Tag: indie author

Book Review: Entreat Me by Grace Draven

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 461 pages
Author: Grace Draven
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: December 16th, 2013
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Afflicted by a centuries-old curse, a warlord slowly surrenders his humanity and descends toward madness. Ballard of Ketach Tor holds no hope of escaping his fate until his son returns home one day, accompanied by a woman of incomparable beauty. His family believes her arrival may herald Ballard’s salvation.

…until they confront her elder sister.

Determined to rescue her sibling from ruin, Louvaen Duenda pursues her to a decrepit castle and discovers a household imprisoned in time. Dark magic, threatening sorcerers, and a malevolent climbing rose with a thirst for blood won’t deter her, but a proud man disfigured by an undying hatred might. Louvaen must decide if loving him will ultimately save him or destroy him.

A tale of vengeance and devotion.

ONE OF THE BETTER.

I don’t think I’ve read many Beauty and the Beast retellings lately (honestly, they haven’t charmed as of late), but this was recommend by a few friends and it delivered!!

This was easily one of the best retellings I’ve read for B&TB. I loved the expansion of the main idea, It was dark and gothic and the atmosphere was amazing. I loved the addition of characters and how the structure of the plot was crafted. It was easy to listen to and see how all the things came together.

I will say the spice took me out of the story a bit. I could skip an entire 30 minute chapter and not miss anything (so it is skippable), just bugged me.

It is a standalone and wraps up all of the things. I enjoyed the characters arcs and many things in between. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a Grace Draven book and I’m grateful it did not disappoint.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance Retelling
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4+ long open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: The Heart of War by Olivia Snow

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 364 pages
Author: Olivia Snow
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: April 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

London, 1815

If love is war, then London’s marriage mart is a battlefield—and Helena Weston is its most cunning general. As the diamond of the season, Helena has never struggled to collect suitors. But when her father’s fortune collapses, she faces the unthinkable: marriage not as a conquest, but as survival.

Using Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as her courtship playbook, Helena has only two months to secure a husband rich enough to save her family from destitution. She selects three candidates for her scheme, including Edmond Hawke, a handsome newcomer to London with a mysterious past and an insufferable tendency to jeopardize her carefully laid plans.

With her future on the line, Helena must decide what victory truly means—and whether surrendering to love is the most strategic move of all.

QUITE GOOD.

I ate this up. I was a sucker from a reel I saw and here we are. This was a solid historical romance that I can totally recommend. Even if I have a few caveats.

One of those being the girl vs. girl drama. I just get tired of that narrative and while I would have been fine with an instance (maybe even two) I was not okay with it being such a larger part of the plot. It was aggravating and frustrating and I really just need Sybella to go away. My other caveat is how long it takes the FMC, Helena, to DO anything. She talked a lot of game but the follow through took much longer to achieve.

I did think the romance was a unique case that I haven’t come across (off the top of my head) before in historical romance. I loved the MMC’s back story (would have loved his POV too!). I liked how earnest he was and how gosh dang down bad this man was for Helena. I am a sucker for the small and subtle moments because that’s what makes a lasting romance and this book delivered. I also adored the little side plot with Mrs. Sweete. I loved how tight the friendship was between Helena and Mrs. Sweete. Definitely needed more of that.

I would totally be interested in reading another book from Olivia Snow. This was a fun find and for my closed door readers this was kisses only too!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: sexual assault, physical altercations, minor injuries, loss of a parent, emotionally abusive parent

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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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