Tag: fantasy romance

Book Review: The Mist Thief (The Ever Seas #3) by L.J. Andrews

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 454 pages
Author: L.J. Andrews
Publisher: Victorious
Release Date: June 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

he tried to kill him, so he made her his wife.

Skadi first met her husband-to-be with blades in hand on the opposite side of a battle. She lost, and he claimed his prize.

To her horror, the king of the shadow elven agrees to marry her off to Jonas, a prince in the fae realms, as a way to unite their kingdoms against a shared enemy—the light elves. Skadi knows the marriage is nothing but a political game. Feelings won’t come into play.

Except her new husband makes not falling in love . . . challenging.

When new threats arise, Skadi must decide to either love her enemy, or keep him alive by betraying him to another.

Welcome to another installment in the Ever Seas world where pirates, fae, and elves collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a morally gray cinnamon roll and the broken princess who steals his heart.

*This book is a standalone with a guaranteed HEA, and can be read before The Ever King/Queen, but to see the full impact of their story, it’s recommended to read that duet first. This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside.*

LOVELY STANDALONE.

I loved loved loved being back in this world. It hit that fantasy romance craving I am always in search of and it was MARRAIGE OF CONVENIENCE. How was I supposed to resist???

I loved Skadi and Jonas. I love seeing a man fall hard and do whatever he can to make Skadi feel comfortable and safe with him and his family.

Jonas stilled for a breath, then leaned forward, drawing his cheek alongside mine. “Be kind, be gentle, and be monstrous. I will want you every way.”

This line was used a few times throughout and I was OBSESSED every time I read it. Who doesn’t want to be loved this way? Through the darkness and the light. It resonated deeply and made this passionate book all the more.

The physicality of the relationship started to outweigh the plot in the second half. And that did bug me enough to notice and mark it. Otherwise I don’t have any issues. The plot is slower and heavily romance focused rather than the larger plot. It has the edge of feeling cozy while still dark and gritty. I can’t wait for more books with future couples!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: high
  • Romance: 4+ open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: self harm (recounted), murder, assault, kidnapping, torture, mentions of emotional and mental abuse

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Book Review: Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #2) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: August 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. —Mgmt

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs—Kingsley’s included—point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies…including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

WELL THIS WAS FUN.

I know you could throw me a handful of reasons why you didn’t like this book or what it was missing, etc. etc. BUT, I gotta say, I love that this takes me out of my usual and brings me a good smile and chuckle. The banter was still amazing and I loved the nuanced aspects of this series. It was swoony with a fantastic slow burn and I absolutely loved having multiple points of view.

I wasn’t sure where the plot was going to go because it starts off fast from the previous and kind of settle that score (for the moment). I ended up loving the progression and found myself increasingly invested and wanting more. This is quirky and just brings me joy.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: heated make-outs with touching
  • Violence: moderate

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ARC Book Review: A Tale Told by Traitors (Tales of Wonder and Woe #2) by Renee Dugan

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 653 pages
Author: Renee Dugan
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Set sail into the swoony, pulse-pounding, high-stakes second installment in the TALES OF WONDER AND WOE, a series of sequential standalones each focusing on a new romantic fantasy adventure!

LIONYRA VARA is not who she seems.

A humble immigrant baker living in Mithra-Sha, Lio hides a bitter she is truly the sole inheritor of the ruling regime in the neighboring country of Amere-Del. And now, against her will, Lio is going back—to the land of her worst fears and lifelong nightmares.

And she won’t be going the life of her oldest friend hangs in the same cruel balance. Their only hope for freedom is to outwit the people who seek to enslave them to the fate they left behind.

But to do it, they must first find their way back to each other.

RYKER KASSIAN is a man caught between desperation and redemption.

A legendary pirate swimming in insurmountable debt, Ryker sees only one way to slip the noose for himself and his beloved by offering the runaway Delina as a ransom for a lofty sum. But when the lost heir offers him a chance at something more—by helping her hunt down her missing friend—Ryker seizes the opportunity without a second thought.
It might be his only chance to fix everything he’s broken…and save his crew from slaughter.

As their hunt takes them to hidden pirate cities, sinister port towns, and the treacherous heart of Amere-Del where revolution threatens to ignite, all of their secrets and schemes collide. Backed against the tenuous balance of an impending civil war, Lio and Ryker have no choice but to confront the bitter truths they’ve fled from, the causes they’ve betrayed, the schemes for their destruction…and a rising attraction they both deny.

And with a ruthless regime seeking both their heads, they must choose which side of the line they stand on—whether they remain enemies divided, or become allies in the fight to shape their own destinies.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

A NEW FAV.

This might be my new favorite book by Renee Dugan. I know the page count seems daunting but I love that this wasn’t split up into a duology. Give me those longer page counts and also give me a full story and this delivered on both counts. I enjoyed being back in this world and getting Lio’s story.

I loved the pirating aspects and all of the hidden identities. The slow burn was incredible and there were definitely some good and swoony moments. And the action was dark and intense. There’s a gruesome angle to this book that I thought fit the pirating theme well. I was clutching my pearls and gasping on the treadmill wondering who was actually going to make it to the end of the book.

I had such an enjoyable time reading this book. I love Renee Dugan’s writing style and the craft that goes into each tale. Lio had an amazing character arc and I was absolutely cheering for her when the final change happened. I loved how strong and supportive Ryker was and how stalwart he became about being in her corner. I am in love with this entire book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content Warnings: blood/gore depiction, loss of life, murder

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Book Review: The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love Academic #1) by India Holton

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: India Holton
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.

Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that’s beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon. 

For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She’s so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they’re professional rivals. 

When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can’t trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.

RIDICULOUSLY CHARMING.

I love the way India Holton writes stories. I love that they are wild and outlandish and combine historical and fantasy aspects into a spell binding story. I think the ornithologist plot line was really fun. The concept of all of these interesting birds with different powers and everyone trying to catch them? It led to some great scenes that had me chuckling.

I’m grateful this had the POV for both the FMC and MMC. There was a third and I don’t think that would have been necessary for the story so while I didn’t hate those chapters, I didn’t love them either. I did love the romance between Beth and Devon. The rival to lovers trope was well executed and there was a lot of soft and tender swoon. I loved the audiobook and just had a genuinely good time reading this book. I can’t wait for the series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy romance
  • Language: low, scattered throughout
  • Romance: 2-3 vague open door scenes
  • Violence: moderate

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