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jessread-s · 2 days

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✩🪴🏴‍☠️ Review:

If I was only allowed to read one book for the rest of my life, I would choose this one!

“Out on a Limb” follows Win McNulty and Bo Durand, two strangers whose lives are forever altered after a one-night stand at a Halloween party. With a baby on the way, the two decide to get to know one another as friends and nothing more. But, as they both should know by now, life rarely goes according to plan.

I loved reading from Win’s perspective! Her distinctive character voice drew me in from the very start! I appreciate how Win’s inner thoughts showcase very real day-to-day struggles, insecurities, and fears as she navigates her unexpected pregnancy and relearns how to embrace herself fully. Though I couldn’t relate to Win’s specific situation, I could relate to her feelings and emotions and was moved by her vulnerability.

I adore Bo Durand!!! He is the PERFECT partner for Win. Every interaction he was involved in made me smile because he is just so kind and supportive of Win. He makes her feel protected, safe, and loved. On top of that, his sunshine personality, nerdiness, and dad jokes made my heart flutter to no end.

Win and Bo’s relationship development is beautiful from start to finish. At first, they are perfect strangers. Once Win discovers she is pregnant with Bo’s baby, they spend the majority of the story establishing a strong friendship that later serves as the foundation for their romantic relationship. They get to know each other so completely by asking each other questions and keeping communication open. As they got more comfortable with each other, there were little moments (like when Bo braided Win’s hair, when Win helped Bo grapple with his own demons, or when the two slow danced in the kitchen) that really stuck with me. I laughed, I cried, and I got all the warm and fuzzy feelings from this book! It’s disabled joy at its core and I couldn’t recommend it enough!

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jessread-s · 4 days

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✩🗝️🎨Review:

With Envy making brief appearances throughout Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked series, it was well worth the wait to be able to read from his perspective and in a regency fantasy setting no less!

“Throne of the Fallen” follows the Prince of Envy and Miss Camilla Antonius as they compete together in a deadly game to win back what they hold most dear. Nothing will stand in their way, though none of their best laid plans prepare them for the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.

Maniscalco perfectly characterizes Envy in accordance with the sin he embodies. He is cunning, selfish, territorial, cruel, and loves nothing more than to inspire jealousy in others. He is a walking red flag, a far cry from Prince Charming and that somehow made me love him even more!

He meets his match in Camilla, who does not run at the sight of a Prince of Hell, and their chemistry is off the charts! She sees him for who he is (a ruthless lover) and embraces him completely, tearing down the walls around his heart brick by brick. Envy sets Camilla free as well by encouraging her to indulge her passions and shed her civility after living a life bound by society’s rules. They ignite passion in each other and their battle of wills creates a fun dynamic between them. I found great pleasure in watching them try to resist each other and fail miserably.

As much as I didn’t want to, I began to lose interest near the halfway point. The explicit scenes were a bit too numerous for me personally and some of the plot twists were easy to pick up on, causing the book to drag. Despite these setbacks, I was satisfied with the ending and am interested enough to see what direction the next book takes!

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jessread-s · 11 days

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✩🦊📝Review:

This companion e-novella adds depth and complexity to Taryn’s seemingly simplistic characterization.

“The Lost Sisters” is told from the perspective Taryn Duarte, who comes clean to her sister Jude in a letter about her relationship with the trickster, Locke.

When I first read The Folk of the Air series I totally skipped over this one, but after finishing The Stolen Heir duology I decided to return to it just for fun. I enjoyed getting the opportunity to finally read from Taryn’s point-of-view and in the style of a letter! The contents consist of her asking Jude, and in turn the reader, to sympathize with her plight and forgive her for her behavior. Though her half-apology did not completely win me over, it helped me understand her better as a character. She just wants so desperately to be loved and viewed as a good person, but she does not always go about achieving these goals in ways that readers, like myself, agree with. With this added perspective, I intend to keep an open mind about her in the future.

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jessread-s · 15 days

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✩🏴‍☠️🧜‍♀️Series Review:

⋆ Pirate adventures

⋆ Romance

⋆ Morally grey characters

No one writes pirate adventure novels quite like Tricia Levenseller! As a huge fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, I enjoy how Levenseller’s books mirror the films with strong female leads, explosive action sequences, and fantastical beings. The romance subplots and high stakes atmosphere never fail to make my heart race and leave me begging for just one more chapter.

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jessread-s · 17 days

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✩🌙🦦Series Review:

⋆ Urban fantasy

⋆ Open-door romance

⋆ Found family

⋆ Multiple pov

While the second and third books pale in comparison to how much I love the first, this trilogy as a whole has a special place in my heart. After reading almost exclusively high fantasy, “House of Earth and Blood” was such a change of pace for me and got me into the urban fantasy genre. I especially enjoyed the elements of mystery incorporated throughout the series because, in my opinion, they enhance the storyline and help Hunt and Bryce grow closer to one another in an organic way. I appreciate how Maas took more time to develop their romantic relationship and establish the full extent of Hunt and Bryce’s respective internal conflicts through their points-of-view. Alternating between additional perspectives, like those of Lidia and Ruhn, were highly entertaining and kept me turning each page. It safe to say that if Maas decides to continue writing books that take place in this world, I will read them!

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jessread-s · 21 days

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✩🏹💔Series Review:

⋆ Morally grey characters

⋆ Enemies to lovers to strangers to lovers

⋆ Fun formatting

⋆ Whimsical fantasy

I love this series with every fiber of my being! Evangeline’s search for her happily ever after captivated me from the very first page. What starts out as a bargain with Jacks in hopes of making Evangeline’s dreams come true turns into a reluctant relationship that I could not get enough of. The romantic tension in combination with the fantastical setting and Garber’s magic-infused writing will keep me coming back for more. I mean it when I say cannot wait to return to the world of Caraval with the release of “Spectacular” this fall!

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jessread-s · 23 days

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Thanks to @fiercereadsya and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩🌬️🪷Review:

An explosive conclusion that won’t let you come up for air.

Picking up where “Strike the Zither” leaves off, “Sound the Gong” follows Zephyr, now a god in a warrior’s body, as she pays the ultimate price to see her lordess Xin Ren succeed in ruling over the three kingdoms.

This book takes a darker turn with more betrayal, more scheming, more politics, and more death. My heart was racing as Zephyr slowly unravels Crow’s master plan and discovers where his loyalty truly lies. With a deeper understanding of his motivations, I found myself looking back on every move he made in the previous book with fresh eyes and marveled over Joan He’s craft.

Zepyr is ruthless in her pursuit of taking fate into her own hands. She stays true to her character in not deviating from her mission of putting Ren on the throne, but her act of cutting down whoever is in her way toes the line of villainy and makes readers question whether the harm she inflicts is justified by her noble cause. As the author puts it, Zephyr isn’t a “shining hero” and I loved her all the more for that. I was rooting for her to the very last page.

As a ZephyrCrow fan, the ending of “Sound the Gong” shattered my heart, but it fits the story well. The bonus epilogue is what put me back together again (available on the author’s website - you won’t want to miss it) and left me feeling hopeful. Both endings are satisfying in their own ways and wrap-up the duology nicely.

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jessread-s · 25 days

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✩🍄💍 Review:

This book made me forget time existed and left me begging for more!

“The Prisoner’s Throne” follows Oak Greenbriar as he tries to regain Wren’s trust from the confines of his icy prison. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to ensure his return to Elfhame, Oak will have to decide where his loyalties lie—with the girl he’s always loved or the kingdom he will one day rule.

Having been introduced to Oak in the Folk of the Air series, I was beyond excited to read from his perspective and Black does not disappoint! Like her other characters, Oak is very complex and layered. Black reveals that shortly after the events of “The Queen of Nothing”, Oak adopts a coy, spoiled prince persona. We learn that he does this so that he becomes the target of assassination attempts instead of Jude and Cardan. His motivations stem from the belief that he owes his family a great deal for all they sacrificed to protect him as a child.

Wren is the one person that Oak cannot hide his true self from and I loved watching him grovel after he realizes the effect his betrayal had on her. He draws out her lingering attraction for him with his charm and little games. I was overcome by emotion at the end when he laid bare his heart. Their messy love story is one that I will not soon forget and I cannot wait to see what role both of them play in the next faerie adventure!

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jessread-s · 26 days

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✩ 🪭🐦‍⬛Review:

A gripping fantasy that will pull the rug out from under you.

“Strike the Zither” follows Zephyr, one of the best strategists of the Xin Dynasty, as she infiltrates an enemy camp to keep her warlordess Xin Ren’s followers from being slaughtered. When she finally meets her match in Crow—an opposing strategist—Zephyr must take fate into her own hands to ensure her survival and change the tide of the war.

Joan He’s fantastical storyline draws inspiration from the Three Kingdoms period of China, which drew me in and sparked my interest in the source material. I really love how the author’s reimagining has a predominately female cast because of the strength the characters exude and the dynamics that are at play in the novel. The reluctant found family that forms between Zephyr, Xin Ren, and Ren’s two fierce generals showcases their starkly different personalities and how they work together in the name of honor and duty to claim the continent.

I LOVE Zephyr and Crow’s relationship arc! I found it so unique and refreshing because it isn’t your typical enemies to lovers romance. Yes they are enemy strategists that fall in love, but they prioritize their causes over their own feelings. They would rather die at the hands of each other than give in to their desires if it means winning the war. Their relationship is so toxic, but I couldn’t get enough of the tension, mutual pining, secrets, betrayals, and scheming. I was endlessly entertained as I tried to anticipate who would come out on top in their battle of wits, but nothing could have prepared me for that ending!

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jessread-s · 1 month

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Thanks to the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩ 🐾🧁Review:

Hunter’s writing and the chemistry between her characters is sheer perfection!

“Rope the Moon” follows Dakota McGraw, who flees her bakery in the middle of the night to escape her abusive boyfriend and protect the baby she is carrying. When Davis Montgomery, her first love, finds out what happened to her, he comes to her rescue in the middle of the night and moves her onto Runaway Ranch to keep her safe. It doesn’t take long for the attraction between them to come back even stronger, but second chances don’t come easy, especially with the past looming overhead.

I really enjoyed the pacing of Davis and Dakota’s relationship and the way it developed. The two have a lot of history together and Hunter does a great job providing a snapshot of their past in the prologue and sharing details throughout the novel to show why it wasn’t the right time for their relationship to progress forward at that time. As they found their way back to each other in the present, I became wholly invested in Davis and Dakota as a couple and was rooting for them to find their happily ever after!

Dakota is stubborn and strong, yet vulnerable (especially with all that she has gone through). Davis steps up for her by claiming and loving her baby as if it were his own. He buys her all the baby supplies, drives her to every doctor’s appointment, downloaded an app so he can learn about her baby’s development, and essentially becomes the man she needs (*swoons*). Dakota also takes care of Davis, who grapples with PTSD as a former marine. She is methodical in helping him recover from his wounds and is always by his side to comfort him through his nightmares. I have never read about a couple more meant for each other than Davis and Dakota! They help each other get back on their feet and my heart melted the more that I read. I could not get enough and truly did not want this book to end. “Rope the Moon” is my happy place and I hope Dakota and Davis make a cameo in the next installment!

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jessread-s · 1 month

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✩⚔️🏰Series Review:

⋆ Adventure and suspense ⋆ Political intrigue ⋆ Romance ⋆ Multiple pov

What started out as a twist on Robin Hood turned into an action-packed, high-stakes adventure with brooding pirates, power-hungry consuls, and warring kingdoms that I could not put down. With each book in the series, I grew closer to Kemmerer’s characters and further immersed myself in the world they inhabited. All the tears I shed were worth it in the end and I look forward to reading Kemmerer’s next project.

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jessread-s · 1 month

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✩📦📚Book Mail:

Thank you Avon for sending me a finished copy of “Fangirl Down” and other Tessa Bailey goodies! “Fangirl Down” is my favorite release of 2024 and may very well be my favorite series written by Tessa Bailey. I haven’t been able to get Wells and Josephine off my mind since I last read the book and I hope they make a cameo in The Au Pair Affair—book two in the Big Shots series. I am SO excited to read Tallulah and Burgess' story when it hits shelves in July. I already love them based on their interactions in Fangirl Down. For now, consider me Wellsophine’s biggest fan!

The book at a glance:

⛳️ Bad boy golfer

⛳️ She’s his #1 fan

⛳️ Forced proximity

⛳️ Grumpy x sunshine

⛳️ Dual pov

Synopsis: “Fangirl Down” follows Wells Whitaker, golf’s resident bad boy, as he bids adieu to his once “promising” career. Enter Josephine Doyle, Wells’ number one fangirl and the one person he doesn’t want to disappoint. Determined to undo the greatest mistake of his life, Wells shows up at her door proposing that she be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split his winnings. Before long their feelings begin to grow alongside their success.

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jessread-s · 1 month

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Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩🌴🦈Review:

“The Rule Book” follows Nora Mackenzie, a sports agent whose first client is famous NFL tight end Derek Pender. He also happens to be her ex-boyfriend and he’s still holding a grudge. He’s determined to make her life difficult, but when a wild night in Vegas leads to an accidental marriage, they have to rekindle their relationship to save their careers.

Reading this book was like getting a warm hug and its all because I really adored the characters. Nora is my favorite of Sarah’s female main characters because she is so inspiring, unapologetically herself, and hardworking. Adams gives her so much personality and I found myself relating to her organization skills (specifically color-coding), can-do attitude, and love of sweet treats. I also saw a lot of myself in Derek. Though I do not have a shared experience with a learning disability diagnosis, I’ve felt inadequate before and I resonated with his internal struggle. Both Nora and Derek really moved me and I now consider them my comfort characters.

Nora and Derek’s second chance romance had me feeling so giddy! Adams does a great job establishing what their relationship was like in college and why it eventually fell apart. She executes the “right person, wrong time” narrative so well and weaves in some of my other favorite tropes like accidental marriage/marriage of convenience, only one bed, and “that’s my wife” flawlessly without overwhelming the reader. The inclusion of such tropes push Nora and Derek to face their lingering feelings for each other and act on them to give their relationship another shot. I couldn’t get enough of the mutual pining, the tension, and the way they continuously uplift each other. Thank you Sarah for this masterpiece! I’m so obsessed with this book that it hurts.

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jessread-s · 1 month

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I was on the edge of my seat with tissues on hand at all times!

“Destroy the Day” follows Corrick, Tessa, and Harristan as they find their way back to each other to save the Kingdom of Kandala before time runs out.

I really enjoyed the beginning and end of this book! Kemmerer creates characters that are impossible not to grow attached to, so I was happy to jump back in with Tessa, Corrick, and Harristan after being without them for so long. Their points-of-view allow the reader to explore the Kingdom of Ostriary while still remaining connected to the happenings in the Kingdom of Kandala. As always, Kemmerer’s detailed imagery and thoughtful world-building effectively immerse the reader in new environments and old.

Sadly, the middle is where this book fell flat for me. Tessa and Corrick spend a majority of the book apart and Kemmerer relies on other storylines to advance the plot forward—storylines that I just did not find captivating and made the story feel longer than necessary. Once Tessa and Corrick actually reunite, I was underwhelmed by their romance and I expected more since I was deprived of it for most of the book.

Still, saying goodbye to this series was hard and the ending made me so emotional. I bawled like a baby for a solid chapter or two, but I couldn’t be happier with how Kemmerer left things!

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jessread-s · 2 months

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✩🔭📔Review:

A delightfully funny and steamy regency romance!

“The Duchess Deal” set the bar high and unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this one, “The Governess Game” didn’t quite measure up to it. I really liked Alex as a character. She is intelligent, ambitious, passionate, and does not put up with any nonsense. Her relationship with Rosamund and Daisy was incredibly endearing and their dynamic was so fun. I love how she worked hard to win them over with the goal of making sure they felt wanted and loved when they initially felt otherwise under Chase’s care.

What fell flat for me was Alex and Chase’s romantic relationship. While their banter was hilarious, I wasn’t sold on their chemistry. This may be in part due to Chase’s character. He is introduced as an rogue-ish rake that cannot love, but that changes on a dime the moment he meets Alex. If he gradually became charming, sweet, and caring over time, I think I would have been more invested and more willing to put up with the push/pull of their relationship.

This book may not be my favorite in the series, but it was still an entertaining read!

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jessread-s · 2 months

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✩🪡🐈Review:

This historical romance is absolute perfection!

Since his return from the war, the Duke of Ashbury is in need wife. Enter Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress. When she conveniently appears in his library wearing his former fiancé’s wedding gown demanding payment, he decides she’ll do.

I loved watching Emma and Ash’s marriage of convenience slowly turn into something real! In the beginning, Ash was determined to keep them apart by creating rules so that they wouldn’t fall in love. I knew from their first interaction, however, that his plans would fall apart because their chemistry is undeniable! Emma is stubborn and sees right through the walls that Ash puts up. Their intelligent, humorous personalities spark a connection between them that only strengthens as they help each other embrace their insecurities.

I was pleasantly surprised by how comedic this book is! Emma and Ash’s banter was incredibly entertaining and made me laugh out loud at times. If you’re looking for a historical romance that is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast with both steam and humor, then this is your book! I was hooked from the first page and am convinced it was written for me!

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jessread-s · 2 months

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✩🔥🌟Review:

My jaw can rest easy now that I’ve devoured this book (it was on the floor practically from start to finish).

“House of Flame and Shadow” follows Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar as they rally everyone they love to save their world before it is lost forever.

Sarah J. Maas is notorious for making the last 100 pages absolute chaos, but this novel jumps right into the action and kept me engaged all the way through!

With her newfound abilities, Bryce is able to walk between worlds. Maas allows the reader to explore new and familiar places through Bryce’s point-of-view. Her complex world-building immerses the reader in Bryce’s new environment with other beloved characters. At the same time, Maas doesn’t lose sight of what is occurring in Midgard and makes sure that Bryce’s time in those worlds doesn’t overpower the main storyline.

I really enjoyed the addition of Lidia’s points-of-view, no matter the pain it caused me. Lidia’s perspective gives the reader access to her involvement with both the Asteri and Ophion as well as her past. My favorite part of this book was definitely the development of her relationship with Ruhn. The mutual pining and sexual tension is just so well done.

Of the trilogy, House of Earth and Blood remains my favorite. I anticipated that House of Flame and Shadow would take the cake, but despite the curveballs and shocking revelations, I ultimately did not find many of the character perspectives as compelling as they were in previous books and did not like the turn that Bryce’s characterization took. She invalidated Hunt’s feelings when he was trying to process the trauma he underwent (which honestly disgusted me) and somehow managed to master her powers while carrying out elaborate plans behind the scenes. I just didn’t buy it and didn’t think her behavior aligned with the character I knew from books 1 and 2.

Despite these criticisms, I had a great experience with this book, as I do with all Sarah J. Maas books, and look forward to returning to Lunathion if/when Crescent City 4 comes out!

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