Cosmic Kiss by Clio Evans

I’d seen Cosmic Kiss by Clio Evans floating around for a bit and finally decided to give it a read, just to see what the hype was about. Unfortunately, it didn’t take a hold of me as I hoped it would. Part of it might be the fact that I listened to this as an audiobook, but I think the stronger part is simply that I’ve read better.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan

I really enjoyed The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan. Yes, the social commentary is heavy but so is the gore and horror imagery. I think everything meshes so well that eventually the knowledge that this is commentary fades to the background and all you can focus on is how everything is so incredibly wrong all the time. If you like horror, are okay with gory animal and body descriptions, I think this is definitely something worth picking up. I did listen to this as an audiobook which I really enjoyed and I think made the experience so much more visceral.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Magicians by Lev Grossman is a book that grows with you. Reading it as the age of the characters, you feel their strife. Reading it as an older person with more experience, you feel the heartbreak that you know is unavoidable because there is nothing to be done to avoid the sorrows that come with growing up. I wholeheartedly recommend this book but please understand, this isn’t a grown up or dark Harry Potter. It’s depression and yearning and growing pains that can’t be avoided with magic thrown in.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

I put this off for years but finally grew curious enough to pick up A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas thinking surely it couldn’t be so bad. Well, as a fan of Nesta, it could be so bad. In fact, it could be worse.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

Despite reservations, I read “A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J Maas, hoping for a pleasant surprise. Instead, it worsened my disappointment. Nesta Archeron, once a favorite character, is poorly treated. The narrative lacks substance, feeling like a cash grab. Skip it, and go to ao3 instead for something better written.

The Jinn Daughter by Rania Hanna

“The Jinn Daughter” by Rania Hanna offers beautiful prose and captivating tales woven by the jinn Nadine. While heavy on exposition, it’s a unique narrative experience. Despite a faltering ending, the exploration of maternal sacrifice resonates deeply. A recommended read for those seeking literary richness and introspection on mother-daughter dynamics.

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark

After being disappointed by Haunting Adeline, I ventured deeper into dark, stalker romance and found There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark. Now this is what I was looking for. This is a dark, stalker romance! Cole was a pretty hot male protagonist and definitely not a hero. He is dark and messed up in […]

Haunting Adeline by HD Carlton

Haunting Adeline by HD Carlton is the turning point in my taking any recommendations from TikTok. I was so incredibly underwhelmed. This was marketed as incredibly dark with a sexy male character and a female protagonist that isn’t an idiot. Well, it was all a bunch of lies. Now, I don’t know what that says […]

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

As everyone that follows my reviews should know by now, I am a SUCKER for hockey. I’ve been a fan of the sport my entire life, followed my team for three quarters of my life, and it’s just my thing. So of course I love hockey romances – it combines all of my favorite things! […]

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

I don’t know what I expected when I picked up The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, but I do know I was pleasantly surprised! I thought this would just be a cute and cozy magic realism book, but this was so much more! Off the bat, the romance was a little […]

Twisted Kingdom by Rina Kent

We are getting straight into this review for Twisted Kingdom by Rina Kent. No introductory paragraph. Just me, telling you, this is a DARK romance and the final book in the trilogy of Aiden and Elsa, so be warned of spoilers. This was a PERFECT FIVE STAR ROMANCE. The PERFECT ending to a romance trilogy. […]

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

After really falling for The Love Hypothesis, I saw Bride by Ali Hazelwood and thought this was an absolute must read for me. I picked it up not knowing a single thing other than vampire, werewolf, Ali Hazelwood. It did not disappoint! This is a pure, paranormal romance and if you’re expecting something more, something greater, you’re in the wrong genre. The story was fun, the characters great, and the romance smutty.

Steel Princess by Rina Kent

The second I finished Deviant King, I picked up Steel Princess by Rina Kent because I NEEDED to know what happened next. Caution, this might have spoilers for Deviant King as this is book 2 in that trilogy. This continues to be a DARK romance with bully tendencies but the biggest jump from book 1 […]

Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon

Right after finishing Ice Planet Barbarians, I ran to pick up the second in the series, Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon. While I really enjoyed the first one, oh man, Barbarian Alien really hit the spot with this couple dynamic. There’s just something about two prickly, more similar than nots that find a way to […]

Satan’s Affair by HD Carlton

I’m gonna be honest with you. I picked this up as an audiobook and I think that really colored a lot of what I disliked about Satan’s Affair by HD Carlton. A friend and I decided we were going to read Haunting Adeline to see what all the hype was about and before we could start, I wanted to read this since that’s the reading order the author recommended. Picked it up as an audiobook to listen to while at work (yes, I live dangerously.) This literally sat at 2 stars until the ending.