Royal Hunt by Raven Storm

3 Stars

Eve was only trying to get out of horrible betrothal. At least, that's what she told herself when she snuck out onto the balcony during the royal feast, and had her wicked way with the first man she met.
How was she supposed to know that while that was going on, the royal family was being murdered just beyond the wall?
And the man she was with was a drunken, disgusting mess. There was no indication he was anyone at all of importance!
Yet keeping the new crown prince of the realm alive is only the beginning of her worries. With the murder of the royals came the fae; creatures with magick who descend every hundred years or so to force the humans underneath them to compete in death games. They call it the Royal Hunt.
Now it isn't just about saving the prince's life, but her own, and every human living in the kingdom.

I loved the concept and how things played out. However, it dragged and we still have book 2 to get through for the full story. The first half of the book was a solid 4 while the second half was more like a 2. I loved that she was trying to screw up her betrothal when she mistakenly picked one of the royals to be ruined. They had a lot of chemistry between them. When the fae came out and started the “games” is where the book lost me. It wasn’t explained well for me and it was a drag to read. I will read the rest to find out how things end but hopefully the second book will be better.

Book 1 Royal Fae

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Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

 

5 Stars

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

I loved this book so much. It was different and very much a fantasy book. I loved the world building and the character development. I feel like I understand the characters and can’t wait to see what happens with them in future books. Listening to the audio was also nice. Narrator did an excellent job bringing the story to life.

Book 1 Isle of Wyrd

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Fawn by L.V. Lane

3 Stars

The wolf thought he claimed her.

The stag king knows she was always meant to be his.

Fawn is not the harmless human beta she pretended to be.

She is a hidden omega doe—

and her scent is rewriting the balance of power between wolves and stags.

Five powerful males.

And none of them are willing to let her go.

Enemies will learn exactly what happens

when you threaten a king’s queen.

I struggled with reading this one. The pacing was slow and it frustrated me. I liked all the men and her being used was interesting. It was just an ok read.

Book 12 Coveted Prey

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Beyond the Winter Kingdom by Aurelia Jane and Kel Carpenter

3.5 Stars

Faerie was a nightmare—twice kidnapped, magically bound, and held captive by my fated mate. But Eversus? That’s where the real party starts. And yes, I RSVP’d like an idiot.

Sadie’s gone. Vanished without a trace. And the only lead we have points to a realm no sane person dares to enter: a pit of smoke and ash, ruled by demons and forgotten gods. A place no fae survives.

Eversus.

Vareck—the fierce, brooding King of Faerie—is determined to be my plus one into the twin hells. He says we’re bonded. That I belong to him.

But I didn’t ask for a mate. And I had no intention of catching feelings in the middle of a hellscape.

Together, we’ll brave the realm of monsters to bring my sister home. But the deeper we go, the more I wonder if I'm the one who won’t make it back.

When a world fights to devour us, his voice is the thread I hold on to.

Because some bonds burn brighter in the dark.

And it turns out, some monsters aren’t left behind—they come with you.

I really wanted to love this as much as I loved book 1. This one was a whole lot of nothing happening. It added a bunch to the story without really moving it forward. I still liked the characters and there were new ones added with additional information added to characters from book 1. I just didn’t feel like it added enough to the first book to be awesome. It ends on cliffhanger ending. I am invested and will read the next one but it just frustrated me. The audio was good and I liked the narrators.

Book 2 Faeted Seasons

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Ruined Wings by Annie Anderson

4 Stars

A Luxa will wake the Beast…

A Luxa will unbind him…

A Luxa will destroy us all…

Vale Tenebris has a big problem–she needs to get her and her sister out of the Perder Lucem like yesterday. Living with a bunch of cave-dwelling magic hunters wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t hiding what she is from the very people sworn to kill her.

Her escape plans crumble to dust when she has to choose between the freedom she longs for and saving her sister from the clan leader’s son. Forced to use the unruly magic, she exposes the one thing that would mean her execution.

Being put to death isn’t the worst part, either. No, that comes in the form of two dragon shifters who come to her rescue, claiming that she is the key to unbinding their king and saving the realm from extinction.

Betrothed to the Beast and thrust into an unknown world filled with daggers at every turn, Vale needs to learn how to use her magic–and fast. Because that ring on her finger won’t save her if she can’t figure out how to help the king, nor will it stop her attraction to the shifters who pulled her from the brink of death.

And the magic brewing under her skin could very well be the end to them all.

I loved this fantasy book. It is different from other books. I like the world building and character development. It ends on a cliffhanger ending and I am curious to see how the story plays out.

Book 1 Severed Flames

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Dark Prince by Raven Storm

 

4 Stars

A SWITCH AT THE ALTAR. A CURSED PRINCE. A CURSE SO DARK IT WILL BRING A KINGDOM TO ITS KNEES.

Slave to her step-father and his daughter, Isadora longed for the day when she could leave her manor for good. Little did she know it would come sooner than she thought.

When the Dark Prince comes to claim her step-sister as his bride, she forces Isadora to switch places with her, thinking no one would want to claim Isadora as their own.

The Dark Prince disagreed. He is the king's favored assassin, and the hand of justice that's an extension of the king's will. And now Isadora must share his bed.

Yet something is wrong back at the Dark Prince's castle, where his people gaze at her with a lingering darkness in their eyes. A beast roams the woods at night, but no one seems to care. A witch in the woods admits the Dark Prince and his people are under a curse, and Isadora might be their only chance to undo it before it consumes the entire kingdom.

I loved this book. FMC is so strong and kicks so many butts to get her HEA. It’s an interesting take on a fairytale. There are so many trigger warnings that should be added but it is on the darker side. By the end of the book, I wanted more so downloaded the bonus epilogue. Even with that I want more with them. It just hit all the right notes for me.

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A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J Penner

3.5 Stars

A human, a dwarf and an elf walk into a bake-off…

In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, Arleta Starstone, a human confectionist works twice as hard perfecting her unique blend of baking and apothecary herbs.

So when an orc neighbor secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma.

Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, this human will need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

While competing, she'll set off on a journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships and romance, while questioning whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize.

I wanted to love this book as I loved the idea and the writing style. I couldn’t get passed how whiney FMC was. Everyone is boosting her up and she just tears herself down. She never gets better, and it frustrated me so much. I liked the writing style so much I will check out book 2 to see if the characters are better.

Book 1 Adenashire

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Blackened Blade by Isla Davon

4 Stars

Not many people get a second chance, let alone a second life.
I died. Burning in a prison cell I spent years of my life rotting away in.
I had been beaten, battered and bruised beyond repair...but not broken.
Never broken.
By whatever miracle, I’ve been brought back ten years into my past and before I was locked away...
But to a different kind of hell…Wensridge Academy. A place filled with only memories of pain and suffering.
But this time I’ll break the wheel of misfortune, and with it all the people who caused my suffering and death.
This time I’ll have the life I should have always had.

Why did I read this before all books were out. It starts with time travel, which I’m not a huge fan of but this one made me happy. Micai can get revenge for all those that harmed her. All things that make for a good read for me. I wanted more world building and character development. I also wanted some back history but I’m hoping that will come in future books with how the book is set up. It was one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Book 1 Blackened Blade

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Trained for Their Pleasure by LV Lane

2 Stars

Widowed and uninterested in another husband, Hazel is prepared to live the life of a widow. Unfortunately, she is given to Jack and Fen. A beta to be used for their pleasure. They will teach her how to take them and be ready whenever they want her to be. Will she find her HEA with them?

Was not a fan of this book. I can’t even point to why I didn’t like it. I just know it was a struggle to get through it. Jack and Fen were assholes from beginning to the end with no redemption. It was about them pushing the FMC limits to please them. It never felt like they wanted her for her, just the challenge they got from being with her. Plus, she was just a hole for them to use. It could have been a really good book but it just fell flat for me.

Book 5 Coveted Prey

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Between Realms by Yve Vale

3 Stars

Wyn is one of the only humans in the fae realm after the war. She’s an indentured servant who just wants to live her best life. When she receives a summons to the castle for an audience with the royals. On her journey to the castle, she runs into trouble and is rescued by a mysterious fae who is also heading to the castle. He takes it upon himself to be her protector to the castle. Once they arrive, she finds he is an advisor to the prince. The prince wishes to learn about humans and their bodies and asks her to allow him to explore. There isn’t supposed to be any feelings or connections but can they keep out emotions before they get hurt?

This is a very slow burn. Wyn is very Pollyanna esc character and a whole lot of naivety. This is also a world building book and set up for the rest of the series which is fine but made for slow reading for me. It does end on a cliffhanger and that is about when it started getting really good so a bit disappointing, but it did draw me in enough to look forward to the next book.

Book 1 Fae Hearted

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Curse of Shadow and Thorn by LJ Andrews

2 Stars

Elise has been raised with certain expectations being the King’s niece but she wants to forge her own path. However, he holds the life of her ailing father over her to make her do what he wants. These leads her to Legion Grey who is supposedly there to negotiate a dowry but the more time they spend together the more time they want to stay together. Legion has secrets that may tear them apart. Will they find way or will the secrets tear them apart?

This was an Instagram find and the ad looks so good I figured it would be worth reading. It was a meh read. The worst was the ending where there is no HEA but ended on a cliff. The MMC is a dick throughout the book and then abandons the FMC after the pivotal scene that is the entire reason I read the stupid book. He just walks away to do what he feels needs to be done vs working out the best approach with her. It’s a good idea but needs so much work and it’s not worth it to me to continue the series.

Book 1 Broken Kingdoms

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Kraken Sacrifice by Katee Roberts

 

2 Stars

Catalina has nowhere else to go so she might as well agree to marry a strange creature. She is won by the Kraken and must stay with him for seven years. Thane is cold and distant with her and she just wants someone to be with. Will they find their way to happily ever after?

The story was there but it felt rushed. The story was plotting along nicely but then it got to a certain point, and it just rushes to conclude the story. This led to the story feeling rushed and incomplete. It felt like the author had a page count and once she got to that point, she had to wrap it up even though the story wasn’t complete. Was liking it up to this point but no thank you.

Book 2 A Deal with a Demon

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Darkest Night by Alessa Thorn

 

3 Star

Athena Edgeworth is not someone you want to cross. She was found as a child covered in blood in the forest and was raised to be a ruthless mercenary. When she is seduced by ex-assassin, Kon so he could steal a magical manuscript she is determined to get him back and then some. She steals one too many relics out from under him that Kon’s boss decides to take them both out. They will have to work together to get out of it alive.

This book started off so slowly for me. It did pick up and I ended up falling into the story and loved Athena and Kon. I also felt like we started a couple chapters into the story which might have been why the story was slow. I kept trying to figure out what was going on. Once I sorted everything I enjoyed the story and seeing how Athena and Kon get their HEA. I loved Alessa Thorn’s writing so I will be checking out book 2.

Book 1 Mercenaries and Magic

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Ruled by Magic by Zara J Black

 

1 Star

Lord Commander Leo Rahl gave Livet a choice, to take the 15 years in prison for exposing the magical elite or 6 months of being his toy. She opts for the 6 months figuring it won’t be that bad. He can do whatever he likes to her and there is nothing she can do. Will she regret her decision to take Leo’s deal?

So I borrowed this book twice cause I forgot I read it, that is how forgettable it is. I wanted to like it but it just came across as an abusive relationship vs a dark, BDSM esq book. I don’t usually have a problem with dark or Dub/Con but this one crossed a line. Some people might be ok with the content and there’s no judgment for my morals it crossed a line. There was a lot of public humiliation, and this would have been fine but she hated it. None of it was for her pleasure but all his. He wanted revenge on her and it twisted into love at some point but I never felt the connection. Overall, the writing style was good and I will probably give the author a second chance but this book wasn’t for me.

Book 1 Ruled by Magic

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Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews

 

5 Star

Rada seems like such a peaceful planet but there is a constant competition for power. There are two main fractions Adlers and Baenas. They have been fighting to gain the upper hand for generations. After a catastrophic betrayal brings the heads of each together. Ramona Adler and Matias Baena must set aside their differences and work together to prevent something much worse from taking over their planet. As they investigate, they find there is an attraction between them. Will they act on it?

I loved this book so much. I loved how Ramona and Matias work together to solve their marital problems. The connections they make whole tracking their cheating spouses was amazing. The ending was perfect and made me laugh so hard. Overall, the writing was spot on. Same for the world building. Here’s hoping for more books in this world.

Book 3 Kinsmen

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Crow Bones by Anne Bishop

 

5 Stars

Vicki Devine made a critical error in telling the Others about trickster night and they want to partake in the festivities. What should have been a lighthearted night of tricks and treats turns deadly when someone shows up pretending to be Crowbones the Crowgard’s bogeyman. Chief Grimshaw Ilya Sanguinati and the rest of their friends will have to work together to find out who is responsible for stirring up the Others.

I loved this book. In the original story I liked all the characters, and they are all back with this one. Vicki is no longer struggling with money but still has some issues with men. This book also gave some insight into what’s been happening since wild Country. I loved finding out about certain characters. One of the best things I liked about this book was who the bad guys were. No spoilers as it’s a major plot point. Now I want to go and reread all of these books again.

Book 3 World of Others

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The Assassin’s Salvation by Ruby Lionsdrake

 

5 Star

Sergei Zharkov is an assassin by trade and when he hears there is a bounty out against Mandrake, he rushes to let him know.  What he wasn’t expecting was Jamie Flipkens.  She is young and wanting a change from being pilot and engineer.  She is attracted to Sergei and wants to believe he wouldn’t hurt Captain Mandrake.  She is willing to go undercover with him to find out who has it out for Mandrake.  Will they be able to find out who wants the Mandrake Captain dead?

I felt so bad for Sergei in this book.  Everyone else sucked.  Sergei works his ass off for the Mandrake Company even though it causes problems for him, and he isn’t trusted by the crew.  They would rather believe the worst in him.  I loved that he was willing to let Jamie spread her wings and fly where others in the book kind of put her into a box of what they expected of her. Overall, it was by far my favorite book in the series.  I loved Sergei and Jamie.  

Book 3 Mandrake Company

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Trial and Temptation by Ruby Lionsdrake

 

4 Star

Val Calendula is looking for steady work with the Mandrake Company to save her brother.  She wasn’t planning on running into her former instructor Commander Thatcher.  He always had something to say to her about how she did things.  What she thought was criticism was just Gregor Thatcher’s was just the way he acted.  Gregor was always a bit awkward and never knew what to say to anyone.  He had all the skills to do the job but not the personality.  He always wanted Val but knew it would be wrong since he oversaw her.  He’s still in charge of her but he wants her.  Is he willing to take a risk to find his happy ending?

The give and take in this book was fun to read.  I really enjoyed the struggle both Gregor and Val had.  Val had to come to terms with her misconceptions of Gregor.  He had to come to terms with Val being a subordinate and finding away around that.  They both struggled and that led to a very good read.  It fit with the first book, and you do need to read the first book to get all the nuances of series to understand this one.  I think you could read this without reading the first one but meh, read the first one.

Book 2 Mandrake Company 

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Mercenary Instinct by Ruby Lionsdrake

 

4 Star

Ankari Markovich’s company is on the search for ancient alien poop to help aid her partner’s research into gut health.  The women are used to dodging treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters until Captain Viktor Mandrake company.  They decide to take a bounty hunt for the women because of how high it is but the more he spends time with Ankari the less he believes the warrant out for them.  Will he be able to keep his crew from mutiny when he decides not to turn Ankari and her crew in?

This book is an older book that’s been out for a while.  I remember reading it when it first came out and loving it.  I don’t believe I read the rest of the series at the time.  This is the spicy side of Lindsey Buroker.  It is a fantasy story like all of her other books but this one is very spicy.  I loved seeing all the shenanigans Ankari got into.  She and her team would try and escape from the Mandrake Company and would get into even more trouble.  When they have a chance to get away, they end up helping the Mandrake Company.  She had way too many morals for this book.  She also never lets Viktor forget that he blew up her ship.  Overall, it is a really good story that starts a new series that is worth your time.

Book 1 Mandrake Company

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Putting the Fun in Funeral by Diana Pharaoh Francis

 

3 Star

Beck Wyatt never got along with her mother.  In fact, she could have murdered her but she didn’t.  Someone else beat her to it.  When the police come around accusing her of the murder, she is all to happy to let them know she really wanted to kill but it was someone else.  With the death of her mother secrets are coming out that were best kept hidden.  Beck will need to use all of her magic to protect herself and her best friends.

There were some very good parts to this story.  What I had the hardest time with was the torture Beck went through that just was kind of brushed away as not that big of a deal.  She made it to adulthood so we shouldn’t be concerned about it.  It also was hard to like a lot of the other characters in the book.  Huge spoiler do not read past this point if you don’t want the plot to be spoiled.

 

 

 

You’ve been warned.

The woman she thought was her mother was really her aunt.  There is a prophecy that has Beck, and the aunt didn’t want it to be her because of her breeding so she took her at birth and ran with her.  Not because she cared but because she didn’t want Beck to be the person in the prophecy.  Her parents weren’t any better.  By the end of the book, they want to rent out her womb to the correct sperm to get the baby they needed.  By the end of the book, it doesn’t really end end.  There is at least one more book that needs to be written to conclude the story and it has been 2 years since this book came out and I would like to see where it goes.