Beastly Crown by Ines Johnson

2 Stars

She was only meant to make the royal wedding gown, not wear it.

Belle never dreamed of ballrooms or crowns—she dreamed of seams and silks, of becoming the most sought-after dressmaker in all of Solmane. But when the fae princess flees her arranged marriage, Belle is left holding the wedding gown. As the fearsome Beast Prince prowls towards her looking to collect his bride, it's either pretend to be the fairy princess so her dress gets a chance to be seen by potential new clients or get sent back home poor and empty handed. She only has to hold the lie while the guards hunt down the runaway. But standing before the Beast Prince with his powerful form and disarming mix of gruffness and vulnerability, Belle discovers something she didn’t bargain for: a heart that might finally understand hers.

Born cursed in a partial shift between man and beast, Prince Adom of Pridehaven has resigned himself to a marriage he never wanted. Marrying the fae princess chosen by the moon god is the only way to break his family's curse and rid the land of the trolls that plague them. Love has no place in his life. But the woman standing before him is nothing like he imagined—spirited, sincere, and entirely captivating. Against all odds, Adom’s frozen heart begins to thaw.

Too bad secrets have a way of unraveling even the most carefully stitched plans. Belle isn't the real princess, and marrying Adom won’t break his curse leaving the fate of his kingdom and both their futures at stake.

OMG this was so slow and there are more books to get to the HEA. There was also a log of repetitiveness in the book. Overall, not investing in more books to see how the couple get their HEA.

Book 1 Lunaterra Chronicles

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Runaways by Devney Perry

4 Stars

Londyn McCormack didn’t have a typical childhood. She ran away at sixteen and spent her youth searching for a place to call home. She’s built a good life for herself through hard work and a little luck, but after a devastating divorce, she’s running away again. Her life collides with Brooks Cohen, a small-town mechanic who gives her a reason to stop driving on that runaway road.

Gemma Lane built an empire. Not a small feat, considering her home as a teenager was a makeshift tent in a California junkyard. She’s dedicated her life to turning pennies into millions. And she’s leaving it all behind. She’s headed across the country in her best friend’s Cadillac when a detour in Montana reunites her with Easton Greer, a man who hasn’t changed. A man who still owns her heart.

Katherine Gates has been in love with Cash Greer since the moment he saved her life from a runaway goat. But she’s learned to shove her feelings for Cash down deep. They’re friends—best friends. Until the day they take an impulsive road trip to the Oregon coast. And she learns that Cash has some secrets of his own.

Aria Saint-James went to Arizona for a vacation with her sister. Instead, she’s stuck at a wedding with her nemesis, Brody Carmichael. She blames the champagne for falling into bed with him that night. Enemy or no, the billionaire is irresistible in a tux. Except Aria gets a surprise a few weeks later—she’s pregnant. When he learns that she’s carrying his child, Brody offers Aria the chance of a lifetime. The catch? She has to live under his roof until the baby is born.

Clara Saint-James is completing a journey. She’s returning a Cadillac to California, a place she’s avoided for more than a decade. It’s time for closure and to put ghosts to rest. And it’s time to find out if there’s still a spark to an old flame. She fell in love with Karson Avery when they lived as runaway teens in a junkyard. That love stayed with her for more than a decade. Either it’s finally their time to be together. Or it’s time to let him go and surrender to the dotted lines that have always kept them apart.

Book 1 Runaway Road – I loved this one so much. Londyn was so strong and just wanted to find her HEA with or without a man in her life. Brooks just wants to take care of her and they were so sweet together.

Book 2 Wild Highway – This one builds on book 1 and is just as good. I loved Gemma and Easton. The issues they have to overcome to get their HEA is amazing to read.

Book 3 Quarter Mile – I think this was my least favorite book in the series. It was mostly because Cash was such an ass throughout this book. He never redeems himself but Katherine ends up with him.

Book 4 Forsaken Trail – I loved the fights between Aria and Brody so much. The give and take between them was fire. I loved seeing them get to their HEA in the end.

Book 5 Dotted Lines – Also one I wasn’t a huge fan of. Karson was dating someone when Clara came to town. Yes he broke up with her before starting something with Clara but it was just an ick for me.

Books 1-5 Runaways

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Accidentally Forever by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

In the world of romance, Aria Montgomery knows two things for sure:

She’s not in love with the man everyone thinks she is.

And she refuses to let herself love Crew McTavish.

Her former best friend is spiraling, and her photography career seems to be standing in her father’s shadow. Aria knows she needs to find her way out of the darkness. Yet she’s afraid if she allows Crew inside, he’ll not only take over—but he’ll get hurt in the process.

Crew McTavish enjoys being the mysterious friend of the Montgomery’s. They may joke that he’s dating his way into their family one-by-one, but in the end, it’s only one Montgomery he wants: Aria.

Their pull to one another is inevitable and once a line is crossed, the heat between them ignites.

Only his family’s dark secrets threaten to pull him down and when Aria is threatened, Crew will stop at nothing to protect her.

Even if it means watching the world he’s built burn.

I loved Crew and Lex so much. They work so well together and I wanted them to get their HEA. You want to knock some sense into Lex with how much she doubts herself and her art and her constantly comparing it to what her dad. Knock both of their heads together with all the secrets they keep from each other under the guise of keeping the other one safe. The book just worked for me.

Book 8 Montgomery Ink Legacy

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What Hides in the Shadows by Allie Santos

4 Stars

She was always meant to be his.

Whispers haunted her for years, but before her thirtieth birthday, the truth emerged—something ancient had been waiting. A deal struck before she was born had bound her to a being older than time itself, a predator who claimed her soul was always his. No matter how she resisted, he slipped through every defense, watching, forcing . . . tormenting.

He was the monster destined to be her doom.

Countless souls had vanished into his shadows, leaving death in his wake—but her light was different. He didn’t want to destroy her. He wanted to possess her.

But want had never mattered. The bargain had been struck. Her soul marked for the taking.

To survive, he would have to consume the one thing he couldn’t bear to lose.

This was a dark and smutty book in the best way possible. I do think there could be some better world building but still a good read. Love the Lord of Shadows.

Book 2 Monsters of Darkness

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Pack Down Bad by Drea Denae and Cassie James

2 Stars

The search for Mr. Right is over…

Until my new “boyfriend” walks into a bar and my best friend gets fate-induced heart-eyes at first sniff.

So, I bow out with grace and maturity… by running from the bar and jumping behind the wheel of my car in the middle of a snowstorm. When I find myself lost on an unfamiliar road outside of town, everything suddenly goes blank.

Luckily, three alphas that smell a lot like mine come to my rescue. I can’t remember anything except my name, and we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal or internet, but I feel… safe.

Rhys is carefree and exciting, even if his skills in the kitchen are lackluster compared to what he offers in the bedroom. There’s kind, quiet Percy, who shows me just how much he wants to take care of me in every way. And there’s Knox, the head alpha of the pack, an aloof artist who isn’t ready to welcome me with open arms. He isn’t throwing me out, either, so there’s still hope.

My fantasies of happily ever after and multiple orgasms suddenly don’t seem so far-fetched. But I should know better…

There were so many pacing issues. I also had issues with the BFF stealing her boy friend and she’s just supposed to be ok with this. Which she wasn’t which leads to Belle being too stupid to live when she runs away from them and ends up in the middle of no where. The new guys were also making stupid decisions in this book. It ended up being a meh book.

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His Second Chance by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

The rules were simple. Protect the woman I love. And try to stop loving her along the way.

Kane Montgomery Carr and Phoebe Dixon’s romance went from a fiery temptation to a fizzled out heartbreak.

Only Kane has no idea why. All he knows is that he has to keep her safe when a stalker sets Phoebe in their sights.

Yet as the two of them are forced once again into each other’s lives, the truth behind their breakup surfaces and they are forced to face the facts: the feelings and heat they buried aren’t quite as gone as they’d like.

If they give in, they’ll have to face the demons that broke them up in the first place—including a startling secret that shocks them both.

Yet if they don’t, they might lose the chance of a life time.

That is, of course, if they can survive what lurks in the shadows for them both.

This was such an amazing second chance romance. I love that it builds on all of the other stories and adds to them.

I loved the narrators as well. they did a good job bringing the people to life

Book 6 Montgomery Ink Legacy

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Knot Enough by JP Sina and Allie Santos

4 Stars

Read the warnings for this book as this book handles some very dark topics.

I’m the daughter overlooked. In a world where omegas are valued, I’m tossed aside when I never present. My daily routine is mundane—until my father tells me he got me a pack meeting, something strictly for omegas. It’s ludicrous, and I have no choice.

But that’s the least of my worries when a bag is thrown over my head. Rath may be my captor, but Kane, Oak, and Axel don’t stop him. They are set on exacting revenge—but on the wrong woman. I haven’t committed any of the crimes they accuse me of, and when their scent drives my instincts crazy, I’m forced to face the truth: the ones who were meant to love and protect me would become my ruin.

I loved Lena and the guys. I do question the ones actions and not confirming anything but what fun would that be. The guys do so much groveling to make up for what they did and it was nice. The book was well written and flows nicely. I would love more in this world.

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