Tag: melissa k. roehrich

Book Review: Lady of Shadows (Lady of Darkness #2) by Melissa K. Roehrich

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 560 pages
Author: Melissa K. Roehrich
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 1st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

ANOTHER PRETTY CAGE.
Whisked away to the Fire Court, Scarlett Monrhoe finds herself in the hands of the man who killed her mother. The Prince of Fire. Thrust amongst the Fae court she loathes, she is at their mercy. She doesn’t know what plans he has for her, but she has plans of her own. She just hasn’t decided how thoroughly she wants to break him yet. If only he didn’t tempt her with every breath, every touch, every kiss. It’s another dangerous game that has her wondering if she will be the one irreparably broken in the end.

ANOTHER DANGEROUS GAME.
The Fae Queen has plans of her own. She’s determined to get to Scarlett in any way she can, and that includes using a mortal prince that followed the lost Fae princess across the border. Crown Prince Callan is desperate to get Scarlett back from the Fire Prince and return to Baylorin. The question is, what is he willing to sacrifice for the Wraith he loves who’s trailed by shadows?

ANOTHER RACE AGAINST TIME.
Every day that passes, Lord Tyndell and Mikale get closer to finding where she is hidden in the Fire Court. Every day that passes puts those Scarlett left behind in more danger. Every day that passes, more secrets are revealed. Truth has been buried in history that has long-since been rewritten, but in order to separate facts from lies, they will be forced to cross other borders and seek answers from kingdoms far more terrifying than the Fire Court.

BOOK TWO SYNDROME.

This started off really strong for me. It did. BUT THEN. Somewhere near the middle I started to notice the cyclical, repetitive nature of a lot of the conversations, arguments and ideas that led me to speed reading to the last little bit to reconnect back to this story.

I am still waiting for Scarlett to really DO something. It’s a lot of wallowing and waiting. For a 550 page fantasy book the lack of action was outstanding. There was plenty of arguing and make-up kissing which worked for the first 3 times it happened. I’ll concede I did like that the romance got some major development (which makes me curious how it’ll play out over another three books). Scarlett has a lot of work to do to actually be a good character that isn’t hella frustrating.

The found family aspects were great. I enjoyed the side characters and getting to know more about them. I really liked having more points of view too. It balanced the plot and seeing multiple sides to what was happening from other perspectives. I hope those continue!!

An intense plot is there, I just need some more execution. I loved book one, but did listen to it and I wonder if that had some bearing on my rating. I noticed little things here and there that I didn’t pick up on in the audio version. I am still invested though and want to see where this goes. There’s definitely an ACOTAR/TOG vibe that’s undeniable. Luckily I’ve seen enough differences that I’m fine continuing [for now].

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: multiple open; moderate explicit
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, PTSD, mentions of sexual assault, kidnapping, physical and magical altercationsv

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Book Review: Lady of Darkness (Lady of Darkness #1) by Melissa K. Roehrich

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 538 pages
Author: Melissa K. Roehrich
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 29th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A CAGE.

Owned by a ruthless Assassin Lord, Scarlett Monrhoe and her two sisters have been trained since they were children to torture and take life. They are the most feared trio on the continent, but they are also wild and unpredictable. A tragic night has Scarlett finding herself locked away in a noble’s household, trapped and forgotten, until she’s ready to fall into line.

A CHOICE.
Until the day she is presented with a job. If she completes the assignment, her payment will be something she has coveted for ten years. Revenge against the Fae Fire Prince who brutally killed her mother ten years ago. Is she willing to sacrifice her ideals for retribution?

A MYSTERY.
But when children begin disappearing from her home, all her plans are put on hold as she races to save the most innocent. With the help of old friends, a jilted lover, and a mysterious newcomer who claims the magic of the Fae is possible in the mortal lands, Scarlett delves into the darkest corners of the world. Forgotten secrets will come to light, and she will discover the darkness extends far beyond her own kingdom.

Lady of Darkness is a new adult, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers romance and adventure novel that will appeal to lovers of possessive Fae, wicked Witches, sexy Shifters, and arrogant Vampires. It may have triggers of love-hate themes, sexual scenes (both consensual and non), violence, and jealous/possessive themes.

I AM HOOKED.

When I started this I immediately noticed the Throne of Glass vibes it was giving off. Luckily though, over the course of the book I do think it felt different enough that I became very much attached to the storyline. So if you loved ToG, my star rating is clearly saying TRY THIS ONE.

I loved having dual POV with Sorrin and Scarlett. There’s incredible tension between them. From strangers to sort of friends to lovers to enemies. I loved all of the ups and downs. This isn’t (currently) a straight forward romance and I actually am really into that. It’s a nice mix-up from my usual fantasy romance reads. This feels spread out, playing the long game, and I’ve got 4 more books to see how it all unfolds.

The plot is enjoyable. I loved the found family vibes and the close relationship between characters. I felt all the things and some of those reveals at the end are some of my favorite to read. FAVORITE. There’s plenty of action and intrigue, some burgeoning court politics and all sorts of fae, shifters, vampires, witches and more. This was an amazing first book and I want more.

It was a great audiobook too!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: brief open
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: rape, PTSD, loss of close friends and loved ones, kidnapping, physical and magical altercations, murder, blood/gore depiction, torture

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