theartsybookwitch's Reviews (393)

 

DAMN. Diamond In The Dark was so good. 

 

Ginevra Russo is a girlboss by herself; but add her to the boys? Unstoppable. Knowing that her life would come crashing down around her when she came back home after a decade? Keeping control of her needs when she goes into a poly relationship? Ugh, I LOVE her. 

 

All 3 boys; Rian, Liam and Cormac, agreeing to marry Ginevra, only to be blindsided and actually fall in love with her. Each of them have something special about them that makes you love them even harder. I dare you to choose a favorite out of them, because I can’t. 

 

Just the way they all take care of her; from the intimate moments to knowing when she needs to not be in control. 

 

And that entire scene at the fights when they first get there? 

 

Diamond In The Dark was an absolute joy to read, I fell in love from the first page. I fell in love with Jacobson’s writing and I cannot believe this is their debut. 

 

If you need another dark mafia why-choose romance in your life (and yes, you do), pick this up. Like now. 

 

“ “Beg for my forgiveness, Liam.’ “ 

 

“ “God, Cormac, love isn’t about being deserving enough. It’s sliding into each other’s jagged cracks and edges and tangling ourselves up in each other, somehow more whole together than apart. I found you, and I held you tight. Liam came back into our lives, and we snatched him up, too. And we’re not going to let Ginevra go either. Because she’s f*cking perfect.’ “ 

 

Tropes // arranged marriage, mafia, why-choose, polyamorous relationship 

 

Tw // graphic sexual content, human trafficking, kidnapping, blood, torture, drugging, degradation, death, abortion (briefly mentioned), needles, murder, non-con, dub-con, bondage, knife play, blood play, explicit BDSM 

 

#arcreview #2022reviews #darkromance #arcs #2022releases #diamondinthedark #poppyjacobson #poppyjacobsonauthor #savagejewelsseries #newreleases #mafia #mafiaromance 

“Lots of things can happen in a month… and he’s fully aware.” 

Ok, but for her to expand an anthology piece to a full-blown novel is so impressive. 

 

I absolutely loved Grayson and Lyric in their original story and their full story is no exception. Their banter, their relationship. 

 

Their pining for each other despite who they are to the other. The dynamics in each of them is so fantastic and so well done. The slow burn into the fast burn, all because of an “accidental” nude photo. 

 

And the SPICE. Omg. Him taking a phone call in the middle? Telling his brat to be quiet? The hand necklace starting off their love life? Ugh, I NEED more. 

 

Brat Mode Activated made me laugh, cry and everything in-between. I DEVOURED this in several hours and fell in love from the prologue alone. 

 

I absolutely LOVED Brat Mode Activated, and can’t wait for more. 

 

“That’s what I want. / To get you off. / Put your hands on me. / I’ll make you feel good.” 

 

“ ‘Ditch the witch and come play with me, Daddy.’ “ 

 

Tropes // Daddy/Dom, age gap, stepdaughter, BDSM, hand necklaces, praise kink, bratty princess 

 

Tw // graphic sexual content, age gap (20F, 34M), cheating (not b/w MCs) 

 

📸 Edit is mine, photos from Pinterest & Remi Darling’s BMA board 

 

#arcreview #2022reviews #arcs #2022releases #remidarling #deegarcia #remidarlingbooks #remidarlingauthor #agegap #agegapromance #contemporaryromance #forbiddenromance #daddydom #romance #romancebooks #bratmodeactivated 

“ ‘Welcome to Lakeridge Psychiatric Facility.” 

 

OUT NOW. 

 

A dark romance thriller retelling of Slenderman. 

 

Part of the Twisted Legends Collection, Under The Cover of Darkness is by Emma Luna. 

 

Can I just say that Addison Mitchell and Dylan Matthews are perfect for each other. I loved their relationship with each other; the intense pull, the fast-in-love, the vulnerability with each other in the first five minutes. 

 

I feel so bad for both Addison and Dylan. My heart bled for them throughout the entire novel, feeling their loss and struggles as if I was in their shoes. 

 

Even though Under The Cover of Darkness hit so many hard hitting topics, it was amazing. Emma Luna paints such a vivid image that you fall in love with. 

 

This was such a wild ride, and keeps you locked in from the very beginning. It’s one that you just keep thinking about long after you finish. 

 

There was so many twists and turns, so many theories, and you would never know. Like just that ending was so incredible and shocking, it leaves you wanting more. 

 

A dark romance fit for the darkest souls. Beautifully haunting. 

 

Do be wary of the trigger warnings and don’t read if anything (bothers) you even in the slightest. 

 

“I don’t think it’s realistic for two people who have never met to suddenly start talking about the heavy stuff.” 

 

“ ‘I always survive even when I shouldn’t.’ “ 

 

“ ‘I will always be here if you need me, Addy. I think… I think I love you.’ “ 

 

Tw // graphic rape, forced institutionalization, mental hospital, hallucinations, violence, blood, gore, anorexia, suicide attempt (off-page, past), alcoholism, addiction, drug addictions, gaslighting, sexism, slurs, death, family death, loss of parents, child death, suicidal ideation, toxic relationship (off-page, past), physical abuse 

 

📸 Edit is mine, photos from Pinterest 

 

#2022releases #2022arcs #emmaluna #emmalunaauthor #twistedlegends #twistedlegendscollection #darkromance #romance #slenderman #retellings #darkretellings #arcs #2022arcs #2022reads #2022arcreviews 

“ ‘Use me all you want. I’ll be your monster.’ ”

HAPPY RELEASE DAY

Sinners & Saints
Bk 1 in the Sinners & Saints Trilogy
@realmollydoyle @lanasky101

I went into Sinners & Saints almost blindly and fully devoured it. If it wasn’t for work, I would’ve finished in a matter of a few hours. 

Frey and Daze were amazing together, and the way he went out of his way to protect her? Even before they officially met? Frey’s push and pull in her feelings for Daze; the good, the bad and the ugly. And Daze, the fierce protection over Frey, despite knowing exactly she is. 

I loved Frey’s journey from learning more about her family’s history and learning to trust not only her gut but a complete stranger as well.

And the way he calls her baby. Ugh.

I absolutely loved Sinners and Saints and I cannot wait for Rogue Angel!

“ ‘I doubt you could mess up my swag, even if you tried.’ “

“ ‘Baby, nothing I do is legal.’ “

“How can he be so brutal in one instant, yet so caring with me in another?’ “

“What fate awaits a girl who hears monsters at night.” 

 

Jaclyn And The Beanstalk. A gender-bent Jack and the Beanstalk retelling. 

 

I read JatB in a matter of hours, and loved all of the characters, especially Jaclyn and Jack. 

 

I enjoyed Jaclyn’s pov and seeing her journey to not only save her father, but to really find herself. Her grueling adventures from bravery to find out about her nightmares, to finding out what happened to her father. 

 

I loved seeing a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling. A kind of retelling I’ve never seen before in modern literature. A gender-bent version, much less. 

 

I enjoyed seeing the mythology and allegories to both Christianity and the legacy of the Beanstalk in general. 

 

Seeing Jack and Jaclyn together was fun, seeing their relationship bloom from childhood friends to reunited teens. 

 

A young adult retelling worthy of the hype. 

 

Tropes // retelling, witch, gender-bent 

 

Tw // nightmares, Black Death mentions, death of parent, death, blood, gore, fire

 

📸 Edit is mine, photos from Pinterest 

 

#jaclynandthebeanstalk #maryting #marytingauthor #jackandthebeanstalk #retelling #retellings #fairytaleretellings 

Consumed by Raja Savage

" 'Pouting won't get you any brownie points.' "

There is so much to unload from Consumed and I am still deeply in love with Raja Savage's writing. Stone and Monroe have all my heart and their fast-burn romance is one for the books.

I never knew what to expect and all the twists and turns leaves you begging for more. Needing more.

“Besides, I’m a Drákon, and we don’t let life get us down for long. Instead, we fight and claw our way back up.”

I was hooked from the blurb alone. A secret society AND dragons? Sold.

Everything about Protégé lures you in and keeps you captivated from start to finish. I finished in less than a day.

Protégé is so well written, and has such a good world building around it. I fell in love with her writing in Tempting Distractions and am still in love.

Acacia is such a badass, her strong side followed by the ride-or-die vibes to those she loves. All the guys too, they are such strong characters and I love them. I literally can’t choose. Liam.

The greek mythology is one of my favorite parts, and the romance they all have? Goddess above, I love them all.

I NEED Heir to come out like right now, I need to know what happens next. PLS.

“ ‘Come any closer and I’ll f*cking kill you.’ Liam’s voice is colder and more menacing than I’ve ever heard it before.”

Tropes // secret society, WhyChoose, age-gap. Student/teacher romance, mythology

Tw // death of parents, sexual content, WhyChoose, dub con, abduction, blood play

#protege #blybaek #reverseharem #arcreview #greekmythology #2022releases #2022arcs #2022reads #arcs #secretsociety #mythology #rhromance #whychoose #whychooseromance #darkromance #agegapromance #studentteacherromance #kindleunlimited #gorgeouscovers

"I only cared about the girl I hadn't even met yet."

Pierce Her is the first in the Come For Me series, a romance thriller. 

I absolutely loved seeing both Charlie and Daniel fall into themselves, both together and separately. 

Pierce Her has a bit of everything a reader could find in a book. Action? Drama? Military? Acting life? Romance? All checks. 

I felt so bad for every single character (except him, he deserves everything he gets). Kierra, just a sweet 16 year old girl, being stalked for months on end. Charlie, a badass female lead, coming out of the other end of a year of hell, even more badass than she gives herself credit for. And Daniel, an actor with his own secrets, learns more about himself than ever before. 

I loved everything about Pierce Her and I cannot wait to continue on.

I highly recommend for any romance reader.

" 'Alright then. Why? Why me, Charlie?'…
… 'Because you laughed at my mouse voices.' "

" 'Be my guest. I'd love to have my life completely wrecked by you.' "

tw // stalking, death, PTSD, panic attacks, death, parental death, familial death, grief, blood, war, sexual content, sexual assualt (starting, nothing explicit on page)

#katieandbrey #katieandbreypa #katieandbreybooktours #kellyfinley #pierceher #comeformeseries #romancethriller #romance #thriller #war #stalking

" 'You can't marry a complete stranger just because Father wants an alliance,' "

Demented Devil is the first book I've read by Winter Sloane and I wasn't disappointed. 

I enjoyed reading about Maxim and Sofia's relationship grow and develop over time. From complete strangers in an arranged marriage to lovers, their relationship is falling headfirst deep in love and underestimating each other. 

I found at points that it skipped a lot of time in-between and we didn't get to see a lot more intimate moments between them. 

I loved that Maxim let Sophia be herself, something her father never let her be. 

Giving her her own studio/workspace?
Him being surprised she stayed overnight in the hospital with him?

AND she's a graphic designer?

*chef's kiss*

Overall, a great fast paced standalone mafia romance that you'll enjoy from start to finish.

"Maxim, of all people, understood the power of appearances."

" '…Besides, you unnerve me, Maxim. You unbalance my entire world. I find myself questioning who I really am when I'm with you,' "

tropes // arranged marriage, mafia, artist MC

tw // death, blood, gore, emeto, 

death of family member, red wedding scenario, pregnancy

“ ‘You’re not dying today, so quit with the martyr act,’ “

Droplets of Magic is a fast paced ya fantasy romance that sucks you in immediately.

On the run for a decade, Kira risks being caught and having her past catch up to her.

I absolutely loved Kira and even though how she started her journey traveling, has come to inspire and change lives for the better with her magic.

I really enjoyed all the adventure and action seen throughout Droplets of Magic and love how each book in the series is inspired by a different element.

I fell in love with Bybee’s writing whilst reading, just the lyrical descriptions for all the magic and just how Kira falls in love with changing the world, even just for one.

And just the correlation between the magic world and the Russian mafia.

I read this within a day, and I highly recommend for any ya fantasy romance reader.

“ ‘Besides, he still has a thing for Kira, and I didn’t like the way he was looking at her,’ "

Thank you to Katie & Brey and Emily Bybee for the opportunity to read Droplets of Magic.

#katieandbreypa #katieandbreybooktours #katieandbrey #emilybybee #emilybybeeauthor #fantasy #yafantasy #unstablemagic #youngadult #ya #fantasyromance #yafantasyromance