Book Review: A Forbidden Fate (The Forbidden Fate #1) by Kaven Hirning

February 9, 2026January 29, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 414 pages
Author: Kaven Hirning
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 6th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A centuries long war, an enchanted wood, and a curse.
Idalia leaves her castle to marry the new king of the Deep, certain that this union will be the final step in saving her kingdom. She must travel through the Florian Wood, a mysterious place shrouded in legend and myth. Things go awry when the Princess is captured by a band of thieves, and they soon discover that the stories of the Wood weren’t just stories afterall. To make matters worse, she is stranded in this nightmare with her rival; A shameless bandit who likes to talk and drink too much. Despite the dangers of the Wood, there is a threat far graver to the both of them–each other. Apart from their warring lands, they have also been cursed by the gods. They can never touch, or they will die and their entire kingdoms with them. Join Idalia and a group of misfits on this harrowing journey. One full of sorrow, terror, forbidden love … and plenty of drinks.

Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

I’LL READ BOOK TWO.

This book went on and off my TBR for a long time and when I saw an audio copy I snagged it and here we are. I thought the concept was good and I liked that they couldn’t touch each other. It added a level of tension that built in a nice slow burn over the book.

I didn’t have any big issues with pacing (which could be due to audiobook speed that kept things moving). It’s a travel plot with many diversions throughout a haunted wood. Some of the side quests seemed forced, but in the end it worked out well.

I loved the romantic aspects and getting those necessary flashback chapters to understand the character dynamics and how everything began when the curse tore them apart. The found family was SO GOOD. I loooved the banter and the respect and care that went into every relationship. I’m curious what will happen next!

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: one open door
Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Unromance by Erin Connor

February 6, 2026January 28, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Erin Connor
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: January 14th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sawyer Greene knows romance. She’s a bestselling author of the genre—or she was, until her college girlfriend left her with nothing but writer’s block and bitterness. So when Sawyer gets stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger, she sees it for what it is: not a meet-cute but a chance encounter with a charming man whom she will sleep with exactly once and go on her way. Easy enough…until she runs into him again at a Christmas market straight out of a Hallmark holiday movie.

EH.

I was drawn in by this beautiful cover and left with a meh feeling about this romance y’all. I mostly think it was trying too hard to be sexy. Some of the comments and innuendo didn’t land for me and didn’t seem necessary to the story other than to be able to call this a spicy book. Same goes for the spice too, I didn’t know this was a one night stand book and got off on a bad foot with this one.

The middle though was good, I thought the romance had some sweet moments and I loved that they were going on all of these dates together. I could see some growth and was interesting in the general trajectory of the plot.

But lo and behold, the third act made me cranky enough to comment on it. I just struggle with these y’all. If these things don’t bother you, I’d say give it a go. While not for me, I can see the appeal.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 3+ open door; innuendo throughout

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Book Review: A Tribute of Fire (The Eye of the Goddess #1) by Sariah Wilson

February 2, 2026January 22, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 524 pages
Author: Sariah Wilson
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The fate of a cursed nation depends on a princess who must outwit a mortal enemy and outlast the trials of a death-defying ritual in a thrilling adventure by USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson.

Lia is the princess of Locris, a dying desert nation cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess—one still worshipped by the thriving and adversarial nation of Ilion. Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.

An education in battle gives her a fighting chance, but the challenges are greater than she feared: Lia’s beloved but untrained sister Quynh has been put in the path of danger. The winding streets of Ilion itself have been transformed into a labyrinthine maze of countless choices and dead ends. And if the risks weren’t significant enough, Lia is reluctantly drawn to the commandingly attractive Jason, an Ilionian sailor she loathes to trust and desires like no man before.

The tribute game is on. It’s up to Lia to lift the goddess’s curse, restore Locris to its former glory, and change the fate of every young woman destined to follow in her path.

AWKWARDLY LUSTY.

Hm. Well, I wanted to enjoy this but someone needs to make sure I stop reading books by this author because they just aren’t for me (which is okay, I’ve tried). The ideas and the bones of the book are all here. It’s an interesting concept and difference scenes and concepts were good. The writing in general was fine, but some romance choices were odd.

The main couple kisses within the first few chapters in this weird lusty moment that felt out of pocket. And then throughout the whole book were these odd innuendo comments and discussions. Then every time the main couple was together, the same thing. Overly lusty dynamic without any true relationship progression. I was taken out of the story every single time.

While the plot has an obvious twist, I didn’t mind it because it worked for the story. But was it enough for me to read book two? I don’t think so.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy romance
Language: low
Romance: innuendo throughout, some almost scenes
Violence: high
Content Warnings: loss of life, near death experiences

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Book Review: The Heart of the Rebellion by Sian Ann Bessey

January 28, 2026January 18, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 276 pages
Author: Sian Ann Bessey
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: November 1st, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

September 1400

King Richard II of England is dead. And after three years in His Majesty’s service, Rhys ap Tudor and his brother Gwilym are finally free to return to their ancestral home in North Wales. Their long- anticipated homecoming is overshadowed, however, by the harsh changes they encounter in their once peaceful land. The new king, Henry IV, rules with an iron fist, and the country is ripe for rebellion. Instantly thrust into the forefront of the conflict, the proud Tudor brothers enter the fight for their freedom.

Lady Catrin Buckley is alert to the unrest swirling around her. As the daughter of an English father and a Welsh mother, she knows too well the trouble her lineage poses. Her own battle, however, is one of the heart: she is to be married to a man she neither knows nor loves. Then an unexpected encounter with the enigmatic Rhys ap Tudor changes everything. Soon, Catrin finds herself swept into a rebellion that could not only change history but also rewrite her own future.

GOOD HISTORICAL.

I am trying to clear out my audible line up so it doesn’t make me anxious with how many books I want to get through and a libby lull allowed me to get some good back list books! I enjoyed this historical a lot. I loved the unique time period setting and the intensity of emotions between characters.

It’s a great audiobook and I loved the narrator. I love when historical feel well researched and I always walk away feeling like I learned more about the setting (even when the characters are fictional). The romance is sweet and passionate too. The draw between Rhys and Catrin can be felt through the pages. Filled with action and betrayals this was a fantastic listen.

Overall audience notes: