4.5 stars

Typically Historical Romance is not my favorite. I think something about the trappings and inequality of women just really grates on me. I liked that this book addressed those things in the best ways, I think that's a big part of why I enjoyed it as much as I did. I'm all for smart daring women in any period. And I do enjoy a solid retelling, especially a Beauty and the Beast one. This was easily one of the better ones that I have read. Looking forward to the next book!

I can't even tell you how excited I was to get an arc of this book. I am a huge fan of the Charley Davidson series and I was really excited to see what Jones could do in a different genre. I was not disappointed. She brought the same flair that made the Charley books so fun and special to the world of Sunshine Vicram. This was more of a crime fiction/mystery/suspense novel, but there was still undertones of something other.

Jones sweeps you away into the quirky town of Del Sol, where muffins are omens of impending doom, book club feels closer to a coven, Puff Daddy roams the streets attacking old men, the ghosts of old crimes still linger and intertwine with the present, and dreams are not something to ignore. There's a pulse to this city and it follows its own beat.

The people inside are equally as enchanting. I love the way Jones writes characters. No one is filler, everyone is interesting in their own unique way. You can't help but be enamored and want to get to know each of them more. Each is their own little mystery wrapped in exquisitely inviting designs that draw you in.

Jones is also a master at writing relationships, whether it be romantic, best friends, mother-daughter, they feel so genuine and the banter is my absolute favorite. I definitely felt some Reyes vibes from Levi. That gooey sweet center seen only in glimpses initially and by few, wrapped up in all kinds of dangerous seen by all.

Sunshine and Levi have that push and pull slow burn kinda thing going on and I am 1,000% into it. The relationship Sunshine and her daughter Auri have is awesome. I feel like in some ways it reminds me of my relationship with my own teenage daughter. Maybe it's something about when you have a child at a young age and you both grow up together in a way, or maybe a bit of not being so far from understanding how it feels to be that age, or maybe it is something as seemingly simple as just having a strong bond, I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes it that way, but I think Jones pretty accurately represents it here.

There were plenty of twists and turns, some you may see coming and some that will surprise you in the best way. This story is also jam-packed full of feels! It was a rollercoaster of emotions, I laughed out loud, I gasped in shock, I swooned, and I felt sorrow.

One thing was always consistent though and that was I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the ride. Even though there was some darker aspects being shown or talked about, there was a perfect balance of whimsy, fun and humor that kept it feeling relatively light. That ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, but even if it wasn't I would still be anxiously awaiting the next installment. Sunshine and Del Sol have so much more to give and I can't wait to see what happens next!

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Really my only complaint is that I wish there was more!

4.5 stars

The Rogue King was PNR at its finest. Phenomenal world building and characters. I was instantly sucked into the story and didn't want to put it down till I finished.

I can truly only think of two minor things that were confusing to me. One being that the title and cover seem to indicate this being Brand's story and in a way it definitely is, but the description and the story itself seems to highlight Kasia more (which I loved) and it seems to me as if the following one(s) will be centered around her sisters and obviously their potential mates. I just found it an interesting choice. But what do I know, maybe hot male bods call out to their core demographic more at first glance? The other thing is I'm a bit unclear about the humans in this world. It seemed as if they are likely mostly unaware of the supernatural/shifter elements around them. And I get that there was multiple points made about the dragons especially being able to hide in plain sight in a multitude of ways, but something about that still seems so increasingly difficult when recruiting humans for dragon mates and a building dragon war. I'm curious to see if that's something that comes to a head in future books. It seemed hard to contain in this book and I'd imagine it will only be increasingly so as it proceeds. Dragons are kinda hard to miss, especially when engaged in battle and not as adapt at shielding.

Other than those two things everything else was masterfully done imo. The Supernatural element was superb, I highly enjoyed the politics within the dragon colonies and the larger story there with the high King oppressor and building rebellion. I was totally engrossed in it all. I also loved the other shifters and mythical beings, especially some that were a complete surprise *cough Hershel cough*. And let's not forget the star of the show, Kasia the Phoenix herself! She was awesome! Why is there not more Phoenix shifter books?! So so good. I really enjoyed seeing her learn and harness her own abilities as we went along too. I can't wait to see more about her sisters and how her story progresses as well!

The romance was great. Initially it did feel a bit insta but it honestly ended up being a little more of a slow burn which was awesome. Insta chemistry + some mystery is a wonderful combo. I'm thrilled this is only the beginning of something much larger! I really look forward to more and I'm definitely going to check out more from this author.

I received an ARC of this book from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley and this is my honest review.

This was a light fun read from beginning to end! Nothing like turning 'Don't hate the player hate the game' right on its head lol. I have to admit, enemies to lovers is probably my top loved trope and this was that at its best. I had a few genuine laugh out loud moments while reading this, which makes me look quite the unhinged person to people standing by, but totally worth it. I look forward to reading more from Thorne in the very near future.

4.5 Stars

It has now been 4 days since I finished Recursion and I'm still not sure how to put what I feel about it into any kind of coherent review. Please accept my following disjointed ramblings as they are my best attempt at doing so.
 
 
It is quite impressive to me, after reading this and Dark Matter, how expertly Crouch intertwines such extensive high concept science fiction plots so seamlessly alongside really emotionally driven character story lines. Each of these on their own would make for highly enjoyable stories but the combination, and the way neither takes from one another but instead adds to it all as a whole, really hits it out of the park.
 
 
I wasn't prepared for all the feels. There was something incredibly heartbreaking and beautiful in the way these characters loved, and what they were willing to do for it or give up for it. Whether romantic love, familial love, or even the love of knowledge and discovery. Helena and Barry slayed me. So much loss, struggle, and disappointment. You honestly began to feel the unbearable weight that Helena carried, like a living breathing beast of burden on your back dragging down to the bowels of Recursion hell. But then there were painfully beautiful things hidden in between this that were so unexpected and moving.
 
 
I can't begin to do any kind of justice in talking about the more scientific end of things here. Crouch has a real way of taking mind-bending scientific theories and explaining them in a way that makes it fairly easy for anyone to follow along with. Surprisingly, no matter how scientifically in depth the plot, he also manages to keep the flow of the story moving at a steady to breakneck pace. Never to be a dull moment.
 
 
I can safely say that Crouch is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. I can't wait to see what glorious thing he comes up with next!