ALC Book Review: Courting War (Viscious Gods #1) by Hazel St. Lewis

January 21, 2024December 14, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 360 pages
Author: Hazel St. Lewis
Publisher: Hidden Siren
Release Date: January 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The number one rule in never make a deal with Death…even if Death is your sister.

Theodra, Goddess of War, knows not to break this rule. But like all arrogant gods, she does just that. Unable to hold back, she destroys a ship full of traffickers, unaware there are girls on board. When one of them dies, Theo trades with Death for a soul she will someday love. A soul for a soul. A good deal, in her esteemed opinion, since she is incapable of falling in love.

Unfortunately, Theo might have been mistaken.

Thirteen years later, as a punishment for killing too many wicked men, she is sentenced to play as a mortal in a deadly tournament called The Sacrifice. The games are played in pairs, and her partner is the sinfully handsome Prince Kellyn. Even though they despise one another and can barely work together, sexual tension burns between them. But if their hatred turns to love, it will cost Kellyn his life, for Death is always waiting to collect.

Courting War is a new adult fantasy romance novel and is a standalone book within a larger series. Featured tropes enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity (only-one-bed), forbidden love, and immortals.

Thank you Book of Matches Media and Hazel St. Lewis for an ALC.

A GOOD STANDALONE.

Audiobook notes: I loved the narrators! There’s two for the dual POV and that’s my favorite way to listen to romance books. Both narrators did an amazing job, definitely recommend that route if you want to read this book!

This was a solid debut and I enjoyed the mythology aspects that were woven into the story. A bunch of villainous gods who just have fun meddling with human lives. It’s a bit dark and a bit gritty and those are some of my favorite fantasy vibes. I liked the soft enemies to lovers and thought for a standalone the romance was paced well. It’s a good slow burn that grew on me the longer I got to know Theo and Kellyn.

Some of the world building aspects were a bit confusing to me. The competition and scoring, exactly how and why the gods were meddling and a few other things. This is a standalone in a bigger world so hopefully in the next book things will be further expanded and explained.

I’m not mad one bit I picked this up and I would love to try book two as well. There’s many fantasy romance aspects that I love seeing that are in here and those moments were written very well.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: strong
Romance: 1-2 open door; some innuendo throughout
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: dyslexia rep, suicide ideation, grief depiction, loss of life, torture

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Book Review: The Duet (Falling for Franklin #3) by Hailey Gardiner

January 20, 2024December 6, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 350 pages
Author: Hailey Gardiner
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Connor Cane is strictly off-limits.

Which is terribly unfortunate, because I’ve had a crush on him for years. What’s a girl supposed to do when her brother’s best friend also happens to be an insanely handsome country music artist?

When we cross paths again at a friend’s wedding, I jump at the chance to write a song with him. Purely for professional reasons that have nothing to do with his good looks and charisma. Getting a cut on a Connor Cane album is just the leg up I’m needing in my songwriting career.

As our song gains traction leading up to the release of his record, so does the undeniable chemistry between us. But there’s a dark side to fame, and I become a target by association.

Flirting? Fine. Singing together? Necessary.

Falling in love with Connor Cane? A very bad idea.

A laugh-out-loud, brother’s best friend, sweet romance with wild chemistry and heart-stopping kisses. Books in the Falling for Franklin series are full length stand-alone novels and can be read in any order.

THE MUTUAL PINING.

I was a smitten puddle of goo after finishing this book y’all. I feel like I am officially a Hailey Gardiner fan girl. I love the way she writes stories and conveys love in such a beautiful and positive light.

The combination of mutual pining and banter was my favorite. Oh they way they battled with wits and charm and clearly I’m so into you vibes. GAH. It was everything. It was light but with the right level of passion and concern. The song writing aspects were great and I was just really invested in this whole thing.

I wouldn’t dub this an off limits romance with how a few things panned out in the story but that’s a minor issue. The grand gesture at the end WAS EVERYTHING I NEEDED AND MORE. I love a well placed moment like this and I just can’t get enough.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses

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Book Review: The Realm of Oblivion by Marae Good

January 19, 2024January 26, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 339 pages
Author: Marae Good
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They say what you don’t know can’t hurt you.

They’re wrong.

For as long as she can remember, Collins Avery has been imprisoned in the same house by the same cruel and unforgiving parents – visited only by a strange woman with even stranger questions.

Problem is, Collins can only remember the last two years of her life.

Desperate to discover who she was before the accident that stole her memory, Collins escapes to meet a friend in secret. Instead, she finds herself abducted by a charming stranger, who claims that she has been trafficked from the Planet Aita…and sold to the highest bidder.

As Collins begins to piece together the events of her prior life, everything points to a huge and terrifying betrayal. Now, desperate for freedom, she must decide who she can trust to deliver her to her rightful home – a home that has never been on Earth to begin with.

But a new identity comes with new dangers – especially when your enemies know you better than you know yourself…

Swirling with magic and steeped in mystery, The Realm of Oblivion is the first book in The Realm Wanderer series by Marae Good.

LACKING.

I truly did want to love this, and it started out pretty interesting, then things kind of fell flat for me.

With memories being wiped, I initially thought that was a really cool idea. Discovering what’s what and who Collins truly is. All good things. But it also felt like I was continually watching flashback moments and being told a lot of things rather than showing since multiple people were trying to remember what had happened to them.

I liked the commentary of dark vs. light and finding that light within yourself. It had an air of working through depression and the shadow periods of our lives. Plenty of good sentiments there that I easily connected to and understood.

Romance missed me too. While at the start I was meh about how things started, then they flipped (which I admittedly do love), I guess I once again had that show/tell problem. I can’t go into much detail because it would probably venture to spoiler territory.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy Romance
Language: none
Romance: closed door
Violence: medium
Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, torture, memory loss, physical altercations, loss of loved ones, loss of parents

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ARC Book Review: Sadie and the Bad Boy Billionaire (Oakley Island #3) by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor

January 12, 2024January 2, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 277 pages
Author: Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I will NOT fall for the smart-mouthed, pretty-boy billionaire who owns Oakley Island. But his yacht is another story …

Love and happily-ever-after? It’s not for me. I’m much happier keeping everyone at arm’s length, focusing on my government cybersecurity work.

But then I push things a little too far and hack my way into trouble. When I need to lay low and stay off the radar for a bit, what better place to do so than on Oakley Island with my sisters?

With limited housing options, I reluctantly agree to stay on the yacht of the very annoying Benedict King—the billionaire who has been messing—flirting?—with me since we met.

I did NOT agree, however, to a voyage out to sea.

But I wake up to find the yacht that should be docked and empty somewhere in the Atlantic with two government agents tasked with babysitting me and one Benedict King.

Who also lied about being my boyfriend.

Typical rich man—thinking he can take whatever he wants.

But he won’t take my heart. Not even when I see his softer side, see behind his walls, see the real man behind the reputation.

Honestly, this might be more dangerous than any of the other trouble I stirred up. Because if I fall for Benedict King, I’m not sure there’s any hope of rescue.

Thank you to the authors for an eARC.

MY HEART.

Once I started this book I was quickly reminded how much I love this author duo’s writing style. It just sucks me in, makes me feel good, and the story only heightens all of that for me.

I adored this story. It was different, and I love different. I love the complexity of characters and thoughts and trying to find that way to love. There’s reasons and depth and a raw truth that I feel in my bones when reading. Falling in love is hard y’all. And also Benedict King should be protected at all costs.

There were alllll of my favorite kind of moments. The soft, the take care of, the laughter, the swoon, and the amazing kissing scenes. WHY ARE KISSING SCENES ARE UNDERRATED Y’ALL, these were spectacular. I’m sitting here thinking of all the moments that I couldn’t get enough of. This was full of everything I love.

And getting those epilogues? I will not apologize for being an absolute sucker for that kind of stuff. Give me all the glimpses of life in the future.

Overall audience notes: