
First line:
Death was an odd combination of sensory deprivation and overstimulation, pitch black and sprinkled with a five-week-old plague-infected vermin flavoring.
My thoughts:
This book is so hilarious and silly and sweet. Don’t go into this one looking for something serious or angsty.
There are so many hilarious parts to this. It’s such a fun romp. Regina’s family and friends are so lovely and the dialogue and banter is playful and silly. Regina’s grandmother is an absolute treat and I would totally read a novella about her shenanigans.
For book perfection, I found myself wanting a bit more character driven of a plot. There was a lot of events happening and so many interruptions for the mains! Also the heroine took forever to come around and I wanted to shake her at some points and be like believe it! AND ENJOY HIM!!! 😂
I did love Pascarella’s tension building. There were so many little scenes that I really enjoyed that led to a feeling of longing for the mains. Overall I would have loved my scenes a bit longer but that’s just personal preference.
I heard she’s going to be coming out with some historical romance novels so I’m definitely going to try one of those!
Endearments
Cock/Hero Stats:
- hero is a djinn that is cursed. He must serve a certain number of masters and wishes (I can’t remember now...maybe 1000 wishs for 100 masters?)
- he gives 10 wishes to each of his masters
- he can use magic
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
Grandma’s expensive teeth glowed in the moonlight.
“Little nymph, do you like the lampposts?” Fazil’s words tickled my neck.
My answer was a bobbing nod.
“They are like a thousand fireflies lighting a path through the night,” he cooed in a soft, seductive baritone.
I trapped my moan in my throat as Fazil’s thigh pressed against mine.
“And the ocean breeze is like a mermaid whispering to her lover from across the sea,” he said, his lip brushing against my ear.
I gasped and a light summer gust blew across my cheek.
Fazil pointed to the golden globe in the sky. “If you ever laugh, your smile will be as bright as the moon above.”
---
“Much nicer than your words, Regina Reynolds. Should I say, fucking shell is fucking wet? I wish for a fucking dry shell?”
His enunciation of the unseemly word caused me to howl with laughter.
He frowned.
I laughed so hard I snorted.
His expression changed, and his eyes lit up. “Johnny Kingston is a fucker. I am going to fuck-up Chelsea Benton.”
I couldn’t recall ever having expressed myself in quite that way, but I found his impression of me hysterical. “Oh, my god, Fazil,” I said between hoots. “Stop. I get it. You hate the word.”
His taunting voice became deep and sultry, sliding across my chest and shoulders as he cooed out, “I think I should like to fuck you.”
---
This is the kind of tension building I love!
“Yep. I heard. About the Eighth Century.” I tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in my mouth.
Fazil licked his lips. “Closer to the Ninth Century.”
I rolled my eyes as another kernal landed on my tongue.
Fazil’s eyes darkened, and every candle flickered at once.
---
He turned from the mirror to reach into the tub, and his forward bend exposed the back of his well-formed thighs. He discarded his pillow and blanket onto the floor. The towel followed. Then he leaned a sinewy forearm against the all as he turned on the shower.
I swallowed the mouthful of saliva threatening to choke me.
“Little nymph,” he said in a voice so raw and rumbly it caused me to gasp. When he faced me, his eyelids were heavy, and his blue eyes smoldered. “Why do you hide and watched?”
My breath hitched. “I–I–“
His gaze bore into my soul. “Do you wish to come in?”
More than I wanted to breathe.
----
I threw my hands in the air. “Are you freaking following me?”
“I do not know. Does that mean I heard you leave and quickly ran after you to see where you were going?”
“Yes,” I huffed.
“Then I most definitely freaking followed you.”
----
He studied me with gentle eyes. “Good night.”
“Night, Fazil.”
He passed by me on the way to the bathroom. His lips never moved, although his voice echoed in my mind. Little nymph, women can orgasm three times. Sometimes four. Maybe even five.
I stood motionless.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
“Um, nothing,” I said.
“That is very good.”
His flippin’ sexy smile caused a drip in my panties.
---
I clutched my hat between my fingers as I peered up at him through my lashes. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”
He twirled a strand of my hair between his fingers.
“I’m sorry, I thought you were crazy.”
His answer was a minty exhale that blew across my cheek.
“I’m sorry I was a bitch.”
He placed an arm on either side of me, caging me against the door. His raw voice vibrated low in my belly. “Maybe I cold have my wish, now.” His head titled to the side, letting me know he wanted to enter our room.
---
“May I kiss you, Regina Reynolds?”
Kiss me? He could throw me down on that elevator floor and devour me. I considered making my lascivious wish out loud, but I only had two left and a world to save.
I met his gaze and whispered. “Fazil, can a human and a djinn do this?”
He leaned down until his lips cupped my ear. “I am first and foremost a man.”
---
“I will drive,” said Fazil.
“Do you have your license?” I asked.
“I can drive a chariot and handle a camel in heat,” he declared with a puffed chest.
----
I chuckled and sat my hand beside his.
He hissed, then turned his attention from the road to his thigh.
My face grew warm, and I withdrew my touch. A second later, he grasped my fingers. A sizzling electric current consumed me as our hands clasped on his lap.
---
“Deeper!”
“I will hurt you, little nymph.”
Hurt my body. No way. Break my heart. Most definitely.
“Fazil.” Don’t leave me. Love me. “Harder!”
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- some scenes of harassment while dancing and physical deterring from the hero
- mention/remembrance of slavery/captivity
- some death mentioned on page
- heroine experiences the recovery from a bad, cheating relationship on page
- shark attack with recovery
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex?
Pg 178 – kiss
Pg 188 – kiss
Pg 205 – kiss
Pg 236 – 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary
Pg 245 – 🔥 kisses, missionary
Pg 262 – 🔥 sex on the bathroom sink
Total pages: forgot to find this earlier, but I believe it's under 300 pages
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
Cliffhanger: No this ends on a happily ever after for the couple – it’s clear there’s more to come in the series with the heroine’s friends missing.
Epilogue: Yes, maybe a few months after?
When mains are first on page together: It felt like quite awhile before these two were on page together – Chapter 8
Format: bought audiobook
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is book 1 in the Fated Mates of the Atari series – start here but yes I think read this one in order as the plot of the heroines is beginning here. If you have the Claimed Among the Stars anthology I believe this was published in there – but it has 30k words added to it and has been revamped a bit.
Basic plot:
Marion jumps at the chance to take a luxury space cruise, but soon realizes it’s not at all what she was expecting.
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- spaceship/alien planet settings
- alien hero/human heroine
- disability rep – heroine has one arm (I believe it was during birth?)
- hero nurses heroine back to health
- rescue plot (heroine in danger)
- hero will comfort you during your nightmares
- who did this to you?
- fated mates – though I will say it didn’t go quite the way I’m used to fated mates going!
- protective and possessive hero
- hero bathes and feeds the heroine
- light vampire vibes – the hero’s species bites to mark
- medium – at least 3 scenes (I get lazy with notes on audio and I know there were 2 scenes that flow together that I combined so it might feel hotter to others.)
Ages:
- Don’t recall either mentioned
First line:
My hand tightens around my ticket, almost crushing it as I enter the ship.
My thoughts:
Well, I had a narrator disconnect with this one, sadly. This narrator was too exuberant for me and I wasn’t a fan of her male voices. It kind of made him sound a bit ridiculous. But looking past that, I did like the story! It had a lot I really like in romance, so I’ll definitely try more in this series but make sure to read the next one if the narrator is the same.
I struggled a bit in the beginning just because it was taking forever for the mains to be on page together. As I’ve whined in many reviews, I like my mains together soon and often, the whole book if I can get it 😆 It wasn’t until chapter 8 and in a 28 chapter book it felt way too long for me.
But once they were together I really enjoyed a lot of it. It had a bit of a twist on the fated mates aspect that I rather liked because I had no idea how it was going to turn out. I loved the sex scenes, loved the primal play and how protective the hero is. This is my second AG Wilde book (I also tried Xul) and I definitely want more in my life!
Cock/Hero Stats:
- hero has fangs, white hair, and a silver beard
- hero’s species definitely has some vampire vibes with the fangs and neck biting
- males mark their mates
- hero has golden eyes, but they turn dark when he wants to mate and is aroused
- I think cock is mostly normal but it IS huge and there’s some ridges
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- ableism in society, in interactions
- forced birth control
- basically what turns out to be governmental kidnapping/sold into marriage
- slavery
- scenes of violence, torture, fear, murder on page
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes plus quotes:
Safe sex? No
NOTE: I feel like I missed a kiss somewhere in here? Also, this is a minimum, I get lazy when taking audio notes
Chapter 15 – kiss
Chapter 18 – 🔥 kisses, primal play (“You should run”), oral/fingering for her
The male staring down at me now, looks like he is starved and all he wants to do is consume me.
Chapter 21 – 🔥 kiss (then a bit of a break, but later in the chapter), fingering/oral for her, missionary, blow job (incomplete) that leads into doggy style sex with mating bite
“You are mine,” he says, breaking the kiss for a moment. I open my mouth to protest and he closes it with another bruising kiss. “You don’t feel it yet, but I will wait,” he breathes against my lips.
Chapter 27 - primal play (chase scene), pinned against the wall but interrupted
“Mine to kiss.
Mine to hold.
Mine to love.”
//
Aqnar watches me as I grab the door handle, as if he is daring me to open it and run. Those eyes, and the way he turns so slowly, watching my every movement, noting my every breath. He is a predator and I am the prey.
“Marion.”
His voice has changed. It is deeper, darker, and it sends chills right through me.
Chapter 28 - 🔥 oral for her, doggy style, one arm gripping her neck
“I want your everything. You smiles, your words, your time. Your love.
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
Cliffhanger: No this ends on a happily ever after for the couple – it’s clear there’s more to come in the series with the heroine’s friends missing.
Epilogue: Yes, maybe a few months after?
When mains are first on page together: It felt like quite awhile before these two were on page together – Chapter 8
Format: bought audiobook
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is book 1 in the Fated Mates of the Atari series – start here but yes I think read this one in order as the plot of the heroines is beginning here. If you have the Claimed Among the Stars anthology I believe this was published in there – but it has 30k words added to it and has been revamped a bit.
Basic plot:
Marion jumps at the chance to take a luxury space cruise, but soon realizes it’s not at all what she was expecting.
Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- spaceship/alien planet settings
- alien hero/human heroine
- disability rep – heroine has one arm (I believe it was during birth?)
- hero nurses heroine back to health
- rescue plot (heroine in danger)
- hero will comfort you during your nightmares
- who did this to you?
- fated mates – though I will say it didn’t go quite the way I’m used to fated mates going!
- protective and possessive hero
- hero bathes and feeds the heroine
- light vampire vibes – the hero’s species bites to mark
- medium – at least 3 scenes (I get lazy with notes on audio and I know there were 2 scenes that flow together that I combined so it might feel hotter to others.)
Ages:
- Don’t recall either mentioned
First line:
My hand tightens around my ticket, almost crushing it as I enter the ship.
My thoughts:
Well, I had a narrator disconnect with this one, sadly. This narrator was too exuberant for me and I wasn’t a fan of her male voices. It kind of made him sound a bit ridiculous. But looking past that, I did like the story! It had a lot I really like in romance, so I’ll definitely try more in this series but make sure to read the next one if the narrator is the same.
I struggled a bit in the beginning just because it was taking forever for the mains to be on page together. As I’ve whined in many reviews, I like my mains together soon and often, the whole book if I can get it 😆 It wasn’t until chapter 8 and in a 28 chapter book it felt way too long for me.
But once they were together I really enjoyed a lot of it. It had a bit of a twist on the fated mates aspect that I rather liked because I had no idea how it was going to turn out. I loved the sex scenes, loved the primal play and how protective the hero is. This is my second AG Wilde book (I also tried Xul) and I definitely want more in my life!
Cock/Hero Stats:
- hero has fangs, white hair, and a silver beard
- hero’s species definitely has some vampire vibes with the fangs and neck biting
- males mark their mates
- hero has golden eyes, but they turn dark when he wants to mate and is aroused
- I think cock is mostly normal but it IS huge and there’s some ridges
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- ableism in society, in interactions
- forced birth control
- basically what turns out to be governmental kidnapping/sold into marriage
- slavery
- scenes of violence, torture, fear, murder on page
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes plus quotes:
Safe sex?
NOTE: I feel like I missed a kiss somewhere in here? Also, this is a minimum, I get lazy when taking audio notes
Chapter 15 – kiss
Chapter 18 – 🔥 kisses, primal play (“You should run”), oral/fingering for her
The male staring down at me now, looks like he is starved and all he wants to do is consume me.
Chapter 21 – 🔥 kiss (then a bit of a break, but later in the chapter), fingering/oral for her, missionary, blow job (incomplete) that leads into doggy style sex with mating bite
“You are mine,” he says, breaking the kiss for a moment. I open my mouth to protest and he closes it with another bruising kiss. “You don’t feel it yet, but I will wait,” he breathes against my lips.
Chapter 27 - primal play (chase scene), pinned against the wall but interrupted
“Mine to kiss.
Mine to hold.
Mine to love.”
//
Aqnar watches me as I grab the door handle, as if he is daring me to open it and run. Those eyes, and the way he turns so slowly, watching my every movement, noting my every breath. He is a predator and I am the prey.
“Marion.”
His voice has changed. It is deeper, darker, and it sends chills right through me.
Chapter 28 - 🔥 oral for her, doggy style, one arm gripping her neck
“I want your everything. You smiles, your words, your time. Your love.
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Judge me)
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (It’s short!)
Feels: 🦋 (I can’t say it gave me any good feelings)
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 (It’s very short)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (It’s basically the whole book, but the book is very short)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Come on, the whole thing is hilarious
Perspective: Third person from the heroine’s POV
Cliffhanger: No, but it doesn’t really end completely or on a happily ever after or happy for now. But I don’t think there’s more to come. I hope?
Epilogue: No
When mains are first on page together: 8% in (a page or two into the story)
Format: read e-book version through kindle unlimited
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone.
Basic plot:
Just read the title!
Give this a try if you want:
- ‘monster’ romance??
- vegan heroine
- were-turkey hero/human heroine
- instalust
- Thanksgiving vibes
- you’ve read every other book on the planet and have reached this point
- mid to higher steam – it’s basically one scene but it’s almost the whole book (12-13 pages?)
Ages:
- I hope that turkey was old enough to consent!
First line:
“Stop senseless murder! Animals deserve to live too!" Josette yelled, waving her sign in the faces of everyone that went into the turkey farm.
My thoughts:
I like to keep my historical romance followers on their toes by throwing stuff like this in there 😂
Did I hate it? No! Of course I discovered all sorts of things I never want to read again, but still I laughed, I cringed, I had self reflection on what points got me to this point in life...4 stars!
Cock/Hero Stats:
- I mean...he’s a turkey
- but he changes...he shifts into having a cock and hands. No nipples or belly button
- he has tiny feathers on his body that look like fuzzy hair
- HE KEEPS THE TURKEY HEAD NOOOOOOOOOOOO
- huge cock “as big as a coke can at its thickest”
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
But those strong hands gripped her breasts, kneading them as strongly as she had the quinoa meatless loaf earlier.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- I mean isn’t this whole book a content warning?? 🤔 Content warning for turkey man sex
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex? Oh not in any way
35% - some humping from the turkey man, then she escapes, he chases her down and doggy styles her on the floor, then they move to the table – her ass in the mashed potatoes
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (It’s short!)
Feels: 🦋 (I can’t say it gave me any good feelings)
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 (It’s very short)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 (It’s basically the whole book, but the book is very short)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Come on, the whole thing is hilarious
Perspective: Third person from the heroine’s POV
Cliffhanger: No, but it doesn’t really end completely or on a happily ever after or happy for now. But I don’t think there’s more to come. I hope?
Epilogue: No
When mains are first on page together: 8% in (a page or two into the story)
Format: read e-book version through kindle unlimited
Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone.
Basic plot:
Just read the title!
Give this a try if you want:
- ‘monster’ romance??
- vegan heroine
- were-turkey hero/human heroine
- instalust
- Thanksgiving vibes
- you’ve read every other book on the planet and have reached this point
- mid to higher steam – it’s basically one scene but it’s almost the whole book (12-13 pages?)
Ages:
- I hope that turkey was old enough to consent!
First line:
“Stop senseless murder! Animals deserve to live too!" Josette yelled, waving her sign in the faces of everyone that went into the turkey farm.
My thoughts:
I like to keep my historical romance followers on their toes by throwing stuff like this in there 😂
Did I hate it? No! Of course I discovered all sorts of things I never want to read again, but still I laughed, I cringed, I had self reflection on what points got me to this point in life...4 stars!
Cock/Hero Stats:
- I mean...he’s a turkey
- but he changes...he shifts into having a cock and hands. No nipples or belly button
- he has tiny feathers on his body that look like fuzzy hair
- HE KEEPS THE TURKEY HEAD NOOOOOOOOOOOO
- huge cock “as big as a coke can at its thickest”
Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)
But those strong hands gripped her breasts, kneading them as strongly as she had the quinoa meatless loaf earlier.
Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)
- I mean isn’t this whole book a content warning?? 🤔 Content warning for turkey man sex
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex?
35% - some humping from the turkey man, then she escapes, he chases her down and doggy styles her on the floor, then they move to the table – her ass in the mashed potatoes
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (The first half especially I struggled. It was just too much bickering and enemies vibe for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 (plus a partial and a short epilogue scene I didn’t count)
Humor: Yes – especially if you like sarcastic banter
Perspective: Third person from the hero and heroine
When mains are first on page together:
Cliffhanger: No, this ends on a happily ever after.
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley
Should I read in order?
It’s not necessary but there is some cross over of characters.
Basic plot:
Vesper hasn’t seen Greydon in years, but when they are locked inside an attic together, they kind of pick up right where they left off – trying to take each other down a notch.
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian (I didn’t see a year, but it’s after Darwin was publishing work and I have book 1 in the series marked as 1865)
- London setting
- Clueless retelling
- childhood friends
- billiards lessons
- enemies to lovers
- neurodiverse heroine – Vesper has ADHD
- prodigal hero returns
- lots of social action – garden parties, balls, masquerades...
- bespectacled hero
- pets – the heroine gets a cat
- very light touch of hero nurses heroine back to health
- paleontologist hero
- low to mid steam – I have 2 full scenes, a very hot partial, and a short epilogue scene
Ages:
- Heroine is 23, hero is around 25
First line:
Lady Vesper Lyndhurst marched through the garden, wrenching the petals from a daisy though she had yet to end up with an answer other than he loves me not.
My thoughts:
I am really sad I struggled with this one! I think part of it may be I really love the movie Clueless and just rewatched it before starting this book. So I probably had some of my favorite scenes/ideas and when it didn’t go that way I was a bit disappointed.
I think another part of what I didn’t love is the non stop bickering and fighting Vesper and Aspen do in this story. Maybe if my children haven’t been fighting non stop it wouldn’t have been so noticeable. But this is why I struggle so hard with enemies to lovers. And I know our relationship dynamic with Cher in the movie was like this but I felt like theirs was a bit more playful and fun. They still did stuff together and seemed to enjoy each other's company - In the beginning this one really feels like hatred.
We’re told that Vesper behaves perfect socially – she controls herself and her emotions rigidly due to her ADHD and she’s worried she will make a misstep. I felt like I never really saw this side of Vesper though – and part of it is that Greyson throws her off but she seemed to always be acting a bit angry and filled with outbursts with him in social situations and it seems like that was the opposite of what I was told about her. Losing her temper with him, basically making scenes, I couldn’t reconcile what I was getting on page with what I was supposed to think of her character as and it did bother me a bit.
I LOVED the matchmaking aspect. I adore when we have a matchmaker in the story, so I really appreciated this aspect of Vesper’s personality. I also really, really loved the steam in this one. I think it really worked to connect the characters and propel their relationship forward. Most of the scenes were decently long and detailed too and I really loved that. I think the latter half of the book I connected with way more than the first half.
I was glad the villain activity didn’t take over the book like I was worried it would when I saw blackmail mentioned. I don’t like the ending result of the whole villain thing – I am pretty blood thirsty when it comes to punishment and was definitely disappointed in this. I feel like this is one of those things that is a problem waiting to come back and affect them in later years and it just niggles at me and I don’t feel as strong of a HEA for the couple…
I can't say I loved their names and while I smirked the first time I heard "Lord Ass" instead of Aspen, I didn't love him calling her "Lady Viper" - and it was a lot throughout the book even during sexy scenes and I was just like blehhhhhh.
But, overall this book had some things I really loved and I appreciated the Clueless nods throughout the story.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own. There’s also additional quotes under the steam section for some steamy scenes
“I’m not a boy, Vesper.”
The soft snarl of her name on his tongue made her insides liquefy.
No, he wasn’t a boy. He was a man – a tall, strong, and riled man currently crowding her personal space and daring her to react. Vesper huffed a shallow breath and moved to step away from him, but he shifted to cage her against the windowsill with his arms.
---
“I think what scares you is that I might know you better than anyone here,” came his rumbling reply. “And you like it.
His lips grazed the shell of her ear in the measliest of caresses.
---
“Aspen,” she began, searching his eyes. “I want…”
He loomed over her, those stiated irises of his nearly swallowed up by his pupils as she trailed off and moistened her dry lips. His nostrils flared with something all too primal. “Is this the favor you’re claiming then?” he whispered huskily, that hooded stare dropping to her mouth. “Do you want me to kiss you, Viper?”
---
I love lines like this
He had to stop lying to himself.
She was under his skin...and he fucking cared more than he should.
---
“Out,” he snapped to the footmen.
Her eyes narrowed as the servants filed out after a firm look from him. As if she could sense what was to come, Cat scampered out of sight and made herself scarce beneath the table. Wariness flitted across Vesper’s face when he pushed back his chair and prowled toward her. He relished the flash of surprise in her deep blue eyes before she tried to hide it with disinterest.
He turned her chair to face him, propping his hands on either sides of her armrests, effectively trapping her in place.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- hero’s father is put into asylum and abused until death
- hero’s mother blackmails, lies, and abuses others
- no punishment of villain in the story
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: French letters discussed but withdrawal used as a preventative measure
45% - a partial scene on the billiards table – kisses, banter, fingering for her that’s interrupted by Cat jumping up
67% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary outside on a bench
Hell, he was going to fuck the sass from her lips.
87% - 🔥 outside against dinosaur statues at a public part he fucks her from behind against Hylaeosaurus
“Tell me what you need, Vesper,” he whispered, licking the lobe of her ear and making her whimper.
“You.”
97% - missionary – but it’s in the epilogue and only a paragraph (5 sentences) so I didn’t count it.
Readability: 📖📖📖 (The first half especially I struggled. It was just too much bickering and enemies vibe for me)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 (plus a partial and a short epilogue scene I didn’t count)
Humor: Yes – especially if you like sarcastic banter
Perspective: Third person from the hero and heroine
When mains are first on page together:
Cliffhanger: No, this ends on a happily ever after.
Epilogue: Yes, a few months later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley
Should I read in order?
It’s not necessary but there is some cross over of characters.
Basic plot:
Vesper hasn’t seen Greydon in years, but when they are locked inside an attic together, they kind of pick up right where they left off – trying to take each other down a notch.
Give this a try if you want:
- Victorian (I didn’t see a year, but it’s after Darwin was publishing work and I have book 1 in the series marked as 1865)
- London setting
- Clueless retelling
- childhood friends
- billiards lessons
- enemies to lovers
- neurodiverse heroine – Vesper has ADHD
- prodigal hero returns
- lots of social action – garden parties, balls, masquerades...
- bespectacled hero
- pets – the heroine gets a cat
- very light touch of hero nurses heroine back to health
- paleontologist hero
- low to mid steam – I have 2 full scenes, a very hot partial, and a short epilogue scene
Ages:
- Heroine is 23, hero is around 25
First line:
Lady Vesper Lyndhurst marched through the garden, wrenching the petals from a daisy though she had yet to end up with an answer other than he loves me not.
My thoughts:
I am really sad I struggled with this one! I think part of it may be I really love the movie Clueless and just rewatched it before starting this book. So I probably had some of my favorite scenes/ideas and when it didn’t go that way I was a bit disappointed.
I think another part of what I didn’t love is the non stop bickering and fighting Vesper and Aspen do in this story. Maybe if my children haven’t been fighting non stop it wouldn’t have been so noticeable. But this is why I struggle so hard with enemies to lovers. And I know our relationship dynamic with Cher in the movie was like this but I felt like theirs was a bit more playful and fun. They still did stuff together and seemed to enjoy each other's company - In the beginning this one really feels like hatred.
We’re told that Vesper behaves perfect socially – she controls herself and her emotions rigidly due to her ADHD and she’s worried she will make a misstep. I felt like I never really saw this side of Vesper though – and part of it is that Greyson throws her off but she seemed to always be acting a bit angry and filled with outbursts with him in social situations and it seems like that was the opposite of what I was told about her. Losing her temper with him, basically making scenes, I couldn’t reconcile what I was getting on page with what I was supposed to think of her character as and it did bother me a bit.
I LOVED the matchmaking aspect. I adore when we have a matchmaker in the story, so I really appreciated this aspect of Vesper’s personality. I also really, really loved the steam in this one. I think it really worked to connect the characters and propel their relationship forward. Most of the scenes were decently long and detailed too and I really loved that. I think the latter half of the book I connected with way more than the first half.
I was glad the villain activity didn’t take over the book like I was worried it would when I saw blackmail mentioned. I don’t like the ending result of the whole villain thing – I am pretty blood thirsty when it comes to punishment and was definitely disappointed in this. I feel like this is one of those things that is a problem waiting to come back and affect them in later years and it just niggles at me and I don’t feel as strong of a HEA for the couple…
I can't say I loved their names and while I smirked the first time I heard "Lord Ass" instead of Aspen, I didn't love him calling her "Lady Viper" - and it was a lot throughout the book even during sexy scenes and I was just like blehhhhhh.
But, overall this book had some things I really loved and I appreciated the Clueless nods throughout the story.
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own. There’s also additional quotes under the steam section for some steamy scenes
“I’m not a boy, Vesper.”
The soft snarl of her name on his tongue made her insides liquefy.
No, he wasn’t a boy. He was a man – a tall, strong, and riled man currently crowding her personal space and daring her to react. Vesper huffed a shallow breath and moved to step away from him, but he shifted to cage her against the windowsill with his arms.
---
“I think what scares you is that I might know you better than anyone here,” came his rumbling reply. “And you like it.
His lips grazed the shell of her ear in the measliest of caresses.
---
“Aspen,” she began, searching his eyes. “I want…”
He loomed over her, those stiated irises of his nearly swallowed up by his pupils as she trailed off and moistened her dry lips. His nostrils flared with something all too primal. “Is this the favor you’re claiming then?” he whispered huskily, that hooded stare dropping to her mouth. “Do you want me to kiss you, Viper?”
---
I love lines like this
He had to stop lying to himself.
She was under his skin...and he fucking cared more than he should.
---
“Out,” he snapped to the footmen.
Her eyes narrowed as the servants filed out after a firm look from him. As if she could sense what was to come, Cat scampered out of sight and made herself scarce beneath the table. Wariness flitted across Vesper’s face when he pushed back his chair and prowled toward her. He relished the flash of surprise in her deep blue eyes before she tried to hide it with disinterest.
He turned her chair to face him, propping his hands on either sides of her armrests, effectively trapping her in place.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- hero’s father is put into asylum and abused until death
- hero’s mother blackmails, lies, and abuses others
- no punishment of villain in the story
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
45% - a partial scene on the billiards table – kisses, banter, fingering for her that’s interrupted by Cat jumping up
67% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, missionary outside on a bench
Hell, he was going to fuck the sass from her lips.
87% - 🔥 outside against dinosaur statues at a public part he fucks her from behind against Hylaeosaurus
“Tell me what you need, Vesper,” he whispered, licking the lobe of her ear and making her whimper.
“You.”
97% - missionary – but it’s in the epilogue and only a paragraph (5 sentences) so I didn’t count it.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from Reaver (main hero), Augusta (main heroine), and Augusta’s sister, Phoebe (secondary heroine) – there may have also been a bit from Shaw (the secondary hero)
When mains are first on page together: I didn’t mark it but think it was pretty soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
Should I read in order?
Ideally, yes. There are quite a few characters from prior books. If you don’t mind that it might be okay to pick up alone. Reaver has some page time in the prior book. There is quite a bit of mention of other characters though, and to get into those other characters stories, you really have to start at the beginning 😄
Basic plot:
Augusta is out of options – she simply MUST secure her sister’s ‘betrothed’s’ markers from the gaming club to assist in some heavy persuasion. But to get those markers she must make a deal with Reaver...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1819)
- tall heroine but taller hero (Augusta is several inches taller than average height but Reaver is a foot taller than her – he can barely squeeze himself into carriages)
- bargain – Augusta wants a man’s gambling markers from Reaver’s club – Reaver says he’ll give them to her if she becomes his mistress for 6 weeks
- bespectacled hero
- celibate hero [Hero hasn’t had a mistress in 6 months (hide spoiler)]
- medium steam – there’s 4 scenes but it feels slower because 3 of them are after 80%
Ages: (for main couple)
- Heroine is 28, didn’t catch hero but would guess mid 30s?
First line:
“I’ll keep it, the whole lot.”
My thoughts:
I started out REALLY loving this one. I adored the premise (I mean, telling someone they need to be your mistress in exchange for what you want is right up my alley), I loved the characters and plot. But...I wasn’t expecting a secondary romance. And with this series, I wasn’t quite sure for awhile if it was a secondary romance or a preview of the relationship dynamic of the next book…
Personally I’m not a big fan of secondary romances. I don’t like being pulled away from the main couple. I am usually left wanting more from both stories. And I kind of felt that here, though I individually loved both relationships. I think both deserved a full book and they would have been amazing. Especially with Shaw’s background.
I really loved all 4 characters here, so I think if you don’t mind, or prefer, secondary romance plots, this will really work for you. There was a lot of sweetness in both relationships. I felt like there was a lot of protectiveness and romantic things (like how Reaver carried around a special license for 3 weeks because HE KNEW) so I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
I guess about halfway through (maybe when it started giving more time to Shaw and Phoebe) my interest started to dwindle a bit and I wasn’t as excited to pick up the book and finish it. By the end, I was basically ready for it to be over. So, I did like it, but I didn’t love it.
Endearments
Heroine calls the hero ‘Bastion’ and hero calls the heroine ‘Gus’. Not really endearments but nicknames...
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
“Mad is not better, you gigantic dunderpate.”
Black eyes glittered with...excitement?
“Take down your hair.”
“I will not.” She ran a hand above her ear, tidying what she could.
“I wish to see it.”
“With the greatest respect, Mister Reaver, your wishes mean less to me than the deposits made into the privy this morning.”
His head tilted, and his mouth curved in a wicked half smile.
I love it!
“Come and take it,” he rumbled softly. Her eyes narrowed upon him. Without warning she feinted left and darted right. Perhaps she should have done the opposite, because in a blink, a steely arm snagged her waist, seizing her firmly against him. She squirmed against outlandish muscles, her hands pressing his chest, her hips grinding and arching into his thighs. A warm massive hand gripped her nape, tilting her head back so she could not avoid his gaze. The sight struck her hard and low. Onyx had gone molten. One muscle, impossibly long and thick, had gone hard as stone against her belly. Oh, dear heaven. Did he want her? As his mouth swooped towards hers, she knew. Preposterous as it seems, he wanted her. And nothing could have surprised her more.
---
“Take me home then,” she said, attempting nonchalance. Next was his cravat tied carelessly. She reached to help him but he brushed her hand away and snatched his waistcoat. “Promise me you will comission a taller carriage, Sebastian. The one you currently possess could not be comfortable for you.” As he shrugged into his tailcoat, tugging it into place across massive shoulders, he shot her a heated glare.
“I haven’t been comfortable since the day I met ye, Augusta Whitmore. A right nuisance, you are.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- child abuse remembered/seen on children
- child abduction
- man lies and takes advantage of heroine’s sister sexually resulting in pregnancy
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes: I was bad with noting which couple was which...I THINK all the steam was for Augusta Reaver except one scene between Shaw and Phoebe
Safe sex: No
33% - 🔥 kiss, dry humping orgasm for the heroine
49% - kiss
62% - kiss (this one might be Phoebe? Sorry I suck and am too lazy to go back and listen to these)
65% - kiss76%- kiss
80% - 🔥 kisses, fingering for her, missionary
90% - 🔥 kisses, doggy style
96% - 🔥 missionary between Shaw and Phoebe
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from Reaver (main hero), Augusta (main heroine), and Augusta’s sister, Phoebe (secondary heroine) – there may have also been a bit from Shaw (the secondary hero)
When mains are first on page together: I didn’t mark it but think it was pretty soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audiobook from library (Hoopla)
Should I read in order?
Ideally, yes. There are quite a few characters from prior books. If you don’t mind that it might be okay to pick up alone. Reaver has some page time in the prior book. There is quite a bit of mention of other characters though, and to get into those other characters stories, you really have to start at the beginning 😄
Basic plot:
Augusta is out of options – she simply MUST secure her sister’s ‘betrothed’s’ markers from the gaming club to assist in some heavy persuasion. But to get those markers she must make a deal with Reaver...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1819)
- tall heroine but taller hero (Augusta is several inches taller than average height but Reaver is a foot taller than her – he can barely squeeze himself into carriages)
- bargain – Augusta wants a man’s gambling markers from Reaver’s club – Reaver says he’ll give them to her if she becomes his mistress for 6 weeks
- bespectacled hero
- celibate hero [Hero hasn’t had a mistress in 6 months (hide spoiler)]
- medium steam – there’s 4 scenes but it feels slower because 3 of them are after 80%
Ages: (for main couple)
- Heroine is 28, didn’t catch hero but would guess mid 30s?
First line:
“I’ll keep it, the whole lot.”
My thoughts:
I started out REALLY loving this one. I adored the premise (I mean, telling someone they need to be your mistress in exchange for what you want is right up my alley), I loved the characters and plot. But...I wasn’t expecting a secondary romance. And with this series, I wasn’t quite sure for awhile if it was a secondary romance or a preview of the relationship dynamic of the next book…
Personally I’m not a big fan of secondary romances. I don’t like being pulled away from the main couple. I am usually left wanting more from both stories. And I kind of felt that here, though I individually loved both relationships. I think both deserved a full book and they would have been amazing. Especially with Shaw’s background.
I really loved all 4 characters here, so I think if you don’t mind, or prefer, secondary romance plots, this will really work for you. There was a lot of sweetness in both relationships. I felt like there was a lot of protectiveness and romantic things (like how Reaver carried around a special license for 3 weeks because HE KNEW) so I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
I guess about halfway through (maybe when it started giving more time to Shaw and Phoebe) my interest started to dwindle a bit and I wasn’t as excited to pick up the book and finish it. By the end, I was basically ready for it to be over. So, I did like it, but I didn’t love it.
Endearments
Quotes/spoiler-y thoughts:Any mistakes/typos are my own
“Mad is not better, you gigantic dunderpate.”
Black eyes glittered with...excitement?
“Take down your hair.”
“I will not.” She ran a hand above her ear, tidying what she could.
“I wish to see it.”
“With the greatest respect, Mister Reaver, your wishes mean less to me than the deposits made into the privy this morning.”
His head tilted, and his mouth curved in a wicked half smile.
I love it!
“Come and take it,” he rumbled softly. Her eyes narrowed upon him. Without warning she feinted left and darted right. Perhaps she should have done the opposite, because in a blink, a steely arm snagged her waist, seizing her firmly against him. She squirmed against outlandish muscles, her hands pressing his chest, her hips grinding and arching into his thighs. A warm massive hand gripped her nape, tilting her head back so she could not avoid his gaze. The sight struck her hard and low. Onyx had gone molten. One muscle, impossibly long and thick, had gone hard as stone against her belly. Oh, dear heaven. Did he want her? As his mouth swooped towards hers, she knew. Preposterous as it seems, he wanted her. And nothing could have surprised her more.
---
“Take me home then,” she said, attempting nonchalance. Next was his cravat tied carelessly. She reached to help him but he brushed her hand away and snatched his waistcoat. “Promise me you will comission a taller carriage, Sebastian. The one you currently possess could not be comfortable for you.” As he shrugged into his tailcoat, tugging it into place across massive shoulders, he shot her a heated glare.
“I haven’t been comfortable since the day I met ye, Augusta Whitmore. A right nuisance, you are.”
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- child abuse remembered/seen on children
- child abduction
- man lies and takes advantage of heroine’s sister sexually resulting in pregnancy
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes: I was bad with noting which couple was which...I THINK all the steam was for Augusta Reaver except one scene between Shaw and Phoebe
Safe sex:
33% - 🔥 kiss, dry humping orgasm for the heroine
49% - kiss
62% - kiss (this one might be Phoebe? Sorry I suck and am too lazy to go back and listen to these)
65% - kiss76%- kiss
80% - 🔥 kisses, fingering for her, missionary
90% - 🔥 kisses, doggy style
96% - 🔥 missionary between Shaw and Phoebe