Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher

 Hii everyone! 

I finally read Terms and Conditions (Dreamland Billionaires book 2) by Lauren Asher and I'm so glad I did! I'm loving this series and though I'm excited to read the final installment, Cal's story, I'm also sad to let them go... This world has been so much fun, dreamy and all around beautiful! 

Goodreads / Amazon

Rating: 4+++ stars

Now, about the story... I think I'm in minority here, but I loved book 1 more. But I'm pretty sure it's just a case of it's not the book, it's me haha. 🙈

I mentioned before that boss/assistant is not my favorite trope, because of my real life experience as a personal assistant to a CEO. I know this is fiction, but reading this kind of stories tends to send me back to those not so happy times. So for the first few chapters, I had to make an effort to be in the story and not let my mind wander and get all nostalgic, which kinda affected the focus/reading experience and it took me longer than usual to get into the story and read this book. But then it all got so intense that I forgot about everything else! Ugh, the banter, the tension, the spice! So well done!

I loved Iris so much! So badass and smart and caring! And Declan! Omg! He was such a surprise! Because given the glimpses we got of him in the first book, he was actually fun with his dry humor and little acts of kindness and cuteness he did around Iris- or for her. He did and said some pretty awful things but he was also very good at groveling afterwards. Their chemistry and relationship evolution was great and believable. And the ending... whoa. Talk about grand gestures!

Im dying for Cal's story now! 

Have you read this series?

P.S. If you loved it too, don't forget to vote for Declan and Iris in the Goodreads Choice Awards!

Xoxo

Deea

Book Review: War of the Sea by Dana Claire

 Hiii, time for another indie author spotlight! 

I love these hidden gems, I wish they got more praise and recognition. This book was so well done overall, it deserves to be in top reads on Amazon for this genre! 

War of the Sea

Goodreads / Amazon / My Instagram

4++ stars

I was mostly impressed by the world building, plot and overall badassery!

You know that with YA books, half the time I complain about the YA angst and dramatics or immature impulsive heroines. And while we had a bit of that here, there were so many good things about the story overall, that I could easily overlook it. I read it in two sittings, which says a lot about the flow and engagement of the storyline. Pirates, deadly sirens, kickass heroine, enemies to lovers and snark, forced proximity, sword fights, sea adventures, hidden identities, warring kingdoms, Greek mythology - all recipe for a good read and I totally recommend it! 

Also, I loved the side characters! They brought dimension and unity to the story. They banter in key moments and loyalty when it was most needed really sold them for me. The Greek mythology aspect, the gods and goddesses were a surprisingly fun addition too. 

So, in short, here is what you can expect from this story: 

-YA Fantasy
- Enemies to lovers
- Deadly mermaids
- Ships & pirates
- Action & intense plot
- Greek mythology
- Dual POV
- Unlikely allies
! It stars with a blade to the throat

Recommended for fans of: Fable, To Kill a Kingdom, On These Black Sands

Review copy provided by the author/publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion. Thank you! :)

Book Review: Miles and Miles of you by Jennider Bonds

 Hi everyone! 

Today I want to recommend you a quick, fun Romantic Comedy book, that is fun, fast paced, engaging and leaves you smiling at the end.

Miles and Miles of You

The Harts Book 1

Goodreads / My Instagram

4.5 stars

Tropes:

🌟 Rom-Com

🌟 Dual POV

🌟 Fast paced and hilarious

🌟 Boss - (ex)Assistant tropes

🌟The Wall of Winnipeg and Me (Mariana Zapata) vibes

🌟 Dedication: "𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔."

This book was so much fun, I highly recommend it for a quick, feel good reading escape! 

It's the kind of story that leaves you with a silly smile on your face and in a good mood after you finish reading. 

Our heroine is sassy, smart, witty and the hero is the perfect sexy, swoony workaholic that is not very connected to the real life as he focuses on his startup company and has an assistent who manages everything else (even his personal life calendar).

So we have:

✔️one over-worked assistant who has had enough of her boss not taking her seriously or not realizing how much she has to deal with on the daily because of him (beside her crush on him obs). So when she's finally had enough and quits, she decides to go on a road trip and be a travel influencer. 

✔️A charming, workaholic grumpy (with a side of sunshine) clueless boss, who finally realizes his life is a mess without her coordinating everything and decides to follow her to win her back (to work for him - what were you thinking?🤫). She reluctantly allows him to tag along but she doesn't make it easy for him along the way. 🤭

So we have forced proximity, How To Lose a Guy in 10 days (or a boss, in this case) theatrics, slow burn, grovelling, roadtrip via sketchy places shenanigans, walls coming down, yummy "what are you wearing?" tension and spice. 

I breezed through this book in a couple of sittings, the dialogue, setting, adventures and emotions were so well done! 

I really loved the trip and what it represented too. It brought a lot of awareness and character development that were inspiring.

🌟Review copy provided by the publisher Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.

Have a great week!

Xo

Deea

October reading recap

Hi friends! 

Here's a quick round down of the books I read in October. 

In truth, it was kind of a mess. I re-read old favorites when melancholy hit, DNF-ed or put on hold a few others and I had just a few stellar 5 (or close to) stars reads. 

So... Not that I didn't enjoy the books I read, but I kept getting off-track, starting books and not really getting into them, then picking something totally random on Kindle and basically ignoring the TBR/currently reading pile. And I couldn't really get into spooky reads when the weather was so... summery (I started at least 3 books). 🤷‍♀️

So I read a lot of Romance, I even listened to Elle Kennedy's backlist assassin and mercenaries series while doing chores or errands. I missed having a scary assassin main character, guns blazing and action.

Anyways.

Let's recap:

Top, top favorite (I'm still not over it), King of Wrath by Ana Huang. 

Belladonna was my favorite Fantasy and Kylie Scott's Hollywood star fake dating Romance was chef's kiss. 

Also, Strike the Zither is a really good Chinese Fantasy.

Miles and Miles of you is coming out next week and I can't wait to talk about it! So fun, you may want to pre-order asap if you enjoy the grumpy sunshine boss employee kind of story.

Oh and I'm almost halfway through Terms and Conditions, but after King of Wrath...

I can't deal with grumpy billionaires atm.

And I still don't know where I'm standing with November reading goal. I have a few ARCs that I need to get to and a couple of sequels, but other than that... We see how it goes. 

Have a great week!

Xo

Book Review: Strike the Zither by Joan He

 Hi everyone! 

Today I bring you another Asian Fantasy book rec - I'm really getting into this trend! 

Strike the Zither

Book #1 in the Kingdom of Three series

Goodreads / Amazon / Instagram

My rating: between 4 - 4.5 stars

About the book: 

 The year is 414 of the Xin Dynasty, and chaos abounds. A puppet empress is on the throne. The realm has fractured into three factions and three warlordesses hoping to claim the continent for themselves.

But Zephyr knows it’s no contest.

Orphaned at a young age, Zephyr took control of her fate by becoming the best strategist of the land and serving under Xin Ren, a warlordess whose loyalty to the empress is double-edged—while Ren’s honor draws Zephyr to her cause, it also jeopardizes their survival in a war where one must betray or be betrayed. When Zephyr is forced to infiltrate an enemy camp to keep Ren’s followers from being slaughtered, she encounters the enigmatic Crow, an opposing strategist who is finally her match. But there are more enemies than one—and not all of them are human.

An epic YA fantasy about found family, rivals, and identity, from New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, inspired by Three Kingdoms, one of the Four Classics of Chinese Literature.

Asian Fantasy books never fail to amaze me. I was drawn by the art and the author, I didn't know much about the inspiring story so I was a bit skeptical, but oh, did it deliver! It's fast-paced, the heroine is smart and strong for a change and there is one big twist I wouldn't have guessed in a million years! I felt kind of disconnected emotionally (you know that feeling, like something is missing), but as far as characters, plot and world building were concerned, it was stunning.

So first off, I have to say I'm amazed by the amount of detail, research and work 

that went into this novel (there's also character art, maps and author notes in the book, which helped a lot). It's absolutely brilliant and everything is so cleverly done! Even if I didn't read the author's note and stalk her on social media (which I totally am heh) it would all be evident from every page and every word. 

Second, I have to admit sometimes I was confused  it was a bit challenging to get all the concepts and connect with the characters or the writing style.  

But I feel like this is one of those books that you have to read to fully grasp it, the description doesn't make it justice. It's more to Zephyr than just a strategist, more to the world than an empire at war, no friend or enemy is truly what they seem and are they enemies to lovers or?... 

It's intricate, suspenseful, action-packed and so rich in mythology, it really packs a beautiful package. 

Zephyr has this sassy, sarcastic voice that makes it fun to follow her through her adventures. And her strategies... ugh, so, SO smart! 👏 Brutal, heartbreaking at times, but effective in the end. 

Speaking of the end, you will not see it coming. My heart! The next book can't come out soon enough!

*Review copy provided by the publisher Macmillan Children's Books through Edelweiss, thank you so much!

Now I'm waiting to see the finished copy in stores, that art!

xoxo

Deea

Book Review: Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

 Hi everyone! 

I'm so happy I finally read something from my fall TBR list! Most of the books I read lately were not even on my radar/tbr-soon until I picked them up. 😂

Goodreads / Amazon 

3.5 stars

About the book:

For fans of Caraval and The Night Circus, this decadent and darkly enchanting YA fantasy, set against the backdrop of a Belle Époque-inspired hotel, follows seventeen-year-old Jani as she uncovers the deeply disturbing secrets of the legendary Hotel Magnifique. 

All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.

Now, about this book - while it was a quick, easy read and had that whimsical, enchanting feeling, I wish I loved it more. :(

Overall, it is a great Fantasy YA book and the world building definitely stands out. Once you get past the Caraval comparisons, it's actually interesting and magical.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦!

But. I struggled with the characters, I couldn't quite relate to them. While Bel was book boyfriend material and had all this mysterious, caring, soulful feel about him, the heroine was a bit rash and too immature for my liking. She kept running headlong into situations without thinking of the consequences, which led to dangerous, hurtful and predictable situations. The way she was kept in the dark didn't help and made her almost understandable, but it was still irritating to see. 

The writing was easy and engaging and I loved the Hotel, its magic and all the places they visited, also the scary and mysterious parts were a nice touch for the plot. 

So if you like that magical vibe similar to Caraval and Beauty and the Beast, where the Hotel, characters and random objects seem to have a life and a story of their own, give this a try. Just don't have high expectations regarding the characters and their story, it could have been done better. 

Xoxo

~ Deea

Book Mail: FairyLoot YA Subscription Box

 Hey guys! 

Things have changed a lot since my last adventure in the book blogger universe, now not only we have beautiful book covers, we also have special editions and wonderful book subscriptions! Like, yes, please take all my money for stunning books!!

Are you subscribed to any book box service? Fae Crate, Ilumicrate, The BookishBox, Olwcrate are just a few of them and the most popular.

Sadly, I can't subscribe to all of them no matter how much I wanted it, International shipping is a pain. (like, I'm still waiting for some books I pre-ordered in August from The Book Depository.:(

Anyway. FairyLoot is my favorite book box I managed to subscribe to and I am so, so grateful! Shipping is still expensive and takes forever, but it's worth it.

Their special editions are dreams come true, the covers, the edges, the art on the endpapers, everything always spot on and gorgeous. Not to mention all the bookish items that come in the box, items related to other popular books we love. 

So I decided to post a little unboxing here on my page as well: you must see the beauties for yourself.

Note: This is one of my most favorite reads of the year too, along with Ballad of Never After and an easy 5 stars read! 

Like, am I right?? Look at the purples!! 🥰

What's your favorite item?

Xoxo

Deea

Book Review: Frost by C. N. Crawford

 Hi guys!

I'm back with another badass recommendation - you know I like my Fantasy books with a touch of spice, darkness, banter, heaps of action and crazy odds. 

Frost and Nectar Book 1 ️ 

Goodreads / Amazon / My Insta Post

4.5 stars

So I've decided that CN Crawford is going to be on my auto-buy authors list.

*Side note: I've also been listening to the The Demon Queen trials audiobooks, they became a sort of go-to, guilty pleasure at the end of a long day, when my eyes and mind are too tired to read or do anything. Everything about the writing, the characters, the world is so addictive! Quick, fun, action packed, steamy and with just my kind of lead characters!

 Now, back to Frost (which checks the same boxes and then some): I really enjoyed this book so much, I wish we had more books in the series to binge read! It takes a new, modern spin on Fae stories and everything is so rich, fun, yet believable, that it really makes you feel like you live there with the characters too. 

Basically, it gives you a taste of what our world would be like if Fae walked among us. Obviously, they would be gorgeous, powerful, rich and popular. They would be all over the news and social media. They would have fans and groupies. But naturally, we wouldn't be fazed by any of that, busy living our lives as we'd be. Or at least, our heroine isn't. But she gets the attention of the Fae King and kaboom! It all goes crazy.

We have a Bachelorette style of competition, except it's filled with scary supernaturals and death traps. The King himself helps and trains, but it's only so much he can do.

I really, really enjoyed the main characters' interactions. The banter, the tension, the chemistry, the slow-burn, the secrecy, the growth... Everything flies so easy and natural with them. You know I LOVE a badass snarky main character and seeing her getting stronger, taking no sh*t from anyone and learning more about her heritage and fae life was just sublime.

Now, about our grumpy Fae King - what can I even say?*sigh* The definition of tortured, smoldering, alpha hero.

Great worldbuilding, action, spice, curses, slow burn romance, fast paced... All in all, a great read and I can't recommend it enough! Especially if you love arranged marriage tropes, slow burn, Fae, trials, curses and wicked relationships. 

*I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion as you know, all my fangirling is my own ha. 

Memorable quotes: 

"Oh, shit. Do we have something else in common?” I shuddered. “We should probably stop talking before we get involved in a messy emotional entanglement.”

“But that’s what we’re like. The fae. We are creatures of the earth and mists. We are warriors. And when we are at our best, we transcend our bodies and commune with the gods. When was the last time you really felt alive, Ava?”

Because if it were you and me, in the oak grove on Beltane, I would have you screaming my name. Calling me your king. I would have your body responding to my every command, shuddering with pleasure underneath me, until you forgot the human world existed at all.”

 “Tell me again how much you hate me.”
My pulse quickened. “Is this your kink?”
“Something like that.”

“We are a match made in hell, but I have never wanted anyone more, Ava Jones.”

Book Review: Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan

Hi everyone, I'm back with another highlight of the month of September! Like I mentioned in my previous post, I recently discovered Asian inspired books and I can't get enough! 

Check out my Instagram post for the best quotes and scenes! Hint: we have slow burn, one bed, badass characters. Win, win, win!

4.25 stars ⭐️

This book was so beautiful! The writing was gorgeous, lyrical and had that whimsical feel that we came to expect from stories inspired by Asian culture. I was transported in another world yet again! 

It was a bit slow, it took me a while to really get into it and finish it and I was lost for the most part of the beginning (I felt like I was thrown smack into the middle of the action, with no reference or history for the names and mythology used), BUT the writing was so beautiful, the characters so well constructed, the world so unique, that I didn't really mind in the end. 

I loved that both characters (dual POV and it took a while for their stories to overlap) were strong, resilient and battled their own demons, but they still managed to connect, inspire and work together. The way they tried to fight their feelings for each other was endearing and hilarious: 

"𝘐𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘥.

𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮. 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴... 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘢 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴 - 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. (𝘈𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯)"❤️🤤

Despite that, I loved that the Romance was subtle and didn't take over the plot. I loved the adventures, the action and the growth.

And that ending... I had e feeling that it was going to happen, but it still shocked me. I need the sequel NOW!!

Book Review: Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim

 Hello everyone! 

Today I want to introduce you to a new author and one of my fave books of the year :Last of the Talons

⚠Warning: full fangirl post ahead:

Goodreads / Amazon / My Bookstagram Post

Rating: 5 stars 🌟

For everyone who loves their female main characters scarred but badass, their hero powerful, lethal but with a deliciously wicked smile, their world rich and filled with action and mythology elements that transport you to a different continent, in a different time: this book can't be missed! Korean history and myths at their finest.  

I can't wait for this book to become all the rave! I want it to be a bestseller. I want it in special edition boxes with sprayed edges and foiled covers.(*edited to add that since I wrote my review, this has happened, there is a FaeCrate edition! Sadly, International shipping with them is not working for me, but I'm still happy there is a special edition out there in the world). I want reels and aesthetics. I want it on favorite lists recs. I want bonus chapters from HIS pov.(!!!!) I want a fangroup where we can all swoon and squeal over best scenes. Add it to your TBR and preorder asap. You're welcome. 

This was my first escapade into a Asian / Korean setting book, but it will definitely not be the last! So magical, unique, whimsical and deadly. Different from everything else out there but at the same time, having everything we hope to find in our fantasy books. A heroine with a difficult past who is forced by circumstances and bad decisions to travel into the immortal land of powerful creatures, set to kill their leader; court politics, intrigue, killing plots, action, adventure and a hero who pushes all her buttons and who makes her to want to kill him more every day - or to get closer to him for all the wrong forbidden reasons. A hero who can end the world on a whim, but who finally finds a spark and someone worth living for. These two... I can't even. *clutches heart*

It has ALL - let me repeat that in case you didn't get it the first time: ALL THE BEST TROPES! Are you ready? 

✔Badass stabby heroine (she's an assassin!)

✔Immortal hero

✔Enemies to lovers

✔Forbidden love

✔Slow burn

✔I came to kill you

✔Forced proximity

✔Banter

✔Sword to the throat that may or may not be followed by spice (in probably one of the most heated and tense scenes ever)

✔Who did this to you

✔Touch her and die (by her own hand because she's badass)

✔I thought I lost you

...

I literally can't think of anything better.

Part of me is glad I started my Asian books adventures with this one and that I read it early, as I could just enjoy the ride without expectations and pressure. I just went in blind and I was dazzled and mesmerized and melted in the best way possible. I wish I could read it for the first time again - you know that feeling!

This book is part of a series and I can't wait to be swept away by this world again! 

***Review copy provided by the publisher EntangledTeen in exchange for my honest opinion (fangirling is all my own!) and I couldn't be more grateful. <3

Memorable quotes: 

As we dance, I lean closer to Rui so that my whisper reaches his delicately pointed ears. “If you ever,” I snarl, voice quavering with emotion, “use your godsdamned flute on me like that again, I won’t stop at just killing you. I’ll take Manpasikjeok from your dead body and I’ll crush it underfoot. I’ll set your throne on fire and then burn your entire realm to the ground. Do you understand me?”

🐍

“I find that the possibility that my dance partner may stab me to death at any moment adds a certain thrill that simply cannot be replicated by those who are not determined to stab me to death.”

🐍

It is a lustful, sinful hunger in his gaze, mirroring the same desire that hums in my own chest. His stare does not flicker as he drinks me in. 

No. No. Before my mind can catch up to my body, my jikdo is in my hands, the blade pointed unwaveringly at Rui’s throat. 

A soft laugh curls through the air. “Lina,” he purrs. “I thought that perhaps we were having a moment.” 

“We weren’t,” I hiss.

 🐍

“Who did this?” Rui is bent over my body, shielding it from the world, anything and everything that could harm me. His voice is a furious growl. “Who did this to you?”

🐍

Rui’s head is still tilted, and in these moments, I note that he resembles a cruel fox—sly, cunning, and utterly predatory.

🐍

He tastes of dark winter nights whipped with icy winds and yet feels like fire and flame against my skin.

💕👌

Book Review: The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

 Hi everyone!

How's your reading goal going so far?

I keep switching between Romance and Fantasy and I read multiple books at the same time, but I'm doing pretty good on my set goal for the year. If only I could stick to my planned TBR :))

And speaking of plans, here's a book I got a whim from the bookstore and ended up reading it right away, in 3 days tops. The Fine Print has been all over Instagram this year for Romance recs, so I had to see what was all the fuss about. And I was not disappointed! 

The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

- Dreamland Billionaires Book 1 - 

Goodreads / Amazon

My rating: 4.5 stars

I see now why this series is so popular. It's the perfect recipe for a Billionaire Romance and it's quite addictive!
Reading it was not part of my September plan. I honestly didn't go into it with high expectations either. Billionaire Romance books rarely work for me (they hit too close to home to my younger, stupider years lol - spoiler: it doesn't end like that IRL), but sometimes you just need a modern fairytale with a fair amount of banter, unrealistically good characters, humor and spice to brighten up your day. And that's pretty much what this book was.

Despite my reservations, I inhaled it in a couple of sittings. I LOVED the dual POV (groveling is just different when you see the struggle and thought process behind it haha), the grumpy/sunshine vibe...and actually the entire vibe of the story! It was perfectly balanced, I loved the dreamy setting, the banter, the spice, the romancing, the not-over-the-top drama, the work and office theme, the competition... And obviously the hero. *sigh* His grumpiness was a fun treat and his love and possessiveness by the end were toe-curling delicious. Sometimes it was a fine line between him and total azhole, but I read for fun not to be picky lol.

Zahra is one of my most favorite heroines ever - actually, she is the kind of girl I like to read about. She is the sunshine to the billionaire grump, but she is also smart, witty, independent, creative and has this aura that pulls you in. In Rowan's famous words, "What is it about this woman, and why can't she fall in line like everyone else? It's like she shits sprinkles and consumes rainbows for sustenance". 

And while most Billionaire / workspace Romance books have the same theme and feel, I loved the idea of a Disney-type of world, the cast of secondary characters, the background stories, the creativity and inspiration.

So totally recommended!

Memorable Quotes:

✒️-𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥*𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥.
- 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺?
- 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸.

***

- 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?

- 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘺.

***

𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴.(𝘡𝘢𝘩𝘳𝘢)

***
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘵𝘦.( 𝘙𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘯)

Book Review: The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

 Hiii friends! 

I'm so excited that one of my favorite books of the year is finally here! 

The Ballad of Never After

(Once Upon a Broken Heart #2)

by Stephanie Garber 

Goodreads / Amazon

5 stars!

First, thanks a MILLION McMillan/FlatironBooks for my early copy of this book. I've never been more appreciative to have the ARC on hand to read right after the first book in the series, Once Upon a Broken Heart. All my opinions and fangirling are honest and come from my booklover heart. :))

Now, I gave my first impression right after I read it on my bookstagram, here's the post.

Weeks later, I'm still as enthralled and in awe of this masterpiece. I named it then one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read and it was not an exaggeration. People who have been here for a while know how picky I am when it comes to 5 stars ratings (I work in the wedding industry my friends, everything in my life has to be a love story to perfection. Every detail counts).  

But I digress. Back to the story. This book would make more sense if you read the Caraval series first. Because Jacks is a villain (is he?), a morally grey hero and all his actions, subtle words and tricks are more understandable if you know his history (let's just say I was not a fan of  Tella in this one. Grr!). Everything he does or says hides a deeper meaning. By the end, my heart ached for him. And for Evangeline, who is one of the best heroines ever. She can be strong and resilient but with a pure heart at the same time. Everything she does is because she cares.

The "I'm going to kill him for hurting you" vibe is everywhere (despite Jacks doing his fair share of hurting, but he is after all, in Evangeline's words, "her villain, not her hero"). His possessiveness, jealousy and care were staggering.

There is a lot of character development in this story and all the angst, love, adventures, tension, touches, looks were masterfully done. Everything in this world has a magical, fairytale vibe that transforms, uplifts and break your heart at the same time. 

Absolutely superb. I can't recommend this series enough! 

P.S. I refuse to acknowledge the epilogue and I'm impatiently waiting for what comes next. BECAUSE THERE HAS BE A NEXT STORY OR I RETRACT EVERYTHING I JUST SAID. (just kidding, I loved it anyway). 

Book Review: Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

Hi book friends! 

I finally caved and read this book that kept coming up as a recommendation from fellow book lovers and Instagrammers. I was a bit wary of the hype (heck, even the title on Amazon said "The TikTok Sensation" and those are rarely a win for me (sorry). But am I glad I decided to pick it up! 

Things We Never Got Over

(Knockemout #1) by Lucy Score

Goodreads / Amazon

🌟 4.5 stars 🌟

The writing style reminds me of Samantha Young, Mariana Zapata and Elena Armas. What they have in common, you may ask? 

- Grumpy/Sunshine Romance

- Dual POV

- Feisty Heroine

- Grumpy, bad boy, foul mouthed, bearded billionaire alpa hero (yumz!)

- Banter

- Slow burn

- Small town setting

- A great cast of supporting characters who like to meddle and add fun to the drama

So this book was quite the ride! It checks so many things we love in Romance books, I kinda understand the hype now. One of the most fun grumpy-sunshine couples ever! If you look up "grumpy" in the dictionary, I'm sure Knox's name will show up. Which made for some of the best one liners, monologues, interactions and banter!

I will admit I loved the first part of the book more than the second one, and it was a looong book. I devoured every word, dialogue, growls and grumpiness from the hero and I LOLed at the banter and theatrics (think Mariana Zapata).

The ending was a bit too stereotypical for my taste, but overall a great romance that shouldn't be missed! The fun, the caring, the possessiveness and jealousy, the spice, the growing... all swoon-worthy.

And while I loved the dynamic Knox and Naomi had, I also liked the family and friends connections, their meddling and hilarious comments, the way everyone had a role to play in Knox and Naomi's life and how the relationship with her nice developed. Knox is the definition of grumpy foul mouthed bad boy, but the way he softened, stood up and swept Naomi off her feet eventually was heartmelting.

Memorable quotes:

He grinned. Full-on, panty-melting, 100-percent-wattage grinned. I felt woozy and hot and like I didn’t know how any of my joints worked anymore. “Wow,” I whispered. 
“Wow what?” he asked. 
“Uh . . . You smiled. And it was just seriously wow. I had no idea you could look like that. I mean, you already look like . . .” I waved my hand awkwardly in front of him. “You know. But then you add the smile, and you look almost human.”

“You can’t spend your entire life trying to make everyone else happy, Naomi,” I warned her. 
“Why not?” She looked genuinely baffled. 
“Eventually you’re going to give a little too much and you won’t have enough left over for yourself.”

“I believe Knox Morgan just said he couldn’t satisfy me. If only I had a phone to immortalize that statement on social media.” 
“A. You’re getting a new phone immediately. It’s irresponsible to go without one when you have a kid to think about.”
 “Oh, shut up. It’s been a handful of days. Not months. I didn’t know I was going to have a kid to think about,” she said. 
“B. I could satisfy the hell out of you,” I plowed on, pulling out of the parking lot.
“But you’d just want more, and that doesn’t suit me.” 
“Because I’m an ‘uppity, needy pain in the ass,’ ” she said to the darkness out her window. I didn’t have a defense. I was an asshole. Plain and simple. And the sooner she realized that, the farther she’d stay from me. Metaphorically speaking.

“𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘹, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦, 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦. 𝘚𝘰 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.”
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯’ 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”

“𝘐 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶,” 𝘐 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. “𝘕𝘰𝘱𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘦𝘵. 𝘍𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.”

Totally recommended! 

xo

~Deea

August Reads Recap

 Hi lovely book friends! 

Looks like denial is not working anymore, fall is here. I tried to hold on to the end-of-summer vibe as much as I could, but after a couple of days with cold, rain and fall releases everywhere, I needed to get on with the program. 

On the bright side, fall means end of the summer wedding season, more time to read books and perfect setting for those Fantasy books I love so much! 

Before we get on the September reading list, let's take a look at the books I read in August. I just read whatever I got in the mood for, without caring about genre, release date, TBR pile, ARCs list etc. It was fun and will try this approach more often! (not in September though lol I have a lot of backlist books to get through and so many new releases.  

- Book Lovers by Emily Henry - favorite!

- Just my Type by Falon Ballard (ARC, releases on my birthday in February next year) - favorite!

*these 2 books spoke to me like no others, I related to the heroines so much its like the books were written for (about me) 

- Azagoth (Demonica Underworld #1) - Larissa Ione (audiobook re-read) - just because I missed this world and a good old Paranormal Romance

- The Reluctant Bride and The Ruthless Groom by Monica Murphy - Dark Romance, despite the lower rating and my issues with each story, they were enjoyable and memorable, I read them in one sitting

- Shipped by Angie Hockman - a nice, easy summer read, but the characters and romance not spectacular

- Things we never got over by Lucy Score - an old school grumpy sunshine Romance, adored it!

- City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials) by C. N. Crawford (audiobook) - surprisingly good PNR, it reminds me a lot of Larissa Ione, Kim Harrison and Nalini Singh!

- Liar's Crown - by Abigail Owen (ARC) It was ok, pretty standard enemies to lovers NA Fantasy Romance, a bit too insta love-ish, more focused on the Romance than the world building.

Have you read any of these books?

xo

~ Deea

Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

 Hi everyone! 

Elena Armas is slowly becoming one of my all times favorite Romance authors and this is my reminder to pre-order her second book ASAP! You will not be sorry, I promise! 

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

*Companion to The Spanish Love Deception

Release date: September 6th 2022 

Goodreads / Amazon

5+ stars 💫

I have no words to express how much I loved this book! OMG.

If I said The Spanish Love Deception was, in one word, delicious, this one was delicious with extra topping.

YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THIS.

You are not ready for Lucas.

You are not ready for his POV.

You are not ready for Lucas AND Aaron on the same page.

You are not ready for Lucas. (Yes, I had to repeat that)

You are not ready for the most maddening slow burn in the history of slow burns.

You are not ready for the hugs.

For the Cronuts. The cooking. The "dates". The sexual tension. The banter.

The smiles.

For the vulnerability and emotion.

The intensity. The pet names.

The soundtrack.

For the LOL or spicey moments not appropriate for reading in public.

For the forced proximity trope. (!!!)

For ALL the tropes.

At least, I wasn't ready. And my expectations were pretty high considering, you know, the first book AND Aaron, but no - Lucas just kept dazzling me over and over. He is the sweetest most charming hero ever.

Rosie is a bit clumsy and awkward in the beginning lol (nobody blames her!), but the two of them together were hilarious.

Just... Top notch.

And steamy. And comforting. And inspiring, seeing as they struggle with the shaky state of their life and relationship.

I don't know how Elena makes every thought, feeling, look, emotion, action seem so realistic and relatable, but she does.

Also, I will never look at dolce de leche the same way again.

So...*whispers dramatically* I thought it was better than Spanish. And before you yell in outrage, that's just my opinion, because things hit differently this time. It may or my not have something to do with my weakness for Spain and Spanish people in general.

So yeah. Drop everything and read it the second you get your hands on it. I promise, you will not regret it.

Memorable quotes:

“Lina me va a cortar las pelotas.”

"That's my girl".

“Buenos días, preciosa. ”

“If we weren’t friends,” I told her, voice like gravel. “Good friends like we are, best friends”—I watched her eyelids flutter shut—“I would take you somewhere dark and rip your clothes off with my teeth without caring to have a good reason. Just so I could see you, have you to myself.”

“If you want anything from me, you only have to ask.” Lucas’s forehead came to rest against mine, his breath now leaving him shakily. “Don’t you see that I’ll break my back to provide anything you could possibly need? Have I not made myself obvious?”

He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “This is not a one-way street, Rosie. You look after me, and I look after you. We take care of each other. We’re a team.”

*eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review, THANK YOU SO MUCH! <3

Best Summer Rom-Com Books Recommendations

 Hi everyone! 

I jumped on the summer reads / rom-com trend late, but in the past few weeks I discovered some awesome, light, LOL books and I think you should give them a try if you love a fun, quick, feel good story!  

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Goodreads / Amazon

I'm a little late to the party, as this was a 2021 release and winner of Goodreads Choice Awards, but I got as sleep deprived, starry eyed, smiling like a loon, can't recover from the book hangover, never find another Aaron ever (in fiction and/or real life) as everyone else. ❤️‍🔥 It was DELICIOUS - that's the one word description that comes to mind - and I loved every second of it!!

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas 

*Companion to The Spanish Love Deception, release date: September 6th 2022 

Goodreads / Amazon

I have no words to express how much I loved this book! OMG.

If I said The Spanish Love Deception was, in one word, delicious, this one was delicious with extra topping.

Lucas just kept dazzling me over and over. He is the sweetest most charming hero ever.

Rosie is a bit clumsy and awkward in the beginning lol (nobody blames her!), but the two of them together were hilarious. Just... Top notch. And steamy. And comforting. And inspiring, seeing as they struggle with the shaky state of their life and relationship.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Goodreads / Amazon

Not as good as the other two, but still a very enjoyable, fun, summer read, set on a tropical island. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating are some of the memorable tropes you can check with this one. 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Goodreads / Amazon

And now one of my all times favorite romances! The banter, the bookish theme, the characters (I swear I am at least 80% Nora), the slow burn, the chemistry, everything was spectacular about this book! And it's like the anti-trope book - it takes all popular tropes, makes fun of them and spins them around in such a fun, LOL way! 

Shipped by Angie Hockman

Goodreads / Amazon

 Workplace rivals, cruises, tropical islands, banter, enemies to lovers - perfect recipe for a beach read! 

Who is your favorite romance author? I'm on a roll! 

xoxo

Deea

Book Review: To Wake a Kingdom by Nisha J. Tuli

Hi book friends! I'm here with another fab indie book recommendation! The deets:

~ Fantasy Romance

~ Curse of Thorne Duology - Book 1

~ Release date: August 23rd

~ 4.25 ⭐️

 Amazon / Goodreads

I read this book a few weeks ago but the fact that its still on my mind and I even have a pinterest section for it is a testament of how much I enjoyed it! It has beautiful, lyrical writing and many of the tropes we love, so I highly recommend it to any fantasy romance lover! 

The most important thing is that it's a badass spin on the Sleeping Beauty tale, with more wit, grit, action, steam and kickass characters than you'd expect. We are not dealing with a damsel in distress awaken by a prince's kiss here my friends! We get one feisty heroine growing, learning to fight, battling a curse, powerful enemies and a smoldering enemies to lovers story! 

 Tropes: 

🗡Sleeping Beauty Retelling

🗡Magic, fae, court intrigue 

🗡Dark & steamy

🗡Descriptive writing

🗡ToG, Plated Prisoner and A Curse so Dark and Lonely vibes

🗡Badass stabby heroine

🗡Enemies to lovers

🗡Forced Proximity

🗡One Horse Trope (which is better than 'one bed' imo)

🗡Action-packed

🗡Twists and curses

🗡Spice, friendships but also death and tears

🗡"Who did that to you?"

🗡"I'll kill anyone who hurts you" 

There is a lot of action and character development, poor Thorne goes through a lot and it's not pretty (actually it reminds me more of the later books in the Throne of Glass series than anything), but having Ronan and his crew by her side, learning to trust, heal and love really help in the end. 

The descriptive writing could be a little distracting at times and I needed a little more from Thorne and Ronans's romance at the beginning, but overall, a really great read!  

 “And don’t call me that.” 

“Say ‘please’.”

He mimicked my stance, arms folded. 

My glare should have melted him into the ground, but alas, there he sat, looking smug and sexy and exactly like what I didn’t need right now.

_

Good or bad, potential glimmered like a beacon. I had woken up. I was here and in control of my destiny.

_

"I’m in over my head, Thorne. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I don’t know how to be normal around you. How to be anything but completely consumed. You’ve undone me, and the thought of anything happening to you, of anyone causing you harm, makes me crazy.”

*Review copy provided by the author/BookSirens in exchange for my honest opinion

Book Review: Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity #6/Psy-Changeling #21)

 

Goodreads / Amazon / Bookstagram

4.5-5 stars

This book was everything I needed right now! The Psy-Changeling is one of the longest series I've been loving, following and devouring from book #1, with no exception, for years (this is technically book #21!!). I just can't get enough of it - and with every new book that comes out, more amazing characters whose stories I want to read next show up. More subplots and puzzles pieces fall into place.

If you are a longtime fan of Nalini, hi. I'm glad we're on this journey together - can we freak out about how this world keeps evolving but also gives us peeks into the lives of long loved characters too?

And if you didn't read it yet *gasp!* feel free to start anytime. Like yesterday. Start with Kaleb's story. No, with Hawke. Or the Arrows. Nevermind, go back to the beginning, with Lucas. *sigh* They are the definition of badass alpha males and get the strongest main ladies out there.

I'll admit I didn't quite connect to this couple in the beginning (their romance was a bit off) but just the fact that it was a Phy-Changelling pair and we had a Psy with a cat after a long time (which is my favorite kind of pairing!), made me enjoy every second of this book and put it right up there with all my favorites! It's probably because we were back in DarkRiver territory and we saw so many of the original couples and characters (Lucas! Tamsy! even KALEB!) and it made me all emotional, nostalgic and full of love.

Speaking of Luc, I was more excited about seeing him and the other OG characters than Ivan and his story. Buuut he and Lei really grew on me throughout the story. They're my favorite combo: scary, cold alpha male, melted by wicked, sweet, funny shifter. Grumpy x sunshine at its finest! Their interactions were everything - and being back in pack territory and seeing everyone getting involved, being fun and nosey as usual, was just priceless.  

Ivan glanced over, swore under his breath. “I can’t leave him alone for a single minute.” Vaughn slapped him on the back. “And you’re all but mated to another healer.” A glint in the near-gold of his eyes. “Welcome to the rest of your life.”

_

Only a healer would say such a thing to Ena Mercant, a ruthless matriarch whose Silence was meant to be flawless. Truly. How did her grandchildren keep doing this to her?

Anyway. As usual, I love how the main plot encompassed all the stories and manages to make each one about the main characters, but also about what's happening in the world around them, how they can affect it and how they get affected in turn. How they are all an important piece of a bigger puzzle. Ivan is all cool, dominant, Psy badass, while Lei is the wicked, bubbly, warm soul healer; perfect balance. They saved each other from the brink of darkness and it was perfect.

“I could never ignore you, Lei,” he said with that intense Ivan Mercant focus. “When I’m around you, you’re all I see. You’re like a star, you shine so bright. If I had my way, I’d keep you forever.”

_

I knew you wouldn’t be angry with me. Not my Ivan. You’d understand. Because you knew I was yours.”

_

“It’s too late.” She ran her hands up into his hair. “I’ve never had many people who were mine, Ivan. I don’t let go of those who are. And you’re mine. You know it and I know it. It’s a wild song between us.”

In the second part of the book, when they were more familiar with each other, their feelings, their situation, their families and all the people around them (suddenly everyone was in their business), their interactions became a delight.

Her tough, dangerous man didn’t know how to handle her. It was adorable.

It was all brilliant, action packed, fun and steamy. If this series goes on forever, I will not complain. I'll gulp it down like an addict, no matter the pairing. 

xo

Deea

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

 

Goodreads / Amazon

4 stars

Readers who enjoyed These Hollow Vows will definitely love this conclusion to the duology! It was action packed, filled with angst, new characters, plot development and solved most of the issues from the first book. The story wrapped up nicely and the love triangle was solved naturally. Everything happened as it was supposed to and the HEA was so beautiful and intense and perfect that it could melt even the most skeptical romance reader. If Lexi Ryan ever wishes to visit this world again, there is room for more stories to develop from where it left off (ie. the other side of the love triangle, obviously).

BUT. As I'm in minority here and I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book, I had my issued with this one as well, so keep that in mind.

This is more a rambling personal note than a review because of my mixed feelings, just so you know beforehand. :))

Despite my misgivings and low rating of the first book, I'm not sorry I read this series. The parts that are good are really good and I would encourage others to read it as well, especially if you like faerie, royals and court intrigue sort of books. Just don't have high expectations and have patience to see its true potential. It gets so, so much better in the second book!

I still don't care for Brie, the heroine (sorry), which is what took away some of my enjoyment of the book. But like I said in my previous review, it may be just a case of "it's not you, it's me". She feels sorry for herself, keeps repeating that she is not worthy, she "doesn't understand" anything that is right there in front of her eyes (hello Bella Swan, it's been a while), she has self pity parties all the time, constantly asking for people's approval and reassurances... No. Just no. Being in her head was draining and distracting. Other than that, everything was almost great lol. (Especially Finn and the supporting characters!)

I know Lexi Ryan is a talented author and this was her first venture in the Fantasy world, and it shows. You can feel her experience, depth, talent and easiness to wave stories in every scene, emotion and world building detail, but at the same time there's like a hesitancy or clumsiness to the story, inconsistencies, things that could have been done better/avoided. Still, the world she portrayed is vivid, intricate, beautiful, intense and filled with twisty actions and emotions. Lots and lots of emotions! Because love triangle. *sigh* It was intense and gutting.

The emotional turmoil got stronger here, but things heated up a bit too. In the end, the transition from one side of the love triangle to the next was seamless and beautifully done. It made sense. Overall, the relationships evolve naturally, may it be friendship or deepest love and steamy scenes. Bonus points for new characters - I love Misha!

The plot was somewhat predictable, but engaging enough that made you want to see if, how or when it all happens - and what comes next. I would have liked a little more flow and consistency, it felt like parts of the stories were dragging and we walked around in circles, only for the key points to happen in a flash. Also, I could still feel the 'shadow' of ACOTAR over the story and I wish I could focus more on this one than unintentionally making comparisons in my head.

Long story short, These Twisted Vows is a solid continuation and conclusion to this miniseries. I have my issued with it, but it's a good story and maybe I will not miss certain characters, but I will definitely miss Finn and these Faery courts! 

***Review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for a honest opinion, thank you!

xoxo

Deea

Review: These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan

 

Goodreads / Amazon / My Bookstagram

 2.5~3 stars

I'm sad to say I don't think this book was for me. :( Considering the popularity and glowing reviews, it's definitely a case of "it's not the book, it's me" lol. 

*sorry, rant ahead*

I was very excited to start this series, as I have a weakness for Fae books, but sadly it didn't deliver, in my opinion. The potential was there, but... I didn't really feel it.🥺

"Cruel Prince meets ACOTAR"??*smh*. Clearly. Add a bit of Iron Fey in there too and it's not much left to the actual story.

I could see pieces of those series throughout the book (like even the wine drinking and dancing scene 🙄) but otherwise, it added little on the originality front.

The premise was good, with the relics, the two courts, hidden agendas and heroine stuck in the middle of some immortal power struggle, but the plot twists were predictable, the characters made annoying decisions and the world could have been developed more.

And the love triangle... *sigh* That's usually my least favorite trope, but my not loving the story had nothing to do with that. I just didn't believe them. I didn't really care for Brie, 'Prince Ronan' was too good to be true (just too soft and dreamy to be believable, there was something off about him) and Finn needed more presence in the book to keep things interesting and balanced. He is actually the only character I liked 😁 - and not because he was the supposed villain (and we all love our villains, am I right?) but because he was the only one who was authentic. Who meant what he said (albeit a little harshly) and whose actions spoke more than his words.

On the plus side: the writing was beautiful and engaging, the worldbuilding was not bad and Fae court intrigue is always fun, so I'll settle for 2.5~3 stars (though I almost DNFed at one point🙊).

I will read the second book, as I want to see what happens after that cliffhanger and how it all ends and I enjoy Lexi's writing, but I'm just not getting into it with very high hopes this time. 

xo

Deea

Underrated Summer Books You Need To Read

 Hi everyone, happy Monday! 🌞

I know our summer TBR piles can be a little overwhelming and a lot of fun new titles are coming out lately, BUT I wanted to give a shout out to some books and authors that never failed in the Romance department, especially when it comes to fun, adventure and summer vibes. ☀️🌊

So, from the series 'books/authors you should read at least once in your lifetime', I present to you... 📚

• Float Plan by Trish Doller (a story of self discovery, healing, new beginning, new chance at love; set on a boat at sea⛵️)

• That Boy Series by Jillian Dodd (one of my all times favorite series - and one of the most immersive, realistic and fun writing out there. I just LIVE with these characters when I read it; we follow these characters since they were kids, so we literally feel like part of the family)

• Suddenly One Summer by Julie James (one of the queens of women's fiction, strong characters and banter; I highly recommend the audiobook, it's almost like watching a Rom Com at the movies)

• Rythm, Chord & Malykhin by Mariana Zapata (we should all be familiar with Zapata's slow burn romance and charming characters by now, but with this one we go on tour on a bus with a band, so basically we get all the summer festival vibes + a romance story )

• The Field Party series by Abbi Glines (or anything she's ever written really ~ small town romance, sports romance, field parties, all the young, angsty and restless vibes - YA/NA romance)

• The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary (sweet, adventurous, hilarious plot and characters 👌)

Have you read any of them?

I hope you all have a fun and productive week!

xo

Deea

Book Review: Falling Princess by Joline Pearce

 Hi guys! 

I always loved finding hidden gems in the bookish community, so I was very happy that I received this book in exchange for a honest review from the Book Sirens and I really enjoyed it! 

Falling Princess (Fallen Realm Book One)

Goodreads / Amazon

My post on Bookstagram

My rating: 4 stars

*Some things could have been done better, like the world building or like the transition from enemies to lovers, and the drama could have been less dragged out, but overall, it was a great read and I would recommend it to Forbidden Romance/College Romance/ Princess and Bodyguard lovers.

Falling Princess was such a nice surprise! A very unique interesting story and I enjoyed it more than other highly popular books out there, so I wish it got more attention.

Tropes:

- Royal life

- Princess/Bodyguard

- Forced Proximity

- Forbidden Romance

- Slow burn

I guess I would call it realistic or modern romantic fantasy - here we have a Princess of a mysterious falling kingdom trying to live a little in the real world before she embarks on the royal life set out for her. The description is a little misleading, as we deal with far more than a princess and a knight and their forbidden romance. We see Princess Zosia juggling college life, romance, inner turmoil, loneliness, assassination attempts, royal balls, meetings and school project deadlines. Quite the mix! The plot is character driven, so I wish we got more action, world development and background on the Falling Kingdom.

We probably got the most interesting twist on a love triangle ever - because of her status, if the Princess has to go to "experience college life", she has to go with her newly appointed bodyguard and other royals in toe. So the relationship between them all got all kinds of tangled and twisted up to the point we don't know who loves who and who to trust. LOL

The f*cktangular love pentagram strikes again.

Which leads to a lot of questions, forbidden interactions, slow burn, hiding and heartbreak. ALL IN FORCED PROXIMITY of course.

The enemies to lovers trope is on point - Lorcan is everything you would want from a brooding knight, he is so hard to read, their interactions are a delicious slow torture. Zosia's feelings towards him went a little too fast from enemy to hero worship, but I can't say I really blame her... The story is told from her POV and she is a very likeable, relatable heroine. So bonus points for that too. :)

And speaking of action and the falling kingdom, the story ends on a cliffhanger so I will probably read the next one soon too.

xoxo

Deea

CARAVAL Series by Stephanie Garber

 Hi everyone! 

Goodreads

Overall rating: 4.5 stars

I recently finished The Caraval series by Stephanie Garber and it was amazing! Highly, highly recommened to anyone who loves YA Fantasy, magical worlds, spellbinding writing, romance and mysterious enchanting heroes. 

I posted more about it on my Bookstagram, so please check that out for reels, images and quotes. 

My Instagram Post

Legendary (book 2) was still my favorite of the entire series, it was superb! ♠️♥️

In Caraval (book 1), it took me a while to connect to the characters and their story and Finale (book 3) was great, action packed and had fun twists, new characters and the ending wrapped up perfectly, but I spent a lot of time daydreaming about Jacks and his HEA lol.💔🍏

Anyway, I loved it, a really spellbinding series, just like it says, and I would read it again and again if I had the time. ❤️ Stephanie is easily becoming one of my favorite authors.