A heated rivalry at a winter destination in Florida?! Say no more! When Lauren and Asa have to work together to try to save theme park they both work at will they be able to put aside their differences? And what happens when they both start actually enjoying spending time together?
I love a good rom-com and I look forward to reading With Love, from ColdWorld especially after really enjoying Love in the Time of Serial Killers last year!
SYNOPSIS
She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it–yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.
Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World–whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.
As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.
I have been seeing Divine Rivals all across my social media. One of my closest bookish friends has been recommending it to me for quite a while now and I kept waiting to pick it up. If you’re like me and are hesitant about picking up hyped books – I assure you that this book is worth all the hype. I adored every single thing about this book. And the prose by Rebecca Ross was so beautiful. I have so many wonderful passages highlighted that I keep going back to.
If you’re a fan of epistolary romances (think You’ve Got Mail) you will love Divine Rivals. I feel like this is a trope that is so hard to get right and Rebecca Ross clearly had no difficulty with it. If you’ve read Divine Rivals or plan on reading it – please let me know! I’m so excited for the release of the second book in this duet – Ruthless Vows – releasing at the end of the year!
SYNOPSIS
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.
After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.
To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.
Shadow and Bone meets Lore in Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals, an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.
REVIEW
What you can expect in Divine Rivals -enemies to lovers -workplace romance -epistolary elements -*magic* -mythology
“A girl who writes letters to her missing brother, and the boy who reads them” – Rebecca Ross, Divine Rivals acknowledgments
That right about there sums up this historical fantasy romance. I loved this book so much and I’m not quite sure how to put it into words. I have been seeing Divine Rivals all over my social media feeds and I’m not quite sure why I didn’t pick it up sooner. The magical, mythical, epistolary elements all combined together made this a read that I didn’t want to put down.
The writing by Rebecca Ross was truly beautiful. I have so many passages highlighted that I want to go back and read. She doesn’t shy away from tough topics and at the same time I was often feeling giddy over conversations that Iris and Roman were having. I was so immersed in the book that I felt like I was right there with Iris and Roman.
And that ending(!!!!) – I can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released!
I received a complimentary copy of this book/audiobook from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.
Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?
REVIEW
What I loved about Love, Theoretically -classic Ali Hazelwood humor -the banter (gah the banter) -the way I related so much to Elsie -angsty in a way that I loved
Elsie Hannaway lives a double life…she’s an adjunct physics professor by day and offers herself as a “fake girlfriend” in the evenings. The extra gig in the evenings helps pay for some of Elsie’s bills; teaching alone definitely isn’t making all her ends meet. When Elsie’s most recent fake boyfriend ends up having a brooding older brother, Elsie doesn’t make much of it. She tries to avoid Jack Smith at all costs. Except Jack Smith ends up being on the hiring committee of a job that Elsie interviews for. Things get complicated when Elsie has to reconcile her two personalities while simultaneously trying to compete for her dream job.
Love, Theoretically was angsty, swoony, a bit taboo and messy (in the best way) and I absolutely loved this book. The romance between Jack and Elsie was slow burning, sexy and so damn sweet. I think my current boyfriend is whoever was in Ali’s most recent book and then she writes another hero who I can’t help but fall for. I loved how Jack saw through Elsie and didn’t let her be anyone but herself with him. Being vulnerable for your partner is scary and I felt all of these scary thoughts with Elsie while she slowly let go of her inhibitions with Jack.
But what I loved most about Love, Theoretically, was Elsie’s self discovery. I feel that so many of us deal with imposter syndrome. I know that I do – whether that’s in my field of work, at home or even on social media. It’s easy to fit ourselves into a slot to appease those of us around us. But what about what we want or what we truly believe. Sometimes those important parts of ourselves get pushed to the side and after that’s been happening for so long you forget about what really matters to you. I loved loved loved that Jack saw through this with Elsie. He was observant and sweet and never judging her – he only wanted to see her and want her to be her true self around him…swoon.
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Love, Theoretically and really enjoyed it! Thérèse Plummer did an amazing job bringing Elsie’s character to life! I could always tell when she was excited, nervous, angry or happy! If you’re a fan of audiobooks I highly recommend Love, Theoretically.
Love, Theoretically definitely moved its way up there as one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood romances.
Ranking Ali Hazelwood books (they’re all 5 stars) 1. The Love Hypotehsis 2. Love, Theoretically 3. Love on the Brain
Highly recommend preordering Love, Theoretically. I can’t wait to have a physical copy for my shelf 🥰
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.
SYNOPSIS
Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies’ man. Scorching hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package.
And he’s looking at me like I might be his next meal.
But I’m almost free of my toxic marriage and have sworn off men entirely. So all I see when I look back is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak.
The man is hard to trust—and even harder to resist.
Make that impossible. Because Theo is persistent. And no matter how hard I try to freeze him out, he melts my icy exterior and pulls apart all my defenses.
Over a drink in a small town bar, I blurt out my deepest, darkest secrets. Then I spend the singular hottest night of my life with him.
He worships my body. He makes me blush. I come alive beneath his hands.
Then I tell him to forget it ever happened. I want simple, and with him it all feels complicated.
It was supposed to be a one-time thing.
A secret.
But that little plus sign is going to make this secret impossible to keep.
REVIEW
In Reckless expect to find: -grumpy/sunshine (she’s the grump) -one night stand -secret pregnancy -hilarious laugh out loud moments -🌶🌶🌶 -family/found family -small town shenanigans
We were first introduced to Winter in Flawless when it was mentioned that she was Summer’s sister. They’ve had a strained relationship and have never really been able to mend it, despite both of them wanting each other in their lives. When Winter’s marriage is starting to crumble, she decides to start spending more time at the hospital in Chestnut Springs and thereby also giving her a chance to get closer to her sister. Winter definitely does not anticipate the force that is Theo Silva.
I’ll admit – I wasn’t the biggest fan of Winter in previous books, but I loved how her storyline developed. Her relationship with everyone from Rhett and Harvey to Sloane and especially Summer was so special. I love this group of family and friends!
And okay I totally wasn’t expecting to love Theo Silva as much as I did. He is the most cinnamon rolliest cinnamon roll (is that even a word), but totally brings all the heat! These two were so sweet and I loved their relationship.
I also had an opportunity to read an ALC of Reckless and I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an audiobook narrated by Joe Arden – but he was the perfect male narrator for Theo!! I loved how emotive his voice was. Savannah Peachwood did an amazing job portraying Winter. I switched back and forth between the audio and the ebook of Reckless but a majority of it was spent listening to the audiobook because these narrators were perfect!
If you’re looking for a romance that will make you swoon and laugh – I highly recommend Reckless by Elsie Silver!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
SYNOPSIS
A down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can’t stand… only to discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.
After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she’s sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she’s ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him–and kiss him, in equal measure.
August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn’t know jack about making wine. He’s determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy’s legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around… and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.
Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways–assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There’s just one thing they didn’t account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.
REVIEW
In Unfortunately Yours expect to find: -forced proximity -small town romance -marriage of convenience -“my wife” moments -complicated family dynamics -🔥🔥
Natalie Vos has returned to Napa after losing her job and fiancée. She’s a smart and successful business woman, but it seems like no one – including her family – wants to hear her ideas or her input. Natalie is enjoying her time in Napa, but longs for the hustle and bustle of New York. She can’t make it back unless she has enough income to back up her ideas. The only way to access money and access it quickly is through her trust fund and the only way to access that is to get married.
Ex-marine August Cates is determined to make his vineyard a success. He just doesn’t know exactly how to do this since the wine tastes like crap and no one will drink it. August has put in all of his money into his vineyard and doesn’t have anything left. When sexy Natalie makes August an offer he can’t refuse he doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into. If Natalie and August enter a marriage of convenience solely for the purposes of getting money (Natalie’s trust & a loan for August) – they both get what they want. But what they don’t anticipate is their hearts getting in the way. Will their farce of a marriage turn into something more like an actual marriage? And the bigger question – where does that leave them if Natalie is still wanting to go to NY and August planning to stick with his winery in Napa?
I liked the previous book in the series – Secretly Yours, but Unfortunately Yours was so much better! August and Natalie had the best banter and so much tension between them. I constantly had a grin on my face reading scenes between these two.
I loved how independent Natalie was. She didn’t take shit from anyone and yet at the same time she had so many vulnerabilities. On the flip side, I loved what a goof ball August was. Yes, he was this manly man ex-marine, but he was also so cute and protective of Natalie. The way these two had each others back made me love them even more.
If you’re looking for a spicy rom-com that will make you laugh and swoon – add Unfortunately Yours to your tbr!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.
SYNOPSIS
An ambitious wedding planner must work with her grumpy florist ex, whose heart she broke, on the most high-profile wedding of her career, in this spicy and emotional romance from popular fanfic author Julie Soto.
He loves me; he loves me not…
Ama Torres loves being a wedding planner. But with a mother who has been married more times than you can count on your fingers, Ama has decided that marriage is not the route for her. But weddings? Weddings are amazing. As a small business owner, she knows how to match her clients with the perfect vendor to give them the wedding of their dreams. Well, almost perfect…
Elliot hates being a florist, most of the time. When his father left him the flower shop, he considered it a burden, but he’s stuck with it. Just like how he’s stuck with the way he proposed to Ama, his main collaborator and girlfriend (or was she?) two years ago. But flowers have grown on him, just like Ama did. And flowers can’t run off and never speak to him again, like Ama did.
When Ama is hired to plan a celebrity wedding that will bring her business national exposure, there’s a catch: Elliot is already contracted to design the flowers. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. Add in a meddling ex-boss, and a reality TV film crew documenting every step of the wedding prep, and Ama and Elliot’s hearts are not only in jeopardy again, but this time, their livelihoods are too.
REVIEW
In Forget Me Not expect to find: -grumpy/sunshine -second chance romance -dual storyline with flashbacks + present time -spicy scenes 🌶️ -angst & pining 🥹
Ama Torres is busy living her best life running her own wedding planner business in the greater Sacramento area. She doesn’t do long term anything and is focused on making her business better than ever. When a celebrity couple asks for Ama to plan their wedding, Ama is ecstatic! This is her chance to put her name on the map. Only one teeny tiny problem stands in her way – she’s going to have to work alongside florist Elliot Bloom – her ex boyfriend who she hasn’t talked to in years. Will these two be able to put aside their differences and work together?
I haven’t read a book in one sitting in a very long time, but as soon as I started Forget Me Not I couldn’t stop reading. The chemistry between Ama and Elliot was off the charts. I loved the subtle way Ama just inserted herself into Elliot’s life, even though he wasn’t looking for a friendship. Elliot was so grumpy and grumbly and yet he had such a soft spot for Ama. Their slow turn from friends to lovers was so sweet and their fallout was equally as devastating.
Julie Soto knows how to write spicy scenes 👀🔥. The scenes between Ama and Elliot had me melting 🫠. The intimacy between Ama and Elliot was always present and the tension and chemistry build up was perfection!
My only small gripe is that I wish that maybe there was more communication between Ama and Elliot in the present. But even still, based on feels alone and the fact that I could not put this book down – this was an easy five star romance!
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. Both Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton did a wonderful job brining Ama and Elliot to life! I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this audiobook!
If you’re looking for an angsty, swoony, second chance romance I highly recommend Forget Me Not.
p.s. I grew up in the Sacramento area my whole life and love how many local places I recognized reading Forget Me Not. Thank you, Julie for highlighting this amazing city ❤️
I have been loving The Gilded Age Heiresses series by Harper St. George! I am so excited to finally get the chance to read Camille’s story. If there’s a trope that is up there as one of my favorites – it’s definitely a fake relationship. When Camille offers a fake engagement + the benefits of that arrangement both of them are bound to be burned 🔥🔥🔥. I plan on reading The Duchess Takes a Husband soon and will update my blog post with a review!
SYNOPSIS
A scandalous arrangement between a London rogue and an American duchess leads to lavish stakes.
Despite her illustrious title, Camille, Duchess of Hereford, remains what she has always been—a pariah. Though her title means she’s technically accepted by London Society, the rebellious widow with her burgeoning interest in the suffrage movement and her American ways isn’t exactly high on every hostess’s guest list. But Camille starts to wonder if being an outcast is not without its perks when the tantalizing answer to her secret fear appears in the shape of Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club.
Jacob is used to making deals with his club members—he’s just not accustomed to them being beautiful women. Nor have the terms ever been so sweetly seductive as Camille’s shocking proposition. To finally buy his own club and gain the crucial backing of investors, Camille offers Jacob the respectability of a fake engagement with a duchess. In return, the tempting widow has one condition: she wants Jacob to show her if it’s possible for her to experience pleasure in bed.
The lure of such a bargain proves too delicious to resist, drawing the enterprising rogue and the wallflower duchess into a scandalous game and an even more dangerous gamble of the heart.
It was absolutely none of her business, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Lilian and Thorne were lovers. He had lovers. Camille knew that. She had been a member of the club for a few months, and in that time she had seen any number of women arrive by the ladies-only entrance and greet him very warmly. Sometimes he’d offer his arm, other times he’d slide his hand around their waist and disappear with them into parts unknown and she wouldn’t see him again that night. She couldn’t say with reasonable certainty that he slept with all of them, but it was a fair bet that he’d bedded a few.
“How many women members are there?” Camille hadn’t thought to ask when she’d filled out her registration form and paid the rather expensive dues. She’d joined because Hereford would have been appalled, not because she’d been trying to prove a larger point about equality of the sexes.
“A dozen, give or take, not nearly enough. I have to hurry off, but I would love to chat more. Will you be here another evening this week?”
Camille opened and closed her mouth when she realized she didn’t know what to say. If Thorne rejected her proposition, then she couldn’t imagine showing her face here again, but she didn’t want to miss the chance of making a new friend. She didn’t have many of those. Since coming to London over three years ago, she’d become that American because she could never seem to live up to the expectations of being Hereford’s duchess. It had become the done thing to invite her to events only to sneer at her behind her back. Fellow American heiresses the Crenshaw sisters, August and Violet, were her friends, but they were both happily married now and starting families of their own.
“Perhaps we could have tea one afternoon?” she offered.
Lilian’s smile was genuine when she said, “I would like that very much.”
They exchanged goodbyes and Camille was left alone. She didn’t bother practicing her smile again because it could quickly become a procrastination tactic. Either he was attracted to her and he said yes, or he wasn’t and he said no. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she rose and brushed out invisible wrinkles on her skirts. She wore an emerald-green gown cut the slightest bit lower than modest and in the natural shape that emphasized the flare of her hips, selected precisely because she thought it showed off her figure to the best advantage.
Pushing open the paneled mahogany door, she made her way down the wide corridor to the gaming room. It was nearly ten o’clock in the evening, which meant Thorne was probably there talking with patrons or dealing cards. He owned Montague Club along with his half brother, Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, and their friend Evan Sterling, Duke of Rothschild. Both men were married to the Crenshaw sisters, so Camille had met him socially a handful of times. While she had always been charmed by his handsomeness in those social settings, it wasn’t until she had joined Montague Club that she’d found herself viewing him differently . . . as someone she might want to get to know in an entirely more intimate way.
The double doors that led to the main gaming room were thrown wide open, revealing a dimly lit but richly appointed setting. Gilded sconces topped with frosted globes were set at regular intervals giving off flickering gaslight that was immediately absorbed by the dark wood paneling, creating playful shadows and an aura of intimacy. Aubusson rugs in dark reds, greens, and gold matched the sofas and overstuffed chairs set in small groupings near the fireplaces on either end of the space. Rosewood gaming tables topped with green baize were scattered throughout the middle of the room. It was a slow night, so only a few had men playing at them, while the rest sat empty.
As usual, the table where Jacob Thorne stood dealing cards was busy. He was well-liked and the club members seemed to gravitate toward him. He was as sinfully handsome as his half brother, Christian, but not nearly as forbidding. They were both tall and filled out a frock coat nicely, but where Christian’s smile seemed to hold an edge of cynicism, Thorne’s was more open and friendly. That was partly why she had decided to approach him with her indecent proposition. He was kind and trustworthy. She didn’t think he would laugh at her or brag to his friends, but even more than that, he was the only man who had turned her head in a long time. Since her parents had introduced her to Hereford. Once she had met her future husband and reluctantly agreed to the marriage, she hadn’t viewed men in the same way. She’d begun to despair that she ever would again, but something about Thorne had her looking twice.
She studied him as she made her way around the tables to reach him. He was dressed as well as the men he entertained with nothing about him to indicate he owned the club and they were customers. His clothing was bespoke like theirs and had probably come from the same tailor. He was the son of an earl after all, though born outside of wedlock. He had been raised by his father, and that aristocratic arrogance showed on his face and in his mannerisms, except he wore it more naturally than many. It wasn’t conceit with him, so much as grace and charm.
His well-formed lips parted in a smile as he dealt another hand of vingt-un and made a joke she couldn’t hear. The men at the table laughed as they added to their bets. Thorne picked up the deck of cards with a skill born from years of practice and tossed another card onto each stack. His hands were strong but graceful with long fingers and clipped nails. If all went to plan, he could be touching her with those very hands soon. She paused as a flush warmed her face, but it was too late. He’d caught sight of her.
“Your Grace.” He smiled as the other three men greeted her in turn. “Have you come to join us?” he asked, his voice rich and smooth.
She swallowed and willed the butterflies in her stomach to cease their antics. She’d talked to him many times since joining his club, and tonight didn’t have to be any different. Only it was. Fighting past her nerves, she took the chair at the end of the crescent-shaped table. “Yes, but I’m afraid I’ve never played the game before.”
“Not to worry, Your Grace. We’ll teach you, won’t we, gentlemen?”
They murmured their agreement. A footman came forward almost immediately, bearing a small tumbler of her favorite whisky on ice. The service here was remarkable. Accepting it with a smile, she spent the next several minutes watching the men play as Thorne went over the rules. The game seemed easy enough; one simply tried to get the sum of their cards to add up to twenty-one without going over. It wasn’t complicated. Finally, Thorne dealt her in, and she promptly lost the first two hands.
“Too aggressive,” he warned her with a shake of his head when she asked for another card on the third round. The gaslight played in his thick, black hair, and she wondered if it would be as soft as it looked.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
I had been seeing Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros all over my social media and wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this fantasy romance that also involved…dragons(!!). I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy romance for the past year and was really excited to dive into Fourth Wing when the publisher sent me an advance reader copy.
I started this book and while it took a while to get into it (as most fantasy romances do), I really ended up falling in love with the characters. Violet & Xaden had that explosive enemies-to-lovers chemistry that I love! They didn’t “hate each” other for a minute before falling in love – and the way they antagonized each other was pure perfection. I’m a sucker for nicknames, so the fact that Xaden calls Violet Violence was perfect!
The romance, the dragons (love the dragons), the academy, the suspense and the found family aspect of Fourth Wing really made it a stand out fantasy romance read for me! I’m so excited for the next book in the series Iron Flame to be released later this year.
SYNOPSIS
Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.
But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.
With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.
Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.
Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
REVIEW
In Fourth Wing expect to find: -enemies to lovers -who did this to you -slow burn -dragons -spicy -angsty/swoony
Violet Sorrengail has been training her whole life to become a Scribe where she would live a life among the scholars. It would have been a peaceful life for her, but her mother (the commanding general) has decided that Violet will study instead to become a dragon rider. Everyone seems out for themselves and Violet doesn’t consider anyone a friend – especially Wingleader Xaden Riorson. Violet doesn’t want anything to do with this life, but she has one mantra that she chants I will not die today.
That’s really about all I’m going to say without giving anything away 😬.
I went in not knowing much about Fourth Wing and ended up enjoying every part of this romantic fantasy. The enemies-to-lovers component felt like a true enemies-to-lovers romance and I loved that Xaden and Violet didn’t pretend to hate each other for a minute and then fall head first in love. They had a lot to work through and it wasn’t easy. Their angsty/swoony/spicy romance was *chefs kiss.* I loved the banter and chemistry between these two. I’ve already gone back to read my favorite parts and I seem to love them more and more.
And the dragons! I haven’t read many romances with dragons, but safe to say I’m definitely a fan.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series!! Highly highly recommend Fourth Wing if you love fantasy romance.
Links to order the books mentioned above:
Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize the purchase
Fern Brookbanks wants nothing more than to live her life in the big city away from lakeside resort her mother runs. Fern ends up meeting an artist – Will – at the coffee shop she works at. They end up hitting it off and have an amazing night together. Will and Fern made a pact to meet again the following year. Fern was left waiting and Will never showed…
It’s a decade later and Fern is now running her late mother’s lakeside resort. She’s not quite sure what she wants to do with the resort, but she never expected to see her Will as the financial consultant her mother hired to help with the resort. Will this second chance be a way for Will and Fern to find their way back together or will it only complicate things further?
SYNOPSIS
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.
At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort–something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.
She needs a plan–a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
A random connection sends two strangers on a daylong adventure where they make a promise one keeps and the other breaks, with life-changing effects, in this breathtaking new novel from the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of Every Summer After.
I have been loving reading fantasy romance lately and when I saw the Crowns of Nyaxia series all over social media, I decided to pick up these books. It helps that the entire series is available on Kindle Unlimited. This series had the perfect amount of suspense, angst, romance and a thread of grief woven throughout. I am so happy to have discovered this author and can’t wait to read more of her books!
Potential spoilers if you continue to read the reviews.
Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize the purchase.
Read this duet if you like: -drama & suspense -a snarky hero & heroine -touch her and I’ll unalive you -prophecies -vampire + human romance
**perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout
Oraya is the adopted daughter of the vampire King, Vincent. It has been her fathers greatest desire for Oraya to truly become his daughter, not in name but also in blood. The only way for Oraya to achieve this is to enter the Kejari so that when she wins she can ask the goddess Nyaxia to bond herself to her father.
Oraya is determined to win the competition, but her competitors are fierce. No one as fierce as Raihn Ashraj. Oraya and Raihn ultimately form a tentative relationship. They will become allies for the duration of the competition. They both know that if they were to end up the only two left to battle – one of them will have to die.
But what happens when they start to get close…and their feelings for one another become muddled. Both Oraya and Raihn must face some hard truths and determine which one of them will be left the victor of the competition.
Gah, how I loooooved this book! Raihn and Oraya together were perfect! I loved their banter, their chemistry and how these two ended up caring so much for one another. The Serpent and the Wings of Night is a slooooooooooow, but Carissa Broadbent knows how to bring the heat!
One of my favorite parts of this book was Oraya’s relationship with her father Vincent. They didn’t always have an easy relationship, but Vincent’s love for Oraya is present throughout the entire book if you’re looking close enough.
This book made me laugh, had my heart racing during the competition and also shedding so many tears into my pillow. If you’re looking for a book that you won’t be able to put down once you pick it up – grab The Serpent and the Wings of Night.
After reading the first book in the series The Serpent and the Wings of Night, I immediately moved on to The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. Both of these books are *chefs kiss* perfect!
Expect to find: -angst (so much angst) -themes of grief -enemies to lovers/second chance -political intrigue
**spoilers** . . . . . One of the main themes in the second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia duet is grief. Grief for humanity, grief of a loved one, grief for not knowing things about yourself until it was too late.
Oraya is grieving the death of her father, while being kept prisoner in her own home. Raihn is now the king after Oraya asked Nyaxia to make it so he won the Kejari. He doesn’t want anything to do with the kingdom, but his people are relying on him. Oraya and Raihn are often left at a crossroads. They are both the heir to the crown; and their armies are fighting on opposite sides of one another. How could they ever move past this?
The angst, the longing, the grief…I seriously had tears in my eyes sooo many times while reading The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. Carissa Broadbent has such a beautiful way with prose and I was always left feeling too much on behalf of these characters. I felt what Oraya was going through, but also Raihn’s anguish at having to hurt Oraya. These two are not perfect and I love that they never pretend to be.
Once again The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King was a very slow burn and I loved ever moment of it. Oraya and Raihn never stopped caring for one another, no matter what obstacles were thrown their way. And Raihn – gah! he’s definitely my newest favorite book boyfriend.
This series is up there as one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year for sure! I highly highly recommend you pick up this duet! I can’t wait to read more from Carissa Broadbent.
Readaholic Book Reviews 