Tag: fantasy romance

Book Review: Violet Made of Thorns (Violet Made of Thorns #1) by Gina Chen

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Gina Chen
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: July 26th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.

WHAT EVEN.

Uh, I had two friends personally let me know I needed to read this book and THEY WERE NOT WRONG. I don’t even know if I can put together a fully thought out review but I can say: READ IT.

The enemies to lovers leaping off the pages was absolutely stellar. This is what that animosity is supposed to feel like in this trope. And walking that fine line of love/hate was on full display.

Violet cracked me up. I found myself chuckling multiple times at some of one off lines and sarcasm. It was timed perfectly and I loved listening to the audiobook that gave me even more of a nuanced layer of these characters. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Violet and Cyrus. The push and pull between them was undeniably filled with chemistry.

I really liked the surrounding story too. I always enjoy a good curse theme and corrupted kings with a wild witch on the loose? Here for it. I had a hard time putting this book down and now need the second book ASAP.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: vague open door
  • Violence: med-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: animal attacks, physical, magical and weaponry altercations

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows #2) by Lexi Ryan

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Lexi Ryan
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: July 19th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.

After Abriella’s sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn’t get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself caught in a web of lies of her own making ­- loving two princes and trusting neither – things are not quite as clear as she once thought.

As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she doesn’t even know herself anymore? In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don’t lie and Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm – whether she likes it or not.

OHHHHHHHMYGOSH.

Hands down. One of the best duologies I have ever read. EVER.

I will do my best to maintain vagueness about how this all ends up.

OKAY SO. I LOVED THE ENDING. It gave me everything I was hoping for and more. Sebastian got this really solid story line that fit perfectly for him in this scenario. Bri got the story she deserved with her history unleashing all sorts of chaos (in the best way). I loved how she approached new things before her and also went after what she wanted most. Finn is my favorite (no surprise) and I loooove having him along for this ride. ALL GOOD THINGS.

I can’t tell y’all the amount of emotions I went through while reading. It was up, down, all around. Mostly a lot of ANGST. And begging the bookish universe to give me what I wanted. As soon as I saw those moments happening, the giddiness would not subside. Gahhhhh I LOVED IT.

This has been incredibly difficult not to breakdown every nuanced aspect of why this series is amazing.

SO PLEASE READ IT THEN I’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: brief open door
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, loss of life, physical and magical altercations, weaponry

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: October 2022

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Happy Halloween! Hope y’all have had an enjoyable reading month. I got to 42 books and some new favorites.

Favorites
– A Game of Hearts
– Foul Lady Fortune
– Nightwing
– Thank You for Listening
– Yours Truly
– It Starts With Us
– Faking Christmas
– How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss

Least Favorites
– Dark Night Golden Dawn
– Kingdom of the Feared
– Wishtress
– So This is Christmas

  • [ARC] The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford
  • [Novella] Second Chance for Christmas by Anne Kemp
  • The Kiss Curse (Ex Hex #2) by Erin Sterling
  • A Crime of Passion Fruit (A Bakeshop Mystery #6) by Ellie Alexander
  • [ARC] Five Survive by Holly Jackson
  • From the Fields of Porthlenn (Cornish Romance #5) by Deborah M. Hathaway
  • Dark Night Golden Dawn (The Immortal Orders #1) by Allison Carr Waechter
  • Lux (Texas Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson and Steven Michael Bohls
  • [ARC] A Game of Hearts by Joanna Barker
  • [ARC] The Empress of Time (The Keeper of the Night #2) by Kylie Lee Baker
  • House of Beating Wings (The Kingdom of Crows #1) by Olivia Wildenstein
  • Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune #1) by Chloe Gong
  • Smoke Show (Deadlights Cove #1) by B. Perkins and Aimee Vance
  • Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked #3) by Kerri Maniscalco
  • Nightwing (The Starchaser Saga #3) by Renee Dugan
  • Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
  • Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
  • [Novella] Mr. October by Bethany Weaver
  • Where Oceans Burn (Where Oceans Burn #1) by Casey L. Bond
  • Sky Without Stars (System Divine #1) by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell
  • [ARC] Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
  • Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
  • Shattered Sea (Tattered & Torn #4) by Catherine Cowles
  • Wild About Denali (Wild About Alaska #1) by Sara Blackard
  • It Starts With Us (It Ends With Us #2) by Colleen Hoover
  • An Heir Comes to Rise (An Heir Comes to Rise #1) by C.C. Penaranda
  • The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews
  • Court of Blood and Bindings (Fae Isles #1) by Lisette Marshall
  • [ARC] Merry Ex-Mas by Courtney Walsh
  • Christmas Baggage (Christmas Escapes #1) by Deborah M. Hathaway
  • Wishtress by Nadine Brandes
  • The Make-Up (Falling for Franklin #2) by Hailey Gardiner
  • [ARC] The Call of the Sea by Sian Bessey
  • So This is Christmas (A Princess for Christmas #3) by Jenny Holiday
  • Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8) by Shannon Messenger
  • Host for the Holidays (Christmas Escapes #2) by Martha Keyes
  • [ARC] A Very Merry Bromance (Bromance Book Club #5) by Lyssa Kay Adams
  • Deja Brew (Deadlights Cove #2) by Aimee Vance and B. Perkins
  • A Queen Comes to Power (An Heir Comes to Rise #2) by C.C. Penaranda
  • [ARC] Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape #3) by Cindy Steel
  • [ARC] How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss by Jenny Proctor
  • One Dark Window (The Shepherd King #1) by Rachel Gillig

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Sin of Saints (Benevolence & Blood #1) by Lauren M. Leasure

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Dark Fantasy
Length: 382 pages
Author: Lauren M. Leasure
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: June 28th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Growing up in Eserene’s slums, Petra’s life is marred by unimaginable tragedy. Things finally begin to look up when she meets Calomyr, member of the Royal Guard and keeper of just as much heartache as Petra.

Once again, though, her life is upended when her mother remarries a Lord, forcing Petra to undergo a brutal initiation ceremony in order to ascend to the Royal Court.

As Petra prepares for initiation, news of a drug-fueled fanatical rebel regime reaches the high walls of Eserene. No one seems to panic, so Petra doesn’t either.

Until the city is smoldering before her.

Outside the city walls, Petra must untangle a smoke-shrouded web woven long before she was born. She finds her entire life has been orchestrated for one purpose, a purpose kept hidden from her until she unveils the secret that thrums through her veins. As everything she thought she knew unravels, Petra is forced to confront ghosts she didn’t know she had – and the monsters and demons that now join them…

From author Lauren M. Leasure comes the sexy, action-packed first installment of the Benevolence & Blood Series.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED

This was a type of read where I couldn’t tell you what was happening for 90% of the book and I wasn’t mad about it at all. It felt like I was on the journey with Petra as discoveries became relevant to her and betrayals from others brought her to her knees.

I enjoyed this one so much. The past and present timeline chapter flipping worked well. It did slow the pace down a bit, but the continual need to know what happened next was always there. I liked seeing where Petra came from, and how that shaped all the stuff she was going through in the present.

This is definitely a dark read. I honestly can think of maybe two things that could be considered good that happened. It’s gritty and disturbing and I just need MORE.

I’m already chomping at the bit to get my hands on book two. This one felt a bit prequel-esque with the pacing style so I know the second is going to fling us through the ringer after those ending reveals. The writing was wonderful and there were some beautiful quote worthy lines.

Overall audience notes:

  • Dark Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: two open door
  • Violence: very high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of family, torture, sexual harassment, loss of parents, drug addiction, mass enslavement, kidnapping, physical altercations, weapons violence, explosions, loss of a sibling

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph