Tag: fantasy romance

Book Review: The Goddess Of by Randi Garner

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 516 pages
Author: Randi Garner
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: April 28th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

No gods or curses will keep them from each other.

Naia, the daughter of the High Sea Goddess, is an embarrassment. She holds no title and no power but is the key to a curse placed centuries ago on her mother: Naia must form a union with a god from an opposing family.

When the day arrives for her arranged marriage, she turns to the High God of Death and Curses for help.

He assists Naia under one condition—she must accept a curse, blindly. Willing to do whatever it takes to escape her mother’s kingdom beneath the sea, Naia agrees and flees to the Mortal Land.

When she wakes up in Ronin Kahale’s childhood home, she’s greeted by the warm, welcoming twenty-eight-year-old mortal. Distrustful of Ronin and his selfless hospitality, she’s convinced there’s more to him than what he’s sharing.

However, he’s her one-way ticket into Hollow City, an ominous concrete jungle infested with witches. Somewhere among its streets lies Finnian, Naia’s younger brother and the only one capable of helping her hide from their cruel mother.

Naia desperately tries not to care for another mortal, but as her life intertwines with Ronin’s, she questions the lengths she will go to keep him safe from the gods who hunt her down—and the curse that looms over her.

With gods, though, everything comes with a price.

The Goddess Of is not intended for readers under 18 years of age. Please check content warnings as some material may be sensitive for some readers.

Thank you Book of Matches Media and the author for the gifted copy!

COVER OBSESSION.

The way I am obsessed with this cover y’all. It’s the reason I picked this book up and I found a pretty good story inside too. This was a debut where I enjoyed the writing style and endeared me enough to be curious about the next book in the series (which I believe follows a new couple).

This wasn’t a FANTASY book for me though. It’s much more urban fantasy with a lot of contemporary amenities like cars, cell phones, etc. That threw me a bit, but it worked for the story. I liked seeing Naia navigate everything and make friends and find a home with those around her. I love the way the theme came full circle of Naia finding what she’s the goddess of. It’s such a clever title and the “ah-ha” moment was fantastic. She’s a soft spot in a dark fantasy and I enjoyed that contrast.

The romance was a bit more insta-attraction than I generally enjoy, but I was endeared as the pages went on. This had a fated romance quality to it and I really liked Ronin. I loved finding out his secrets and seeing some of that world building unfold. There’s some flashback chapters that set the stage well and added to Naia’s character.

I did find a few pacing issues where I felt like the timeline kept going from short to long and lacked a little flow. I do love a dark fantasy though and this had a lot of those qualities as well. I liked the story and themes a lot and will definitely be following the author to see what’s next.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: 2ish open door; fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: verbal/physical/emotional abuse, pregnancy/childbirth, plenty of blood/gore, sexual abuse, loss of life, suicidal ideation, grief, PTSD

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ARC Book Review: Sincerely, Secretary of Doom (High Court of the Coffee Bean #2) by Jennifer Kropf

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Urban Fantasy + Romance
Length: 410 pages
Author: Jennifer Kropf
Publisher: Winter Publishing House
Release Date: May 29th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The High Court of the Coffee Bean returns with a sassy, wicked streak.

Months after the deadly assassins-turned-baristas left the Four Corners of Ever behind for good, Doom comes knocking at Mor Trisencor’s door. And it’s wearing stilettos.

When the Fairy Post gets an unexpected, grand following in the human realm for its vintage feel and whimsical words, Mor gets busier than ever typing out articles, following up on leads of fairy mischief, and everything else that goes along with being a faeborn reporter. But his heavy workload comes to a screeching halt when he spots someone in the human realm that shouldn’t be there—an old foe of his. One he thought he would never see again. One he’d prayed to the sky deities that he wouldn’t cross paths with after the day Mor abandoned the Shadow Army, leaving a trail of flames and destruction in his wake. For the first time since the Fairy Post was published, the newspaper gets put on hold and Mor goes hunting.

Mor can think of nothing else but stopping this foe before ripples of doom begin to stir up the human realm.

Violet Miller is a journalist with a mysterious past her amnesia forbids her from remembering. But when she gets let go from her job at the most prestigious news station in the city, her unexplained past becomes the least of her problems. She thinks it’s all over for her as a journalist, until she sees a job posting for a secretary position at a niche, laughable “old school style” newspaper called the Fairy Post.

The day Violet shows up at Mor’s house—or, creepy, dark cathedral is more like it—is the day that everything changes for her. Before Violet even has a chance to ask about the job, she’s mistakenly marked as Mor’s lover by his “enemies” and she finds herself in the crosshairs of a battle of inhuman creatures who’d rather “stab first and ask questions later.”

This marks the beginning of a love-hate relationship (mostly hate) between a fae assassin born of the Shadows, and a lipstick-wearing, mascara wielding human born to be in the spotlight.

While reading this second installment of the High Court of the Coffee Bean series, you may find yourself craving macaroons, listening to the wind for signs of fairy magic, and wishing you had a “creepy, dark, creaking, abandoned cathedral” of your own to call home.

Thank you to Book of Matches Media and Jennifer Kropf for the gifted copy.

A DELIGHT.

I think this series is so much fun. I love how unique it is in the urban fantasy sphere and the cozy vibes really play well into the story. I love this entire group of fae and they crack me up with the antics and shenanigans.

I’m not usually one to read an amnesia book, but this is definitely an exception to the rule. I loved how it played out and how the flashback chapters wove into the present timeline. There’s a good amount of backstory that makes so many things make sense as you go along.

The romance was sweet and I liked how it unfolded. I think I would have loved just a bit more romance, but I digress. I loved all of the banter and sass and even the nine-tailed fox.

I’m definitely looking forward to book three!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy Urban Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low-moderate

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Book Review: Captured by Chaos by Kathryn Marie

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: E.J. Mellow
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 21st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Protect the Peace.

On the Isle of Kazola, peace has always been protected by The Onyx Guard, an elite force of genetically modified soldiers.

Kasha has lived her life in the Onyx Guard. But when she is passed over for an advancement and forced to follow the Alpha promoted in her place, she must find a way to put her anger aside and work with him.

Because their team is on the hunt for Elliot Wells, an elusive killer who has terrorized Kazola for years. And there is more to his twisted deviance that meets the eye.

Along the journey, Kasha must learn to face her past, accept her new reality, and trust others…or else the deaths will continue, and everything she has built for herself might just slip away.

This New Adult Paranormal Fantasy & Romance tale takes readers on an epic journey of found family, a swoon-worthy rivals to lovers slow burn, and a unique twist on werewolves and vampires that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

HMM.

I went in with high hopes about this one but was pretty dashed as things went on. As a ME thing,, I love a good amount of dialogue and the start of this book didn’t have a lot. The inner monologue of Kasha was good for a bit then I needed more.

The idea of the combined shifter + vampire lore was unique! I did like that and the general world building and magic system. It’s clearly explained and easy to follow. I liked the urban setting that combined some technology aspects with old world things too.

Romance was, I don’t know if I can even call it rivals to lovers? There’s not actually any rivalry. Just a general miscommunication (not in a bad way) that gets solved pretty quickly that then leads to a romance. It has some sweet moments, but I wasn’t swept away with Nolan and Kasha like I wanted to be.

I enjoyed all of the found family and side characters too. There was a great tight knit bond between Kasha and her group and I am always here for unconditional support. There’s another small plot thing or two that I struggled with. I’m on the fence about continuing the series at this time.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: light
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, serial killer, sexual assault & rape (recounted), therapy sessions

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ARC Book Review: The Hemlock Queen (The Nightshade Crown #2) by Hannah F. Whitten

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 450 pages
Author: Hannah F. Whitten
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush, romantic epic fantasy series, a young woman who can raise the dead must navigate the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court. 

The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the sainted court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kyrithean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian’s changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he’s reckless, domineering and cold. 

And something’s been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that’s telling her there’s more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything. 

With Bastian’s coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.

Thank you to Orbit Books for the gifted ARC.

OOOOOH Y’ALL.

Do I have thoughts.

First, this is a really solid middle book. It didn’t have me in a chokehold like book one, but it also didn’t have a second book meltdown. The plot keeps moving and the meddling gods cause way more chaos and I am here for it all. I enjoy Lore as the main character and like her balance of softness and strength.

Nowww. The romance. I am just not feeling it like I was in book one. I think there was a bit less of a connection and I didn’t get enough moments throughout. Nor do I know where this is heading and that has left me befuddled too. I’m a wee bit concerned on how things will shake out in the last book.

I didn’t mind the plot and while yes, there’s some repetitive nature to it, I still felt like I had an enjoyable time reading the story. It goes by pretty quickly and has a more young adult writing style with adult content. There’s a great amount of upheaval that occurred at the end and I thought it left off at a spot that had me wanting to know what happens next.

Overll audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 1-2 open door; mentions of closed door
  • Violence: high

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