theartsybookwitch's Reviews (393)

"So is ours. We're written in the stars, Darling. Our fates sealed before you were born."

Picking up right where The Lost Darling ends, Second Star To The Right leads with Peter finding Wednesday after the events of the finale of TLD.

I truly loved reading SSTTR, and read it in less than a day.

We learn more about Pan, Peter's shadow , and get to see his relationship with Wednesday develop. I loved seeing the dual sides of Peter, a whole Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation. I loved reading his view, and learning more about him, and Peter's past.

And that one scene absolutely BROKE MY HEART.

And Bailey Black getting me to fall in love with even more bad boys is just icing on the cake.

Please read The Lost Darling before you dive into this, and it is a straight continuation and you will spoil yourself from the first page.

And hey! That ending, I SWEAR. My heart.

One flaw was that it was too short

“Love is a powerful magic in itself. It heals just as much as it hurts. Your heart can experience it as many times as your life allows, but your soul is only ever destined for one.”

tropes // forced proximity, enemies to lovers, twisted retelling, fae

-- SPOILERS BELOW --

tw // death, murder, hospitallization, graphic sexual content, vomit, fire, fire injury, grief, medical content, vomit

"𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥.” 𝐇𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐥𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞. "𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐢𝐭.”

A.J. Merlin just keeps blowing me away. Every single book by her is my new favorite.

Blair Love, a college student with no job, becomes a cam girl on a whim. But when her two worlds collide, Blair get sucked into a world she is unprepared for. Looking for an elective, Blair ends up taking photography, along with classmate Oliver Greer and her professor Rook Solomon.

I'm not gonna reveal much, but I am obsessed. Blair's relationship with Oliver and Rook is everything and I love them.

I think honestly that Rook is my favorite, out of the trio. He's sweet when he wants and stern when he needs to. Just everything about him.

And the fact that they're taking photography? Ugh I've never done a 5 star faster in my life. I ended up doing a deep dive and read Pretty Little Tease in like 6 hrs (probably less if i didn't have work).

I love that PLT didn't end on a cliffhanger, but left us wanting needing more. I can't wait for Merlin's next installment in this duet.

Heed all the content warnings as this does get dark.

"Are you stalking me?" "Of course I am." "That isn't as confusing as I think you meant to be."

tropes // college romance, dark romance, serial killers, stalker, student/teacher, MM, MMF

tw // graphic sexual content, murder, death, serial killers, kink, sex work, coercion

"I have monsters too, Addison. I'll dance with yours if you dance with mine."

The fourth in Bex's series, Carnal Expectations, and it freaking delivers.

Jackson and Addison are back in full force, and I LOVE the different sides we see to them.

Honestly, feels like a smutty version of Set It Up and I AM HERE FOR IT.

Addison and Jackson were meant for each other, straight from the get-go, straight from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. They would do anything for each other, and took care of each other. From just knowing their full stops, to Jackson trying to help her overcome her eating disorder. I absolutely loved their relationship, from moment to end. and i need more.

DO NOT go in blind to this series, and please heed the warnings carefully.

“There’s my feisty little b!tch.”

tropes // LGBT+, bisexual MMC, yoyeurism, exhibitionism, self harm, sex club, Valentine's Day, choking

tw // eating disorder, toxic familial relationship, graphic sexual content

“I’ve had a thing for you since freshman year when I overheard you and your sister talking about who you’d fuck-marry-kill when it came to the cast of The Breakfast Club.”

Cupid's Peak, Jacquot's latest in her Holinights series, is pure sweetness and spice.

Jacquot has been an autobuy author for me for a long time running now. And Cupid's Peak takes the cake on being my favorite out of the Holinights series. maybe

Give me a hockey romance any day of the week. But add snowed in on Valentine's Day on a blind date? Sold.

This novella gave me everything and more. Mia and Eli are so sweet together, and the fact that they've loved each other all these years just makes it so much better. I can definitely relate to Mia, in the fact that we're both asocial and prefer to be away from the public eye. And Eli? Eli is everything you would want in a man. He's so sweet to her and fell hard at overhearing their game of fuck, marry, kill. 

Their game of truth or dare is amazing, and their relationship making each other better? Ugh i can eat this up.

Now I just need 1,000 pages of just them. 

“Says the nice guy who gets put in the penalty box once every game.” “So you’ve seen more than one game,”

“Do you want me to stand up in the middle of this restaurant and let everyone know I’m here with you? I’ll do that, pay, and go home. Then I’ll lay on my stomach and FaceTime you so we can talk until the sun comes up.”

tropes // snowed in, Valentine's Day, holidays, second chance, opposites attract

tw // sexual content

#2023releases #2023arcs #2023reads #2023reviews #reviews #arcreviews #holinights #holinightseries #leejacquot #romance #holidayromance #valentinesday #newreleases #pinkcovers #hockeyromance #smuttybooks #smut #hockeyromancebooks #sportsromance #contemporaryromance #contemporary #romancebooks

" 'Elise. You are my everything.' "

A great debut from Shana Collins.

Deadly Decision, her debut and the first in the Savin Brothers series, is a fast paced mafia romance. 

Elise Walsh, a female mafia boss. 
Dmitri Savin, recently promoted to Russian Brigadier. 

When these two fall fast and hard, what will win? Love or Loyalty.?

These two are amazing for each other, both separate and apart. Elise, a bad-ass, rising through the ranks from bartender to Boss. She doesn't put up with anything, and goes after what she wants. And will stop at nothing to achieve that. Dmitri, strong and possessive, makes you fall in love, no matter the circumstances. 

Collin's writing just sucks you in, and all the twists were so well done. 

I can't wait for Nikolai's story next.

I absolutely enjoyed reading Deadly Decisions, and recommend for any mafia romance reader. 

tropes // mafia, insta-love, enemies to lovers, forbidden love

tw // parental loss, gun violence, torture, blood, alcohol, death, pregnancy, rape

" 'A pretty girl along with priority check in and longe access? I'll be springing for business class more often.' "

When Harry Meet Sally meets small town Hallmark.

Ava Munroe is back with another hit in her Hot For The Holidays series, Pierced.

I swear, every single character Ava writes, I fall in love with. 

Teagan Lacy and Nick Swift meet under unfortunate circumstances and fate intertwines them together for a long drive back to their hometown. Add the snowed-in weahter and honeymoon suite, and you've got one of the best relationships. 

I honestly believe they both made each other better, in so many ways. Teagan, the "good girl", coming out of her shell and becoming more daring and badass. Nick, the misunderstood "bad boy", getting vulnerable and more in tune with his feelings. The way they took care of each other from the very beginning.

A fast-paced Hallmark type romance set on Valentine's day is everything you need and more.

#avamunroe #pierced #hotfortheholidays #smalltownromance #goodgirlbayboy #onebedtrope #contemporaryromance #novellas #romance #airplanemeetcutes #2023arcs #2023reads #2023releases

"She's not look at me, but I can tell how beautiful she is. Even though she looks exhausted, you can still see the beauty shining through."

The Incubus's Obsession, the latest release in C.E. Kingsley's The Love Fountain series is a brilliantly fast-paced short story that will make you fall in love. 

A classic insta-love fantasy romance short story, centers on Willow and Knox. Knox, a 3,000 yr old shifter and Willow, a sweet human girl destined to find love from the Fountain.

I loved them both, they were so sweet and the way they just clicked together, oof. 

And a guy who knows the sidewalk rule is an instant book boyfriend. I don't make the rules. 

Do beware that while The Love Fountain is a stand alone series, there are callbacks to The Dragon's Sanctuary, so read that before diving into this. 

OUT NOW.

"My name is Brass. I am the Sons of Satan Sargeant at Arms, and I am a psychpath."

The latest from Bex Dawn, comes Brass: Part One, the first in her Sons of Satan MC series. Taking place in the same world as Los Diablos and The Trichotomy of New York series.

To say that I am obsessed with Brass and Trixie is an understatement, and that's saying a lot for all the guys in the Bex Dawn universe. Is that a thing? Don't know, haha.

Picking up from that one job, we meet Brass. Eager to spill some blood, we get both the lovable and psychopathic sides almost immediately. From the very beginning, he's definitely on the darker side of all of Bex's MMCs, but I am LIVING for him. 

And Trixie? She's a spitfire, and a complete badass. I loved her from the first minute we meet her. Every scene with both Brass and Trixie is perfect. 

and the entire scene when Brass first wakes up in that hotel room? GOD.

An auto-buy author, Brass: Part One is one you'll want to RUN to get. But do heed all of the trigger warnings, cause this gets DARK.

OUT NOW.

tropes // serial killer, MC, blood play, bondage

tw // kidnapping, drugging, sexual content, religious abuse, physical & mental abuse, self harm, gang violece, murder, death, child death, suicide mention, gaslighting, blood play, stalking, human trafficking

#arcs #bexdawn #2023arcs #arcreviews #2023releases #sonsofsatanseries #losdiablossyndicate #mc #mcromance #darkromance #contemporaryromance #romance #smuttybooks #smutromance