shanaepraystoo's Reviews (925)

Keep You To Myself

4.5

Keep You To Myself by BriAnn Danae is my first book from the author and I am pretty impressed.

BriAnn Danae is a very talented storyteller and the book really kept my attention. I don't typically like stories where the MMC is rude, but with the character development, it all really worked. I think there could've been more character development for certain characters, like Unique, Jade, Raquel, and even Torin, the FMC - I would've liked to have learned more about her. However Keep You To Myself is book 1 of the author's 'Unorthodox Love' series, which is forthcoming I presume, so there's an opportunity to learn more about the world BriAnn Danae crafts.

I am most appreciative of the fact that the urban love story between the MMC and FMC didn't get lost is super spicy sex scenes or too many overly dramatic events,

though Unique's confession, Jade's stalking, and Omar/Silas's connection to Unique and, ultimately, Synovi, the MMC, is a huge reach

.

I am not a fan of the third person narration that switches to each character's POV very regularly. Thankfully the story is engaging enough that it is easy to keep up with, but it can get a little confusing from time to time, especially if, like me, you're used dedicated POV chapters in a romance.

If you enjoyed Finally Famous by Ladii Nesha or A Demon's Dream by Elle Kayson, then you'll definitely love Keep You To Myself.

Spice: 🥵🥵

Content Warnings

Mr. Take Me As I Am

Iris Bolling

4.0

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Mr. Take Me As I Am by Iris Bolling is a quick and easy read - the audiobook is just about 2 hours. The story is engaging with funny and captivating characters. Though short, Bolling takes no shorts on the story - there are many layers and I can tell she’s a great writer. This is my first read from her and I skipped the other books in this series, so I’m reading it a little out of order, but that doesn’t seem to affect this story at all. I’m impressed and will look for more books from this author.

Content Warnings

A Turn in the Air

A.H. Cunningham

5.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

AH Cunningham is just too good at this.

My first read from her is book 1 of the Wicked Moves series, Plié, about Aisha and Knox, where we first meet Sal and Devon, the FMC and MMC of A Turn in the Air.

I rated Plié very highly, it was deserving. I read the ebook and listened to the audiobook (which is awful - avoid that version). I enjoyed Plié so much that I was pressed for A Turn in the Air and Cunningham didn’t miss at all.

The story is engaging and entertaining with characters that you are sure to love. The marriage of convenience trope is done so well and with so much respect for the diverse cast.

I don’t know any other romance/erotica author giving us Black and Brown characters with so much depth and variety — for that alone I have to praise AH Cunningham.

I appreciate the love and care she has for the communities she depicts in her writing and I really value just how diverse her characters are.

A Turn in the Air is a 5-star read for the writing, story, and characters. And a huge shout out to Wesleigh Siobhan for producing the audiobook, she did the damn thing. This is my third AH Cunningham audiobook and it is hands down the best, Elle Cleviden and Winston James did the damn thing.

Content Warnings

Figure of Speech

Kasha Thompson

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It took me forever to start reading Figure of Speech by Kasha Thompson, but once I picked the book up, I simply could not put it down. I finished it in like 8 hours. And OMG IT IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!!! I think Theodore Elmsworth might be my favorite MMC ever. And, you know what, Clover Bennett might be my favorite FMC - and that's a hard task. If you read romance novels, then you know how awful these FMCs can be.

This is my third Kasha Thompson book and man oh man...she's so good at this. It is officially time for me to devour her entire catalog.

Content Warnings

Nobody to Love You Better

ML Bash

3.5

dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

There's something about Nobody to Love You Better that I am not sure I like. There are aspects of the novel that are interesting and it starts off very strong. However, somewhere in the middle, ML Bash lost me and the end wasn't as gratifying as I was hoping. That said, the story is well-written and engaging with an interesting set of characters, albeit stereotypical ones. The MMC, Donovan/Bear and his best friend, Renier/Ren, have an extremely toxic and dependent relationship (attraction?) that causes them to share everything with one another, even the woman who they can only remember as the misguided young girl who "saved" each of them in equally traumatic incidents. While I find Nobody to Love You a bit far-fetched and frustrating to read sometimes, it is an overall easy to read reverse harem story that is quite spicy. A decent relaxing read, despite the length of the book.

Content Warnings

Make a Scene

Mimi Grace

4.5

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I get the Mimi Grace hype now. Of course, she's popular for having wholesome kinda stories with some spice and really cute book covers, but the writing is just really really good. I thoroughly enjoyed Make a Scene and found the characters unique, funny, and interesting. The story is easy to follow and makes sense. The FMC, Retta, was relatable and likable - not stereotypical at all. Same for the MMC, Duncan, and even his friend/business partner, who I assume shows up in another book. I also really loved Ms. Edie and the fact that her home was a safe space for the FMC.

The audiobook is sheer perfection, the narrators do a wonderful job, and it helped me get through a busy workday - I have no complaints about it. I look forward to my next Mimi Grace read.

Spice: 🥵

Content Warnings

You Hide I'll Seek

ML Bash

3.0

fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. I wasn't displeased with the book but I didn't find it particularly memorable. The FMC is my least favorite type - pushover, easily used, easy to trick, goes along with everything. When I read the synopsis, I wasn't expecting such a weak female lead. That said, the MMC isn't what I like either. He's not necessarily strong or intimidating for a reason, but presents as an older guy who gets off on controlling people who he thinks are weaker than him. I think about 50 pages could've made this book so much better and would've put it much higher on my list of reads.

Content Warnings

Crave: A BW/BM Reverse Harem Romance

Shae Sanders

3.75

emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I don't know...the ending of Crave Part 1: The Prelude really irritated me towards the end. The good thing is that the author got me interested in part 2 but that's only because I've invested into part 1 and want to see how the story ends.

Skye being a potential murderer is a weird addition to the story that could explain why she's "on the run" and changes her name, but when her ex-husband doesn't press charges against her, that very good explanation goes out of the window. Then there's this weird thing where the FMC kinda thinks she would get away with getting primary custody of a stepdaughter? In what world?</spoiled> In the end, I was left dissatisfied with the book. Since it is well written and the story is interesting, I give it an above average rating, but the way Shae Sanders explains the FMC's willingness to not only sleep with multiple men and then sleep with them at the same time in the same place is just weird. I expected the FMC to not only be more sexual and sensual, but also a lot more confident and self-assured...this time she just isn't, which makes the story so hard to believe.

Content Warnings

Demon's Dream: An Unexpected Love

Elle Kayson

3.75

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I've finally finished the very very dark novel, Demon's Dream and now at the end of the book I'm left feeling like the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze.

There are so many characters in the novel that you have to keep up with, and to be honest, Elle Kayson does a fabulous job at making them all equally entertaining, intriguing, and the events of their lives are interesting...but then there are a million others mentioned at the end of the novel and your head is left spinning as you try to keep up with who's who. I mean, even the FMC, Dream, gets a new name...Baby?

That said, I wish Kayson had bothered to extend the novel by another two or three hundred pages to give us more insight into the lives of the children at then, even if only Kam/Kalylah.

The story fast forwards 10 years, a significant time, and we don't know how the FMC or MMC get along as new parents, newlyweds, or what they do for work - does Demon keep killing? Is Dream still washing drug money?

I'm left with more questions than answers and that's soooo unfulfilling after reading 750+ pages.

Content Warnings

Satisfy Me

J. Chary

4.0

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I typically only rate short stories 3 stars at the most, but I had to make an exception for Satisfy Me by J. Chary. At the center of the novella is a very real and serious topic that isn't discussed enough. There's great storytelling, very good writing, lots of spice and a great happy ending - one that I didn't even expect. I highly recommend Satisfy Me.

Content Warnings

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