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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Dragon’s Storm by Andi Lawrencovna

4 Stars

Are you brave enough to dare the Dragon’s Storm? Long, long ago, long before man learned to worship gods or fear the power of the unknown, there were dragons to bow before. Dragons who ruled the world. Who could bury it beneath a flood of rain born from the drop of a tear or crack the earth asunder with a step upon its sands. But that was long ago, before the beast was trapped beneath the seas for his impertinence of befriending the woman whose power called to his own, before her descendant stood upon the shoreline and begged the sleeping giant to save the world that had relegated him to myth and legend. Havence Ilvanysto had always been taught to fear the dragon. That he would destroy everything she held dear if he was released from his watery prison, but her world was ending, and he was the only hope she had. Ouros swore vengeance against the witch who he thinks imprisoned him and all who came after her. He didn’t care what her reasoning was, so long as her line suffered as he had been forced to suffer for centuries uncounted. But how can he keep to his vow when the only one brave enough to stand with him in the eye of the storm, is the one he’s sworn vengeance against?

This was not a book I would normally pick up. I was attending a book event with this author and always try and read the books so I can figure out which books to buy at the event. Boy was I glad to read this book. I loved it so much. I loved the way the story was told and how Havence overcame her fears and previous teaching. Ouros was another amazing character who has to relearn some information. They work so well together. Can’t wait for the next book.

Book 1 A Breath of Fyre

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Fated to the Alpha by Jessica Hall

2 Stars

Katya has always been an outsider, shunned for having no wolf and unable to live up to the reputations of her Beta father and infamous warrior mother. Just before her 18th birthday, her family is stripped of their titles and shunned from the pack.

They have only two options: go rogue or seek refuge in a Black Creek Pack. Katya suddenly finds herself caught up in a web of lies her parents told. Now not only does she need to prove herself to her new Alpha, but she has to keep him from finding out her secret.

However, Katya finds keeping her secret harder than she thought when the Alpha shows a keen interest in her. She is forced to move into the packhouse. And with nowhere to hide, she is forced to go to extreme measures to keep him from finding out she has no wolf.

But darkness looms, and secrets come to light, more than she ever imagined. Now Katya doesn’t know who to trust or who to turn to when everything she thought she knew was just another lie of a bigger secret kept.

Just when she believes she has all the pieces of the puzzle, does she learn the Alpha is keeping a secret of his own. She is his mate. There is just one issue: Katya has no wolf, and if he figures that out, will he keep her or shun her as her last Alpha did?

I wanted to like this book so much. It hits all the tropes I love but I just couldn’t get past the grammar and typos in the book. Events in the book also need to be fleshed out more. World needs to be better explained. I also struggled with the Katya a lot. I got it from my library so I wasn’t out anything and they did have book 2 but I just couldn’t force myself to read it.

Book 1 Fated

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Bound to the Alpha King by KA Iris

4 Stars

An evil alpha is coming to kill me for revenge.

And to top it off,

I’m pregnant with Alpha Jax’s pup.

But our entire pack's livelihood is at stake,

And I have an ultimate choice to make:

Do I hand myself over to the enemy in order to save the lives of my pack?

Do I take my pup and run, alone?

Do Jax and I try to escape and start a new rogue life for our family?

Or do we stay and fight, knowing that we may lose everything…

Still not a huge fan of Jax. He again screws around in this one without finding out any consequences and I am frustrated by this. I do love all the other characters. I also loved how everything plays out with the overarching plot from book 1 to 2. There are more books in the series and I will be checking them out.

Book 2

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Rejected by the Alpha King by KA Iris

4 Stars

I was the alpha king's fated mate.

Until he rejected me, banished me, and left me to die.

Years later he's back, and my wolf wants him more than ever...

I'm not sure why Alpha Jax came back into my life after humiliating me.

But I can barely control myself around him.

All my wolf wants to do is feel his touch, his bond, his everything.

But there's no way we could ever be together. I hate how much he hurt me, how much he made my heart suffer.

Jax offers me a deal to be free- in exchange for helping him with a dangerous mission.

But once he finds out the secret I'm hiding, I'll be killed.

I just have to escape him before that happens...

This book made me so mad, and I am still mad at Jax for not communicating and being a dick. I loved Anna and she should have made him grovel so much more than he did. This does end on a cliff but book two is out. It also wasn’t a major issue anyways as most of the storyline was wrapped up. Anna chooses to do something to save the pack even though they hate her. I loved seeing Anna’s growth in this book and see who all was the bad guys so far. Can’t wait to read the next one.

Book 1 Forbidden Alpha Kings

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Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs

 

3 Stars

In the supernatural realms, there are creatures who belong to winter. I am not one of them. But like the coyote I can become at will, I am adaptable.

My name is Mercy Thompson Hauptman, and my mate, Adam, is the werewolf who leads the Columbia Basin Pack, the pack charged with keeping the people who live and work in the Tri-Cities of Washington State safe. It’s a hard job, and it doesn’t leave much room for side quests. Which is why when I needed to travel to Montana to help my brother, I intended to go by myself.

But I’m not alone anymore.

Together, Adam and I find ourselves trapped with strangers in a lodge in the heart of the wilderness, in the teeth of a storm of legendary power, only to discover my brother’s issues are a tiny part of a problem much bigger than we could have imagined. Arcane and ancient magics are at work that could, unless we are very careful, bring about the end of the world. . . .

This one pains me so much. I loved the core story a lot but it is a short story not a complete long story. There are these breaks to show what the pack is doing while Mercy and Adam are gone. It doesn’t add to the core story at all so it just took me out of the story. All of that led to a meh book.

Book 14 Mercy Thompson

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Entranced by the Basilisks by Lillian Lark

3 Stars

Working in a museum there shouldn’t be any issue with looking at a book but it ends with Emilia being cursed. The only people who can help her are Ark and Jasper. Will they be able to lift the curse or will she have to learn to live with her new reality?     

The general idea for this book was good. Plus, it’s set in a museum and someone opens a book when they shouldn’t which makes me think of the movie the Mummy. My issue with this one is it was bogged down by all the interplay between Emilia, Ark, and Jasper. There is too much going on between them and then other forces outside their relationship which slowed the plot down for me. It was still an interesting story and Lillian Lark does an amazing job with world building that I will try another by her.

Book 3 Monstrous Matches

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Found by her Monsters by Avery Song

1 Stars

Nerissa has always seen monsters. She’s lost everyone and everything that is important to her but her monsters. She will need to embrace them to survive what’s coming for her.

DNF. I was so confused by this book that I gave up. The first chapter your dropped into the story and it doesn’t make any sense. Then it just gets worse so I gave up.

Book 1 Her Dark Obsessions

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No More Black Magic by A.L. Kessler

 

3 Stars

Abigail works for the Paranormal Investigation Bureau Agent. She’s seen a lot in her time with them but she’s about to take a case that hits too close to home. She’s looking for people that are linked with the murder of her parents. This might be over her head. Will she make it out alive?

This one started and ended nicely but the middle needed work. I still have so many questions about the Abigail and the world they live in. The book got bogged down in the middle with too much going on that wasn’t helping the story. This led to a bit of skimming. The ending was interesting, and I am curious to see where the author is taking the characters and the world itself. I will be giving her one more chance.

Book 1 Here Witchy Witchy

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Better-Off Bunny by Sedona Ashe

4 Stars

The bunnies are under the wolves’ protection and have been for years. They’ve never taken an interest in their mating habits until she came into their lives. One chance meeting is all it took for the wolves to know she was their everything but what bunny is going to want to be surrounded by wolves. They would terrify her. They were determined to leave her alone until they saw what the burrows had planned for her. All bets are off. No one hurts their mate.

100% would read again and recommend this if you are looking for a funny and bit weird shifter romance. I loved that the Monroe was a bunny and her fated mates were all wolves. There is bullying but only in the bunny community and the wolves do not bully their mate. In fact they get all growly and protective with her when they find out. It was an awesome read. This was also spicy. I can’t wait to see what book 2 will bring.

Book 1 The Hey There, Hop Stuff

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Surviving Contempt by Jade Thorn

4 Stars

Melody has started her new coven and she’s trying to build allies with the council and covens all while taking on her aunt. Her aunt is determined to take down the current power and take over the world to form her ideal world. This would destroy everything Melody holds dear and she will do anything she can to fix it so her aunt is no longer a worry. Will Melody and her men succeed?

This one was so long. It felt like it should have been two books, but I am not complaining as everything major was wrapped up. I loved this series and this book wrapped up the story nicely. There are some plot points left unanswered, but she has a new series coming out in November that will hopefully answer some of them. Melody and her men get their happy ending. I am curious to see if they show up in the next book. Overall, the series was worth the read and you should check it out.

Book 5 Of Magic and Contempt

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Breeding Contempt by Jade Thorn

4 Stars

Melody’s new coven demands she finds a witch mate and start popping out babies to help the coven. She hates losing control of herself and refuses. She has to figure out what is the correct route she needs to take so she has control of herself without burning any bridges as she needs allies to take on her aunt. Will she be able to win over some covens and the council for the help or will her and her mates be left on their own?

I liked seeing Melody call people out on the bull shit in this book. There is prejudice everywhere and she’s not willing to put up with it anymore. This book continues Melody’s growth and changes. She comes into her own more in this book. She accepts her mates and the direction her life is taking her. There are some big battles and confrontations in this book with some introduction to new characters that seem vital to the story. Can’t wait for the last book to see how things work out.

Book 4 Of Magic and Contempt

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Civil Contempt by Jade Thorn

 

4 Stars

Melody is trying to graduate early as Adolphus is not safe. There’s a new admin who has allowed all out war on Melody. She needs to find a way to protect those she loves, and they all need to figure out who is going to help her and those working with her aunt.

Melody keeps fighting for those she loves. She keeps growing and learning in this book. There was even more drama in this book from her fellow classmates. Some of the solutions she and the men come up with are interesting and it does progress the story. I really want some of the people harassing her to get their comeuppance. There are more men introduced to her that it looks like she’s going to end up with. Still ends on a cliff. Can’t wait to see what they all come up with to take out all the bad guys.

Book 3 Of Magic and Contempt

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Held in Contempt by Jade Thorn

4 Stars

Adolphus isn’t the safe space Melody hoped it would be. There is petty bullying going on and Melody just wants to survive. They are still working on a good way to get her out from under numerous geas. When they find the way to get safe will they be able to handle the consequences?

I love that the guys are willing to wait for Melody to be ready to mate with her. They are pushed to claim her but know she needs them to wait. Everything with Carla is just weird and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Overall, it was a good addition to the series and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Of Magic and Contempt book 2

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Beneath Contempt by Jade Thorn

4 Stars

Melody is the strongest witch in several generations. She’s bound to her Aunt Georgia. She’s forced to bond with shifters for her pack. When she finally hits her majority and needs to go off to Adolphus Academy where she’s been ordered to go after the Apex, Dean, Ryan, Oz, Nick, and Justin for the rest of the coven. She would do anything to prevent this from happening but when she’s not given an option will she find a way to keep everyone safe?

Jade Thorn has been on my TBR for a while and I was looking for something to read and settled on this book. Boy, was I glad to pick this one up. I blew through the book, and it was so good. It hit so many feelings for me. It’s on the darker side and Melody was the right mix of sweet and strong. I love that the guys figure out some of what is going on and start working with her. It ends on a slight cliffhanger ending but is minor and the next book is available.

Of Magic and Contempt book 1

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Dead Wolf Walking by Rory Miles

2 Stars

On the night of the full moon, I’m turned into a new shifter after an attack. I’m a new female alpha and expected to take five mates. She’s sent to the Bad Moon Academy

I loved the inner dialog between Raven and her wolf. The wolf just wanted to get her men and have lots of fun where Raven was just trying to figure things out. This book would have been a solid three, but it ended in a weird way, and it just didn’t make sense. You will need to read the rest of the books to get the whole story. If you don’t want to invest in three books skip this one.

Book 1 Bad Moon Academy

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