ARC Review - Bewitched by Laura Thalassa

 A huge thank you to the publisher for sending me a beautiful ARC copy of this book!

Title: Bewitched

Author: Laura Thalassa

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Bewitched (book #1) 

Pages: 441

Synopsis:

Come to me, Empress …

At age twenty, Selene Bowers desperately hopes to be accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for young witches. Since one of the requirements for entry is to connect with her powers via a quest through the wilderness, Selene books a trip to South America. When a nefarious supernatural force tries to drag her plane from the sky, Selene's magic awakens to save her life―at a cost. Using her powers devours her memories, one by one.

Worse, when Selene braves the jungle and discovers the source of the attack, she finds herself awakening an ancient evil, Memnon the Cursed, who mistakes Selene for his long-dead wife. The wife who betrayed him. Selene manages to escape and begin her studies at Henbane, but when Memnon turns up at the coven and witches are found dead across campus, Selene becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Accused of the murders on the basis of her memory loss, Selene must rely on Memnon's help for answers―and his plans for her will change everything.

Review & thoughts:

Bewitched is the first book in a new NA Fantasy Romance series from Laura Thalassa. I’ve been obsessed with Laura’s books for a few years now and I had really high expectations of this one, but I can now say Bewitched exceeded all of them, it definitely is my new favorite book from this author. 

Selene is a witch with magic that consumes her memories. When she goes on a quest that will make her a part of a coven, she certainly doesn’t expect to find a cursed man sleeping in ancient ruins who thinks she is his treacherous wife, but that’s exactly what happens. With witches being murdered on a campus and Memnon, the man she awoke, appearing in the most inconvenient moments, Selene must decide who she can trust and what to do with Memnon before her lost memories get her in even more trouble. 

I don’t have enough words to describe how much I loved this book. I literally read it in one sitting in a couple of hours because I couldn’t put it down, it was so captivating since the first page. Memnon is my favorite kind of MMC: a bit psychotic, obsessed with Selena and he gave the ‘touch her and die’ vibes which I loved and we also had the ‘who did this to you’ scene! Selene is really strong and relatable, I liked her since the beginning and it was amazing to see how much she grew in this book. I love the romance, Memnon and Selene were just amazing together, the banter, the fights, the vulnerable moments and the spicy ones, I loved them all and they definitely became one of my favorite bookish couples, I already know I’m going to reread this book soon because WOW, it’s just so good. 

I loved Bewitched, it is an amazing fantasy romance book with incredible characters and interesting plot that kept me on the edge of my seat, this story is so fascinating and I already can’t wait for the next book because that cliffhanger at the end had me screaming, I need the next book ASAP. I really recommend Bewitched to all fantasy romance lovers, you definitely won’t be disappointed!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

 Thank you so much Hodder and Stoughton for this ARC!

Title: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Author: Roshani Chokshi 

Genre: Gothic Romance

Series: Standalone 

Pages: 304

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after--and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor's extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo's dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife's secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Review & thoughts:

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is written like a fairytale and captivated me since the first page. While it dragged a bit in the middle, the beginning and the end of this story kept me on the edge of my seat, I really enjoyed how dark and mysterious this book was and despite it being set in modern times, it read like a real gothic tale. 

The events in this book are set in two timelines: in present, we see the marriage between Indigo and The Bridegroom and how coming to the house of Indigo’s dying aunt starts a series of events that will make old, dangerous secrets come to the light; in past, we follow Indigo and Azure, Indigo’s best friend who disappeared when they were 18. In the beginning I was a bit confused about what was happening, but I quickly got engrossed in this fascinating story. All the characters were really fleshed out and interesting and their relationships complex, which made this book so much more enjoyable. I also loved all the references to classical stories, fairytales and myths, it fit this story so well and made reading it an even more interesting experience. 

I really liked The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, it was very well written and the story was compelling and unpredictable, I loved all the plot twists. Can’t wait for more books from this author!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - A Kiss of Iron by Clare Sager

 Thank you so much Clare Sager for this ARC!

Title: A Kiss of Iron

Author: Clare Sager 

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Shadows of the Tenebris Court (book #1) 

Pages: 571

Synopsis:

In the cut-throat game of court life, masters manipulate pawns—and you never know which one you are. One thing is certain: there’s no space on the board for love.

A penniless noblewoman, Kat is on the verge of losing everything when she’s offered a well-paid job that could be her salvation… or her ruin. Drawn into court’s deadly intrigues, she’s given a single task: spy on the powerful fae lord known as the Night Queen’s Shadow.

Bastian Marwood is handsome, ruthless, and cunning, but Kat can’t decide if he’s a threat to her kingdom or just her heart. To uncover the truth, she must play a dangerous game of desire and deceit, pushing him to reveal his secrets while protecting her own. But Bastian’s shadows have a hold on her—one she isn’t sure she wants to escape.

Kat soon learns that at court, nothing is as it seems and even the best-laid plans can be destroyed in an instant. As a pawn on the board, she can’t afford to fall victim to love—only fight for survival.

Review & thoughts:

A Kiss of Iron is the newest Fantasy Romance from Clare Sager and OMG I can’t believe I have already finished this book, I need more now! 

Kat is a noblewoman with a husband she hates and I loved her character, she went through so much and my heart was breaking for her at times, she is so strong and independent but doesn’t always make good decisions and I just loved how she grew in this book. Bastian is Fae and a friend of one of the queen’s suitors. He is a truly morally grey character with a soft spot only for Kat, I loved how he always supported her and insisted for her to be herself and let me just say the ‘touch her and die’ vibes here were everything, I screamed when he literally said it, it’s one of my favorite tropes. 

Kat and Bastian stole my heart, they are just so amazing and have the most beautiful enemies to reluctant allies to lovers romance with a bit of fake dating and so much sexual tension I was literally screaming at my iPad during some scenes. 

Amazing characters and swoony romance aside, I really liked the plot. It was interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat, I honestly finished this book in one sitting because I couldn’t stop reading, there wasn’t a single boring moment. And I was so happy that we got to see some characters from Clare’s other books again! 

I loved A Kiss of Iron, it has everything a Fantasy Romance lover can ask for: engaging plot, beautiful enemies to lovers romance and incredible characters that will surely stay with me for a long time. It took me through a real rollercoaster of emotions and I don’t know how I will survive until the next book because ending it like that was just pure evil but also so perfect I can’t even be mad but I really NEED the next book NOW!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - A Deadly Vow by J. D. Ronan

 Thank you so much J. D. Ronan for this ARC!

Title: A Deadly Vow

Author: J. D. Ronan 

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: The Fate of Vengeance (book #1) 

Pages: 422

Synopsis:

Sabine Azterrin longed for death.

Used as a pawn in her father’s war, Sabine spends her life captive to the King of Novear, her will commanded by a siphoning crystal. Yet when she wakes up in the hands of her enemy, Sabine realizes her father committed the ultimate betrayal: a ritual bonding her magic to the Prince of the Solstice Kingdom. When the assassination fails, Keahi promises Sabine the one thing she will live for–revenge.

Keahi Aldeer was an instrument of war.

Forged into a weapon by his father, the General of Solstice sacrifices his blood, honor, and fate for the good of his kingdom. When the King of Novear, destroyer of the Veil of Seven, threatens to invade Solstice’s territory, Keahi falls directly into his trap. He fears the magic in his veins will no longer be enough.

Fate had other plans . . .

Bonded to the daughter of his enemy’s kingdom, Keahi proposes an unexpected alliance, a marriage to save them both. But when lies spiral out of control, holy matrimony isn’t the only thing Keahi is lying about.

Review & thoughts:

A Deadly Vow is the first book in a Dark Fantasy Romance series with amazing characters, slow burn romance and exciting action that will leave you wanting more!

I was so excited when I got this ARC I had to start reading immediately and I couldn’t stop until I got to the end, this book is amazing! It has really engaging, interesting plot and a unique world building that had me hooked since the first page. I loved our main characters, Sabine and Keahi, they both have tragic pasts and are truly morally grey, but I loved that despite their circumstances they tried to support each other and respected each other’s decisions, their relationship and slow burn romance was so beautiful and I loved every scene they were in together. This book has so many tropes I love: forced marriage, found family, morally grey MCs, slow burn and many more. I also really liked the supporting characters, they were all well written and I hope we will get to see more of them in the next book. 

I really enjoyed A Deadly Vow and already can’t wait to read the sequel, there isn’t a big cliffhanger at the end of the book, but that ending was amazing and makes me so excited to know what happens next.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Well of Eida by KB Benson

 Thank you K. B. Benson for this ARC!

Title: Well of Eida

Author: KB Benson 

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: The Fallen Kingdoms (book #1) 

Pages: 413

Synopsis:

Two years have passed since Ari was taken as a prisoner to the troll realm. Two years of blood staining her hands, killing as the troll king’s mercenary. In Eida, it’s kill or be killed, and Ari will do anything to survive. 

But survival does not come easy in Eida, especially for a young woman with fire in her blood.

When Ari's sold to one of Eida’s most notorious training masters, her survival comes with a price: unleash the monster she’s buried inside. A very real and very dangerous creature no opponent can defeat.

Ari expects to kill. She expects to survive. But she doesn’t expect the growing feelings she has for the man who has claimed her as his. Together, Ari and her master will cut down every opponent in the arena seeking a wish from their king. 

Until a man from her past challenges her within those walls, and everything Ari has fought for crumbles. All for a man she once loved. But if she is to save her own life, she must take his. 

After all, everyone dies in Eida.

Review & thoughts:

Well of Eida is the first book in The Fallen Kingdoms series and I must admit I was excited to read it since I’ve first heard about this book. I went in with high expectations and I must say Well of Eida exceeded all of them, this book is so good!

I am obsessed with the world building in Well of Eida, it is so complex and fascinating, one of the most unique I have read about and the descriptions made me feel like I was right there in the troll realm with the characters. I loved our main character, Ari, she didn’t have an easy life and she is really strong and badass, but doesn’t always make good decisions and isn’t perfect, which makes her a really interesting FMC that I can’t wait to read more about. I really liked the romance, it is a slow burn enemies to reluctant allies to friends to lovers and I really want to read more about this couple ASAP, despite their rocky start they were amazing together. There is a love triangle in the second half of the book and while I don’t normally like love triangles, I think this one was really well written and can’t wait to see where the author takes it. 

Well of Eida is a really interesting Fantasy book that captivated me since page 1 and left me screaming after that cliffhanger ending. I can’t wait to read the next part of this amazing story!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Thief of Sorrows by Kristen M. Long

 Thank you so much Kristen M. Long and Nerd Fam for this ARC!

Title: Thief of Sorrows

Author: Kristen M. Long 

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Thief of Sorrows (book #1) 

Pages: 360

Synopsis:

I do not bow to fear…it bows to me.

What if Robin Hood was a woman who not only stole from the rich, but killed them as well? Isolde Cotheran is anything but a damsel in need of saving. Working through assuming the role of heir to Thornwood, Isolde masquerades as the Hood, a vicious outlaw. The Hood leads a cadre of thieves and assassins to steal and punish the lords and ladies of Arnoria who do not heed her deadly warning: Abuse humans and pay the price. In a world where hierarchy means life or death, humans serve as slaves to Isolde’s kind, the Virya, a race of beings blessed by the gods with the ability to transform into animals and control the elements.


When Isolde viciously kills a lord, it sets off a chain of events that brings two men back into her life. Liam, the handsome captain of the guard, who was shunned from Thornwood for joining the king’s army. And Gage, the Right Hand of the king and murderer of Isolde’s first love, is determined to make her his wife by any means necessary. After a successful heist leaves Gage humiliated and in danger of the king’s wrath for failure to capture the Hood, Isolde’s world is thrown into chaos. Struggling to protect those she loves not only from the dangers of the kingdom but from her own deadly power, Isolde is forced to take action when one of her own is caught in the crosshairs. Choices are made and blood is spilled, forcing the Hood to face her past. A past that is far more dangerous than even she realizes.

Review & thoughts:

A Thief of Sorrows is a gender bent Robin Hood retelling that had me hooked since the first page! 

In a world where virya are near immortal, powerful beings and humans are little more than slaves, Isolde is a powerful virya and a lady who took it upon herself to help the poor humans and punish the greedy and cruel lords and ladies. But when a heist throws the whole kingdom into chaos and familiar faces from Isolde’s past reappear in her life again, she will have to make some difficult decisions and decide if revenge is worth putting everyone she loves in risk. 

I’m so happy that it is a woman who plays the role of Robin Hood here! Isolde is badass and a truly morally grey character, I loved reading her often heartbreaking but ultimately fascinating and satisfying story. She quickly became one of my favorite fantasy FMCs and I already can’t wait to know how her journey continues. There is a well written found family trope and I loved all of Isolde’s friends, especially Malaki, Blyana, Cillian and Zibiah, there was an interesting story behind each character and I can’t wait to see more of them in the next book. I was a bit disappointed when it comes to the romance in the beginning, but with how amazing the characters were and the fast paced plot, it didn’t bother me at all and I’m keeping my fingers crossed we will get to see more of it in the sequel. 

I really enjoyed A Thief of Sorrows and after that cliffhanger I already can’t wait to read book 2! If you like retellings with incredible characters, fascinating world and magic system and badass morally grey FMC, you should definitely give this book a try!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn

 Thank you so much Meghan Quinn for this ARC!

Title: A Long Time Coming

Author: Meghan Quinn 

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Series: Cane Brothers (book #3) 

Pages: 473

Synopsis:

Have you ever heard of a man-in-waiting?

Yeah, neither has my best friend's soon-to-be monster-in-law. Ooo, sorry, I meant mother-in-law. Nor has she heard of the term, what the bride wants, the bride gets.

With wedding planning underway and a short timeline, my best friend, Lia, has recruited me to help her battle the snarly beast that is Mrs. Beaver. Not scared at all, I accept the challenge as her man-in-waiting--aka, man of honor--and take matters into my own hands.

The only problem is, with every second we draw closer to the wedding, I'm starting to see my best girl in a different light.

She's always been beautiful to me, but now . . . I find myself staring a touch too long. My hand lingering for one more minute. And when she's upset? Allowing her to sleep in my bed.

And before I know what's happening, it hits me like a ton of bricks. I'm in love with my best friend. Not just in love, but infatuated.

No one compares to her and nothing seems to distract me from that realization.
Not the girl I try to date while I help plan Lia's wedding.
Not her angry fiancé who thinks I'm growing too close.
And not the looming deadline of her nuptials.

Which means, there's only one thing left for me to do. Prove to Lia I'm the one she should be with instead. But with the pressure of her engagement, the stress from her soon-to-be mother-in-law, and the breath-stealing nerves running through me, I'm finding it a lot harder to claim the girl than I would like to admit.

Say a little prayer for me . . .

Review & thoughts:

A Long Time Coming is the newest romantic comedy from Meghan Quinn about Breaker, the third and final Cane brother and believe me, you’re not ready for how absolutely incredible this book is! 

Breaker and Lia have been best friends for years, they share the same passions and live in apartments next to each other. When Lia gets overwhelmed with wedding planning and her future mother-in-law, it feels natural for her to ask her best friend for help… but things get so much more complicated when Breaker sees Lia in her wedding dress and realizes that he might want to be the man waiting for Lia at the altar instead of Brian. 

It was so much fun to return to the world of Cane brothers, I missed Hux and JP and I really liked that they were a big part of this book along with Lottie and Kelsey, I loved seeing them all together again and as always laughed at their crazy antics, there are so many laugh-out-loud moments in A Long Time Coming. But now I must say that Breaker definitely became my favorite Cane brother in this book! That man is so perfect and once he sorted out his feeling he was so devoted to Lia, she was always on the first place for him, even before they became a couple, and that’s just what the perfect relationship should be like. I loved seeing their beautiful journey from best friends to lovers and despite the book being 500+ pages long, I would definitely read another 500 pages of their story, I love these characters so much. 

I loved A Long Time Coming and already can’t wait to Meghan’s next book, she never disappoints! I hope we will get to see more of the Cane brothers in the future because I already miss them and will definitely reread the whole series again soon.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Where Skies Fall by Casey L. Bond

 Thank you so much Casey L. Bond for this ARC!

Title: Where Skies Fall

Author: Casey L. Bond 

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Where Oceans Burn (book #2) 

Pages: 436

Synopsis:

With these three tenets, we will live. With these three, we will fight.
Bravery. Breath. Brine.

Bravery.
Neera, Goddess of the Sky, claims the war will end in the place where oceans burn. God of the Sea, Talay, believes it to be in the place where skies fall. Yet battles unlike any our people have fought before still wait to be waged. Like it or not, Crest and I find ourselves caught in the middle.

Breath.
He is The Shark, leader of the Guardians of the ocean. Sworn to protect everything in the salty sea below, his people stake claim to the Isle of Kehlani. As The Scourge of the Sky, I was once his mortal enemy. But he and his people took me in and showed me I’m worth more than the power surging through my veins. For the first time, I feel the sky might not be where I belong. 

Brine.
The great goddess Neera’s scale has tipped out of my favor. Now, losing the feathers in my wings is the least of my worries. It will take every ounce of my cunning and skills to rip myself from the grip of a cruel goddess who would see me cowed and caged. Talay has claimed me for his own, and for that, I am grateful. When the sky descends, thirsty for blood, I will fight. For those I love. For the life I crave. And for him… For him, I will sink the kingdom of the sky. I will drag Empyrean into the depths and delight in watching it drown.

Review & thoughts:

Where Skies Fall is the second and last book in Where Oceans Burn duology and I honestly can’t recommend these books enough, they are so good! I laughed, cried swooned and I’m already missing these characters, this might be my new favorite book of Casey. 

I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you liked the first book I’m sure you’re going to love this one. It begins right where the previous one ended and we see how the revelations of book 1’s ending impact our main characters. I loved seeing more of Crest and Elira’s romance, their sweet and domestic moments, these two stole my heart in WOB but I loved them even more in WSF, they are so perfect together and supportive of each other, I just love them so much. 

I really liked the world building in this duology, I already said it in my review of WOB but it is so unique and fascinating, I loved the idea of people of the sea and people of the sky who are at war with each other and I’m really satisfied with how it all was resolved, I think the ending was perfect. 

I love this duology and already can’t wait for Casey’s next books. I also hope we will get to see more of Elira, Crest and their friends someday, I cried while reading that ending because I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters. I’m definitely going to reread it soon, I really recommend this duology!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - The Curse of Ophelia by Nicole Platania

 Thank you so much Nicole Platania for this ARC!

Title: The Curse of Ophelia

Author: Nicole Platania 

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: The Curse of Ophelia (book #1) 

Pages: 368

Synopsis:

The war is over.
The curse is lifted.
Malakai is gone.

It’s been two years since Ophelia has seen the boy she loves. When a treaty was signed ending the war and lifting the curse on Mystique Warriors, Malakai left to attempt the sacred ritual known as the Undertaking. 

He never returned, and the Undertaking was forbidden. Ophelia’s world crumbled around her.

Since then, she has pursued a fruitless search for answers. When the deadly curse resurfaces only on her, Ophelia finds solace in the idea that when she dies, she may finally be reunited with her lost love. Then, a messenger appears, telling her that she alone may be the one to save her people. 

With her closest friends by her side, Ophelia embarks on a race against death—one that will not only challenge her physically, but make her question the Mystique leaders, the Angels, and her belief in love. 

Can she win the fight against fate before the curse takes her life, or will the betrayals exposed along the way kill her first?

Review & thoughts:

The Curse of Ophelia is the first book in a new NA Fantasy Romance series and I can’t believe it is the author’s debut novel, this book is so good!

Ophelia spent her whole life training to become the Mystique Warrior but when the war ended, the Undertaking was forbidden and the love of her life disappeared, she thought her whole life lost its sense. Now, 2 years later, Ophelia is barely existing, but an unexpected visit and a reappearance of the Curse will send her on a journey that will make her question everything she thought she knew and change her life forever. 

I really liked the world building in this book, it was so fascinating and unique, I hope we will get to know even more about it in the sequel. The plot was medium paced but it was perfect for this story, there were many things we needed to learn at the beginning to fully understand what happened later and once it picked up I couldn’t stop reading, there were some shocking plot twists that had me gasping out loud and I love books that can surprise me!

The great world and plot twists aside, I really loved all the characters. Ophelia was so strong and badass, my favorite kind of FMC, and I loved her journey and how she grew throughout it. There is a really well written found family trope, I love Tol, Cyph, Rina and Jezzie and can’t wait to see them again in the next book. When it comes to romance, we see Ophelia and Malakai mostly through their memories from a few years ago, but they have such a sweet childhood friends to lovers romance I adored them as a couple and hope we will get to see more of their relationship in the sequel. 

The Curse of Ophelia is a great start to a new Fantasy Romance series and I definitely recommend it to everyone who loves this genre. I’m so happy I got to read this ARC and already can’t wait to read the second part of Ophelia’s story!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Beauty and the Blade by S. C. Grayson

 Thank you so much S.C. Grayson for this ARC!

Title: Beauty and the Blade

Author: S. C. Grayson 

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: The Talented (book #1)

Pages: 297

Synopsis:

Most London socialites dream of marrying for love or status, but Contessa’s wedding is about justice—and revenge. 

Nathanial Woodrow is known on the streets of London as the Beast, leader of the fearsome Lion gang who mark their victims with three slashes on their face. Since her mother was found dead with the signature slashes years ago, Contessa has wanted nothing more than to see her murderer brought to justice. However, the Beast has been impeccable at maintaining his façade as the high society Mr. Nathanial Woodrow, and nobody has been able to gather enough evidence to convict him. When the Beast unexpectedly asks Contessa’s father, the Chief of the Royal Police, for her hand in marriage, Contessa and her father hatch a plan to bring him down from the inside.

As Contessa enters the lion’s den in search of evidence to convict the Beast, she finds that not everything is as she once thought. Her father’s work, hunting down Talented that use their magic to rule the criminal underworld, is thrown into question with each glimpse of the kind-hearted man beneath the mask of a hardened gang leader. As Contessa navigates her search for justice, she finds herself questioning what side she’s really on, and why she finds herself drawn to a man she’s supposed to hate.

Review & thoughts:

Beauty and the Blade is the first book in S.C. Grayson’s new series, The Talented, and I really enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling, can’t wait for the sequel! 

When Contessa’s mother was killed, she and her father came up with a plan to avenge her… and that’s why Contessa is now marrying her mother’s murderer with an intent to expose his illegal activities and kill him. But it quickly becomes clear that the man most know as the Beast is more than he seems and Contessa will have to question everything she knows about her family and her new husband before more people lose their lives. 

I love books with slow burn enemies to lovers romance, arranged marriage and lovable, misunderstood hero and Beauty and the Blade has all these tropes and even more of my favorites. Reading this book has been so much fun, I loved our main characters, Contessa and Nathanial/Beast, and I was rooting for them to get together but I also enjoyed their sweet moments when they were getting to know each other (loved all the chess playing), they had such a beautiful and sweet romance I would love to read more about them. All the supporting characters were great written too (Kristoff, Gregor, Julia and Rhosyn were amazing) and the plot was really interesting, I couldn’t wait to find out more about the Talented people and the orphans, I ended up finishing the book in one sitting. 

I honestly can’t find a single thing I didn’t like about this book, it was just what I like and what I wanted to read. I really recommend Beauty and the Blade and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Golden by Shannon Mayer

 Thank you so much Shannon Mayer for this ARC!

Title: Golden

Author: Shannon Mayer 

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: The Golden Wolf (book #1) 

Pages: 283

Synopsis:

The Little Mermaid meets Loki in this dark, twisted retelling that’s anything but a Fairy Tale. In this world, foes look like friends, the heroes are deliciously wicked, and you’ll never see the end coming.

Ten years ago, I ‘died’, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I should have known it wouldn't last.

Once my family thought I was dead I was finally free to live.

Until the day my brother walks into my tiny bookshop.

No one leaves the Grayling pack and gets away with it.

They drag me back, but not for the reason I believe.

My mother has made an enemy of a powerful witch

and I am to take the punishment meant for her.

Death would have been kinder.

This curse? What I am now?

It's so much worse than I could have imagined.

She didn't just cut me off from my wolf, or even simply kill me. She made me a golden retriever and sent me to a shelter.

I'm ready to die in truth now, I'm hoping for it even.

And then my mate walks in...but how am I supposed to convince him I'm the strong partner he needs to help him stop the end of the world when I can’t stop wagging my freaking tail?

Review & thoughts:

Golden is the first book in a new Paranormal Romance series with shifters, slow burn enemies to lovers romance and hilarious characters that will leave you wanting more!

Just when Cin thinks she finally escaped her awful family, she is dragged back to them and cursed to became a golden retriever. With the help of Bebe, a woman cursed into the form of a cat, she leaves the animal shelter with a handsome new owner, but it quickly turns out her troubles are just beginning and Cin will need to deal with all the craziness you can imagine before the deadline on her curse expires. 

Let me begin by saying I love the characters in Golden and Cin and Bebe are my favorite! These two are hilarious, I was laughing out loud so many times at their antics. This book is very fast-paced, there is so much action, plot twists and betrayals I read it in one sitting and often had to gasp out loud because wow, the author really outdid herself with these shocking revelations. Just when I thought I knew what was going on she took the plot into entirely different direction and I love how unpredictable this book is and with THAT cliffhanger I’m dying to get the next book in my hands. 

When it comes to romance, it is extremely slow burn, but there is a great set up for the sequel and I already can’t wait for it! I don’t want to spoil anything, but I love enemies to lovers trope and Shannon Mayer definitely didn’t disappoint here. With so much happening, I think there was the perfect amount of romance and now with the storyline established, I’m so excited to see more of this couple, these two are definitely going to be interesting together! 

Golden is a really great paranormal romance with unpredictable plot and interesting characters that I absolutely loved! If you like fast-paced books with shifters, slow burn enemies to lovers romance and laugh-out-loud moments, you’re going to love this book!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5