Tag: fantasy romance

Book Review: The Once and Future Queen (The Lives of Guinevere #1) by Paula Lafferty

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 532 pages
Author: Paula Lafferty
Publisher: Hodderscape
Release Date: October 29th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sometimes legends don’t tell the whole story.

After the sudden death of her boyfriend, Vera would have been happy to spend her life completely unnoticeable, washing bedsheets and cleaning toilets in a Glastonbury hotel. But everything changes when a strange new guest reveals himself to be Merlin and drags her back to seventh century Camelot, a place she knows only from legends. He tells her that only Vera (or Queen Guinevere, as Merlin calls her) can right the course of history and save Arthur’ s kingdom from the will of a power-hungry mage.

There’ s one enormous problem: Guinevere was the sole witness to the curse that’s now draining the kingdom of its magic, and Vera doesn’t remember anything from that life. And with Camelot’ s peace ebbing ever closer to shattering, she’s running out of time.

Working with Merlin’ s magic to retrieve her long-lost memories brings more questions than answers: why is it that King Arthur, who treats his subjects with such benevolence, can’ t even stand to look at her? And why does that make Vera’ s soul feel like it’ s splitting in two? What robbed her of her memories in the first place… and, most importantly, why?

As Vera is about to discover, in a world of legend and power, the secrets of her memories are only the beginning…

GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW.

I am appalled at myself for waiting so long to read this book (I’ve had the ebook on my kindle forever but finally got my hands on the audio) BECAUSE OMGOSH Y’ALL. It had me in a chokehold from the first few chapters. I loved the pacing and how I never knew quite where things were going next and how deeply I fell in love with these characters and the complex story.

The romance is a beautiful convoluted web that I loved seeing drawn out. It’s highly angsty and has you begging for a kiss, touch, glance ANYTHING. It felt just right and made me beyond excited for book two.

I also loved Vera’s relationship with Lancelot. They are besties and it showed over and over in how they looked out for each other. It was one of those genuine friendships that balanced the romance so well. The entire book is engaging and romantic and I loved seeing the Arthurian legend told this way.

Gimme book twooooooo.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: one vague open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Epics Etched in Echoes (Tales of Wonder and Woe #1.5) by Renee Dugan

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Renee Dugan
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 23rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Experience the thrilling sequel to A STORY SPUN IN SCARLET’S heartwrenching conclusion…

AUDRA JASHOWIN is a storyteller without a tale of her own.

Her quiet life shattered by the revelation of a past she doesn’t remember and the false memories she’s long believed, Audra follows the compulsion to reclaim her forgotten years…and the power that shaped them. But when a simple quest to the Isle of Misspoken Stories proves to be far more treacherous, Audra finds herself pitted against a foe that represents her past…all the best and worst parts of it.

Is it worth it to reclaim all the loss and hurt that brought her this far? Or would a quiet life be better in the end?

JAIK GRISSOM is a soldier surviving on desperation and a forgotten dream.

Haunted by memories of love lost and a sacred oath only he remembers, Jaik is determined to help Audra find her memories…by any means necessary. But as their quest for the truth grows more perilous, and a vengeful force pits beasts of nightmare against them, Jaik must confront his own greatest fears.

That Audra might be better off without her memories, after all…and better off without him.

While danger rises and their journey pushes them closer together and pulls them apart again, Audra and Jaik face the most difficult choice they’ve ever known and ever whether to fight for the past, the future, and each other…or learn to live in a world their story has no part of.

THIS PAINS ME.

I love Renee Dugan’s book and it hurts to feel like this was missing something for me. Mainly surrounding the point of,,,why? If you’ve read A Story Spun in Scarlet, I feel like that books ends where it needs to (or if not, an extra chapter or long epilogue would have sufficed). Instead, a companion novel that was one long meandering story covering the same things book one already did just felt redundant.

I do love these characters and the writing style. It’s not a bad book by any means, and I’ll still read RD’s next book. There’s some good scenes and allusions that added a story telling quality I appreciated. I’m hopeful that the next book has a different vibe for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Daggermouth (The Heart #1) by H.M. Wolfe

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Dystopian Romance
Length: 564 pages
Author: H.M. Wolfe
Publisher: Scarlett Press
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching.

The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.

The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.

Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling.

Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.

Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

NOT QUITE IT.

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding this book so of course I had to try it?? But it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me.

I liked the idea of the masks and thought it could work well in the confines of the world building. As it was laid out though, I still have questions and still wonder why the masks are that important? And why everything is dictated by them when Maximus is so evil he could have just changed the situation? Some of the darkness in the book seemed somewhat shock value based and not as woven into the world building as I hoped.

This was multiple POV which surprised me, yet kind of worked. I liked seeing the different angles and dynamics between characters. Turns out there were multiple romances too. Shadera and Greyson diiiiid come off more insta love than I would have expected in an enemies to lovers romance. I really need books to burn longer, PLEASE.

While there were many twists I don’t know if I’m just grumpy with fantasy books at this moment or if they were just too easy to predict. There was ONE, one moment where I was shocked (and angry) at that one??!

Do I want to read book two? I *think* so. I will probably wait for the audiobook though.

Overall audience notes:

  • Dark Dystopian Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door
  • Violence: very high
  • Content warnings: war themes, blood/gore, loss of a parent, weapons and physical violence, torture, genocide, child deaths, abuse (domestic, emotional), sexual assault (off page, recounted)

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Book Review: The Dragon Wakes with Thunder (The Night Ends with Fire #2) by K.X. Song

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: K.X. Song
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: August 19th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A young woman who wields the unimaginable power of the dragon spirit must decide who to support—and who to love—in this enthralling fantasy that reimagines the legend of Mulan.

The explosive sequel to The Night Ends with Fire!

The war may be over, but Hai Meilin is still paying a heavy toll. In spite of securing victory for the kingdom of Anlai, she is imprisoned upon her return. Her crime? Wielding a sword as a woman.

In the palace, Meilin is an outcast and a social pariah. But beyond the imperial walls, the legend of the woman warrior has taken on a life of its own. To the east, a new rebel leader needs Meilin to helm his people’s revolution. In the south, a former enemy prince, now a prisoner of war, seeks Meilin’s aid in restoring balance to the Three Kingdoms. And back home in Anlai, Liu Sky, Meilin’s commander and first love, requires Meilin by his side in his bid for the throne.

Pulled in all directions by those who seek to use her for their own ends, Meilin vows that this time, she will not be so quick to trust. Yet there is one she cannot help but listen to—for he dwells within her.

Beyond any human machinations, the sea dragon Qinglong has his own plans for the spirit realm. During the last war, Meilin wielded his power to cheat death and attain victory for Anlai; now the dragon has come to collect his dues. Meilin’s mother warned her long The spirits demand blood. And Qinglong is ravenous.

I DECIDED I LOVED THIS.

I didn’t know how I was feeling about this for the first half but once I settled in I decided that I genuinely enjoyed this conclusion and thought the big bullet points were executed well to wrap up the necessary storylines.

And that romance?? That’s exactly what my dark heart loves reading. I liked the angst and tension and a good dose of will they/won’t they. Meilin was a fantastic FMC. I appreciated her journey and arc. There were many memorable lines and sentiments about power, and having the strength to get through the hard things.

It’s a genuinely solid duology and I look forward to whatever K.X. Song writes next!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: high

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