Tag Archives: romance

Bride Review

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Title: Bride
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: February 6, 2024
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

As my first Ali Hazelwood book, I gotta say that I really enjoyed it. It was a fast-paced read with romance, mates, vampires, and mystery. What’s not to love about that?

Misery is our main female protagonist who’s searching for her missing best friend – which is a plot thread I’m glad wasn’t forgotten about throughout the whole book. I thought that she was an enjoyable character who had a lot of quips for whoever she talked to, a soft spot for kids, and a drive to make sure her best friend is alive. Throughout the book I believe I found myself laughing out loud to some of the things that Misery says because she’s got a dry sense of humor.

Lowe is very much what I expected for the main male protagonist with his heart of gold, fierce protection of his people, and his drive to stay away from Misery as long as possible. I actually really enjoyed him as a character and felt that he was done well in terms of the werewolf thing – which isn’t like a classic werewolf, nor like the ones from Twilight back in the day.

The plot focuses on this marriage of convenience and how it’s the driving factor for much of what happens, except for Misery’s missing friend. It just so happens that being in wolf territory helps her more than hinders her in her search. There’s also other underlying plot points that can be seen throughout the story, and though I felt that some parts weren’t fleshed out quite like how I would like, it was still entertaining regardless.

The romance between our two main characters is believable because it’s gradual. There’s reluctance at first, and then a spark, and then slowly over time the two are drawn together like moths to a flame. I enjoyed that aspect of the story a lot.

(Also, since I’m sure some of you may have heard this is an “omegaverse” story, it’s not. As someone who has read her fair share in her time, this is not omegaverse at all lol)

If you’re looking for a vampire/werewolf romance in your life to fill your old Twilight heart, I definitely recommend this book. It was a quick, fun read that I’m sure I’ll enjoy again whenever I decide to reread it.

★★★★☆

Silver in the Wood Review

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Title: Silver in the Wood
Author: Emily Tesh
Publisher: Tor
Publish Date: June 18, 2019
Genre: Novella, Fantasy, LGBT+, Romance
Pages: 112
Format: Paperback

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

I read this novella a few months ago, and it was one of the most heartwarming reads I’ve had in a while. This short story follows Tobias, the Wild Man of the forest of this small village, that has been tethered to essentially be the guardian of the forest for all of time. He’s there for a long, long time, watching the village change and grow as time does, and he also watches something dreadful happen every year during a celebration for a lord of the wood. Many, many years into this, he meets Henry, the new owner and mayor of the town, and it kind of just follows the story from there.

There’s only so much that can be packed into 112 pages, but this book had a lot of heart and whimsy in it. I felt like I could really feel the growth of the forest, the need to protect its inhabitants, and how every part of the forest acts of its own accord sometimes. It was rich, which I really appreciated.

The romance between Tobias and Henry is subtle and sweet, and it grows over time. Tobias is protected by the forest, and no one can every really find where he lives twice – unless he allows it. And of course, this subtle romance is also potentially doomed from the start (for reasons I won’t go into because of spoilers here).

There is a twist I sort of saw coming, but it still surprised me nonetheless, and I felt that the stakes ramped up a little bit toward the end. It was a fast-paced read given the length of the book, but there were still moments of slowness that could be felt in every page (intentionally and not in a bad way).

I think if you’re looking for a quick read to pick up this novella. It’s definitely one you can finish in a sitting and one that I think you’ll also find whimsical.

★★★★☆

Before I Let Go Review

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Title: Before I Let Go
Author: Kennedy Ryan
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: November 15, 2022
Genre: Adult Romance
Pages: 391
Format: Paperback

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.

It couldn’t save their marriage.

Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?

Content warning for child loss.

This was my first dip into romance in quite a while, and it did not disappoint. Kennedy Ryan has a great way of writing realistic characters going through realistic situations, and how those characters handle the hurdles, the joys, the sorrows that come with that are really well done in this novel.

In this book we follow two perspectives throughout: Yasmen’s and Josiah’s. They’re a relatively-recently divorced couple who went through something traumatic that caused their marriage to fall apart, but the connection and spark between them is still there, dulled as it is at the beginning of the story. Throughout the story, we see the couple dealing not only with their everyday workflow and responsibilities as parents, but as co-owners of a restaurant, and how that proximity can really have an effect on old feelings that never truly went away.

As we follow Yasmen’s side of it, I could see how strong of a woman she was, trying to mend the pieces of herself that were broken from what had happened years prior and finally feeling like she was coming back to herself. In these chapters we see her really assess what happened then that caused the couple to split, while also seeing her rely on her best friends for support, as well as a therapist, to really deal with what went down.

Not only that, but even in Josiah’s chapters we see some of that therapy talk brought up. It’s a heavy theme throughout the book to rely on others for strength and comfort and to not always rely on the self for that, to bury things down until they don’t matter anymore. I think that that representation was shown really well and encourages others to maybe reflect on their own lives and consider therapy as possible. Because not only does it affect Yasmen and Josiah, but their kids, too, and how important it is for them to talk to someone as well.

The plot follows them through this second chance romance, through ups and downs – and of course, steamy moments – and shows what love is truly capable of. Relationships are hard work, and I think the two really realize that as time goes on – especially Yasmen, who I think was hit the hardest with what had happened that had caused the divorce in the first place.

Another aspect I loved was the strong feeling of sisterhood and friendship in this book (and in the sequel, This Could Be Us). Yasmen, Solidad, and Hendrix have each other’s backs through everything and are willing to be there for each other in times of need when it’s really needed, or just to be able to get their mind off of things. I could feel the palpable love of these friends pouring off of the page. Even the relationship with the kids are something very tangible and real, and I think that Ryan does a great job of this in this book.

My only gripe is that as we were getting toward the end, there were a few times I felt that the plot became repetitive, like we had seen a similar scene not long before, and more than once, too.

Overall, I think that if you’re looking for a great second chance romance, a romance to touch your heart, or one in which you’ve also gone through similar circumstances, that you’ll really enjoy this book. I loved it, and absolutely recommend it.

★★★★.5 (4.5) stars

Legendborn Review

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Title: Legendborn
Author: Tracy Deonn
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publish Date: February 1, 2022
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Retelling (Arthurian)
Pages: 501
Format: Paperback

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy reinvents the King Arthur legend and “braids together Southern folk traditions and Black Girl Magic into a searing modern tale of grief, power, and self-discovery” (Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles ).

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

I’ve never read an Arthurian retelling before, but Legendborn did a phenomenal job of implementing what Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable was in a modern twist and feat of storytelling. I read this book back in February of this year (2024), and my only regret is I didn’t read it sooner. This story really captivated me and captured my heart in a way I wasn’t expecting.

This story follows a teenager named Bree who just went through one of the worst things to happen to someone so young (or anyone, depending on your relationship): losing her mother. Though the circumstances around her mother’s death doesn’t sit right with her, and so once she is able to enroll in a college program that allows high schoolers to take college level classes alongside her best friend, she begins her search for answers into her mother’s death. All the while, she’s put aside her grief, which is sad in the way that she’s not feeling what she needs to feel about it. She doesn’t allow herself that because she hates the way it makes her feel (understandably – I’ve been there with my own mom, though a very different situation).

In this story we see Bree begin to see and experience things she doesn’t have an answer for. Creatures that shouldn’t exist; people using magic or fighting skills that are beyond what a “normal” teenager should be able to do. And so she is thrust into a secret society on campus that revolves around the myth of King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable. Bree infiltrates the society because she believes they hold clues to her mother’s death, though she’s in for a lot more than she bargained for. She trains and joins the society, getting closer to those involved while also dealing with school, racism, and pushing her grief to the side.

Alongside this, Bree learns more about her mother and her maternal lineage. This part of the story really grabbed me because she learned so much about what it is to be a young black woman in the world, as well as what her ancestors had to go through – as well as their ties to this Arthurian society. In this, she also learned what her grief was, and though grief is a never ending thing and comes and goes in ways that you might not even imagine, it was something that she needed to feel in those moments to be able to process that her mother is gone, and that she is strong enough to get through it.

There’s also a bit of a side plot following a romance with Bree and one of the boys in this society – the one believed to be Arthur’s descendant – and I found their romance to be very cute and sweet. The two were often very kind to each other, and very drawn to each other in a way that couldn’t be explained.

And then, of course, there’s another character who is the descendent of Merlin who I’m honestly rooting for lol The two are sassy with each other, honestly kind of hate each other at the beginning, but warm up (mostly) over time.

The plot was layered, fast-paced, and each chapter had me wanting to know what was going to happen next. There were twists I wasn’t expecting, moments that made me cry actual tears, made me cheer or laugh out loud, and more. It’s been one of my top reads of the year, if not THE top. I can’t wait to dive into book two. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a fast-paced read filled with action, inner turmoil, magic, and learning to accept things that otherwise can’t be changed.

★★★★★

Barbarian Alien Review

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Title: Barbarian Alien
Author: Ruby Dixon
Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: January 25, 2022
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback

Liz Cramer swears she’ll find a way off of this alien planet she’s stuck on–then she meets Raahosh, the surliest and stubbornest alien, who won’t leave her alone, and she just might be okay with that…

Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet. I’m one of them. Yay, me.
In order to survive, we have to take on a symbiont that wants to rewire our bodies to live in this brutal place. I like to call it a “cootie.” And my cootie’s a jerk, because it also thinks I’m the mate to the biggest, grumpiest alien of the group. Raahosh believes the cootie’s right, so he steals me away from the group, determined to make me fall for him–or else.

He has no idea who he’s up against.

And if I didn’t want his insufferable self so much (thanks, cootie), I’d let him know exactly what I’m thinking. As it is, I’m doing my best to fight this instant attraction. Just because the symbiont thinks we’re supposed to be together doesn’t mean I have to go along with it. And if we fool around a little, it’s merely biology. It doesn’t mean I’m in love–or that I’m destined to be his.

(I read this back in January, so this is a bit late lol) The second book in the Ice Planet Barbarians series follows a different girl and alien pair with Liz, a speak-your-mind kind of girl who’s very up front about what she thinks and feels, as well as Raahosh, an alien man who’s quiet and brutish in ways. This series is very much a guilty pleasure, and it introduces more plot from the first, but the focus is very heavy on the two who are secluded for a large portion of the book that’s separate from the plot thread throughout.

Liz’s character grated on me a bit as one of her flaws was overreacting to many things that were said or done throughout the story. In many ways she was creating her own chaos and I was like, “Girl, please, stop it.” She was very strong willed, and though the circumstances all of the girls find themselves in is strenuous, Liz always tries to find a way to cheer the others up, which is a trait I liked, even if her ways were oftentimes kind of out there with how she would say things. I sometimes found myself confused by the way she would say something, but the meaning behind it, especially toward the other girls, came from a good place.

Raahosh was the better part of this particular pair in my opinion. Though the way he went about bringing him and Liz together wasn’t the best choice in the moment, it turned into a strong bond between the two. He was a skilled hunter and wouldn’t hold Liz back from doing what she wanted (mostly because he wouldn’t be able to lol). I thought he was overall sweet yet desperate in a way that showed how much the symbiote makes those who pair up resonate with another are really made for one another. The two balance each other out, which is something I think Dixon really strived for in these stories.

The plot focused heavily around the pair secluded from the rest of the group, and, much like the other books, was filled with varying sex scenes that were steamy. It seemed like this one was more about the beginning of what it would be like when true winter comes to the ice planet, but it was really just about those two learning about themselves and each other, and respecting one another.

Overall, it wasn’t my favorite so far because I did find Liz’s character to be… annoying, frankly. But if you’re reading the series, obviously since this is only the second book, I’d still read it in order to see where the threads of plot are going – though those really take off in book three.

★★★☆☆