ARC Review - Ocean of Sin and Starlight by Karina Halle

Thank you so much Karina Halle for sending me this ARC!

Title: Ocean of Sin and Starlight

Author: Karina Halle

Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance

Series: Nightwind #2

Pages: 361

Synopsis:

PRIEST. PIRATE. MONSTER.

I wasn’t always a monster.

Once upon a time I had a family, a home, dreams.

Until it was taken away from me and I was turned into a creature only the Devil could love, cursed with bloodlust and immortality.

I spent a century in an isolated monastery for other heathens like me, learning to control my most monstrous impulses, becoming a man of faith so I could put my sins behind me.

I was doing so well.

I was almost…human.

Until I met her.

Larimar, the tempting siren who made me forget my vows, who promised herself to me before she escaped my clutches.

Now I’m obsessed with tracking Larimar down, joining an infamous pirate crew on their ship the Nightwind as we search the high seas for any sign of her.

I don’t know what I’ll do when I find her.

But I know she belongs to me.

And I’ll become a monster once more.

Review & thoughts:

Ocean of Sin and Starlight is the newest Dark Fantasy Romance from Karina set in the same world as A Ship of Bones and Teeth. I’m a big fan of Karina and this book was exactly what I expected from her, I absolutely loved the characters, the romance, the plot and the whole book, it was amazing! 

After being turned into a vampyre, Aragon became a priest to find his humanity again and keep the monster he became in check. When a syren kills a fisherman from his village, Aragon decides to capture her and feed on her blood, but he doesn’t expect the conflicted feelings he has about the beautiful Larimar, especially when she makes a plan to seduce him and escape in order to find her sister. 

I think the thing I loved most about this book are the main characters, Aragon and Larimar. The are both equally feral (I mean, he literally crucified her to get her blood and she ate part of his hand and bit off his ear), I live for this kind of unhinged MCs. They were absolutely amazing and I loved their relationship, despite its rocky beginnings I liked how they always wanted each other and the way Agaron tried to stop himself (without much success lol) and Larimar tried to seduce him, they were incredible together and the spicy scenes were *chief’s kiss*. It was also great to see some familiar faces from ASOBAT again, I missed Maren and Ramsay and I hope we will get to see all the characters from both books again. 

Ocean of Sin and Starlight is an amazing dark fantasy romance book, Karina outdid herself with this one and I definitely recommend it to everyone who enjoys this genre, you don’t want to miss it! I already can’t wait for her next books.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - The Hood and His Thief by S. C. Grayson

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

Title: The Hood and His Thief

Author: S. C. Grayson

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Talented #3

Pages: 304

Synopsis:

Rhosyn knows a thing or two about theft, but she may have met her match.

When a mysterious figure called the Hood, a thief in disguise, starts stealing from prominent socialites, Royal Police officer Rhosyn itches to catch him. His uncanny ability to slip through her fingers presents an irresistible challenge, and she can’t help but obsess over who hides beneath the mask. Unfortunately, her hands are already full with the meteoric rise of a new gang called the Foxes, as well as an unexpected flirtation with an infuriatingly handsome circus owner, Mr. Ansel Blakely.

Rhosyn’s investigations of the Hood lead to the discovery of a more sinister plot in a trail of missing Talented. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a tangled web of lies connecting the thief, the new King, and Mr. Blakely’s circus. Rhosyn walks along a tightrope between her criminal past and her role in the Royal Police, but protecting her home will force her over the edge, and there is no net to catch her if she falls. Doing so would be hard enough without the strange kinship she feels with the Hood, and the nagging questions of whether her desire to catch him has to do with more than just professional pride.

Review & thoughts:

The Hood and His Thief is a Fantasy Romance and the third and last book in the Talented series. This series just keeps getting better and better with each book and after loving the first two, I think this one was equally amazing!

When members of the nobility find their jewels stolen by a man nicknamed the Hood and magically talented people disappear, Rhosyn decides to investigate it herself, which proves difficult with the handsome circus owner, Ansel, constantly stealing her attention and the Hood posing greater challenge than she expected and that she can’t resist. 

As always with this author’s books, once I started reading The Hood and His Thief, I couldn’t put it down. The magic system, plot and setting were really interesting and the pacing was perfect with a lot of action but also great character and relationships development. I really liked Rhosyn when we first met her in book 1 and I loved her even more in this one. This thief turned police officer has certainly come a long way from the beginning of the first book and I loved her character development, she was so interesting and a strong heroine and I liked how clever and persistent she was. I adored the love interest and their romance was beautiful, they were amazing together and the way they slowly began to trust each other and decide to give in to their growing feelings was wonderful to read about, I loved these two as a couple. It was also amazing to see familiar faces from previous books, I missed them and really hope we will get to see them again. 

The Hood and His Thief is a great fantasy romance book and the perfect conclusion to this amazing series, I love this whole series and all the characters and already can’t wait for this author’s next books.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette

Thank you so much The Nerd Fam for sending me this ARC!

Title: A Rivalry of Hearts

Author: Tessonja Odette

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fantasy Romance

Series: Fae Flings and Corset Strings #1

Pages: 409

Synopsis:

Two rival writers.
One prestigious publishing contract.
A bargain of hearts and seduction. 

They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract. 

The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option. 

Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game. 

Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other? 

Review & thoughts:

A Rivalry of Hearts is the newest fantasy rom-com from Tessonja Odette and a standalone book in a series of interconnecting standalones. I always know I’m in for a lot of fun with Tessonja’s books and this one was no different, I loved it and already can’t wait for her next book!

Edwina is a human and a popular romance author and when she goes on a book tour that takes place on a Fae island, she definitely doesn’t expect to be forced to compete for a publishing contract with William, a handsome Fae and poetry writer. Being rivals forces them to be close to each other and one drunken night leads to a bet: whoever seduces more people gets the contract. But what seemed to be an easy win soon proves to be more difficult than they imagined especially when they realize the only one they want to seduce is each other. 

A Rivalry of Hearts was everything I hoped it would be and more, it was interesting, it was funny, it was swoony and spicy and I loved every single page. While the plot, the world building and the magic system were really fascinating, I definitely loved the romance the most. Edwina and William had such a beautiful relationship with a great banter that had me laughing out loud and root for them and I loved all their conversations and scenes together and when they finally gave in to their attraction, the spicy scenes were *chief’s kiss*. They were truly amazing main characters and it was difficult for me to choose who I wanted to win their bet because they both had their reasons but the way it was resolved was really great. I also liked all the secondary characters, especially Monty, Daphne, Zane and Cassie and I can’t wait to see them in the next books in this series. 

A Rivalry of Hearts was an amazing fantasy rom-com with interesting plot, incredible characters and beautiful romance that I really enjoyed and definitely recommend to everyone. The next book can’t come soon enough!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Prelude to Us by Jacqueline Darling

Thank you so much @rom_jo for sending me this ARC!

Title: Prelude to Us

Author: Jacqueline Darling

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Belmont Manor Billionaires

Pages: 514

Synopsis:

The woman he now has...is going to be hard to keep.

ROMAN
Roman’s life—and his future—have always belonged to the Belmont Trust. 

Until Isabel moved into his heart, his home and his life.

But the empire’s demands are brutal, and there’s no easy escape from those rules and obligations.

He has a plan that might work, if Isabel is willing to make a sacrifice.

And if his own growing possessiveness doesn’t drive her away… 

ISABEL
All she wanted was a steady job, and enough money to pay the bills. 

She got all that, but fell in love with Roman too. And nothing about that is easy. 

Business is his life, and the family empire seems designed to grind her soul to dust. 

Now Roman is hell-bent on banishing her ex-boyfriend and dancing partner from her life.

And then there’s that mysterious “complication” hanging over their heads.

And strong as her love for Roman is, there are limits to what Isabel can accept… 

Review & thoughts:

Prelude to Us is the second book in the Belmont Manor Billionaires series by Jacqueline Darling and the conclusion to Isabel and Roman’s story. I loved the first book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one and it was even better than I expected, I laughed, I cried, I swooned and I already can’t wait for the next books in this series. 

Prelude to Us starts right where the previous book ended on that cliffhanger and I immediately got sucked in Isabel and Roman’s story again. These two are absolutely incredible and perfect for each other and it was amazing to see them fight for their love despite the very different lives they are living. Roman is the perfect book boyfriend, the way he was constantly thinking about Isabel, wanting to give her everything and trying to find a way for them to be together was beautiful and I loved him even more in this book. Isabel came a long way from who she was at the beginning of book 1 and I really enjoyed her character here. While this book is mostly focused on romance and I loved all Isabel and Roman’s scenes together, I also really liked all the secondary characters, Emily, Meg, Sophie and even Byron, Henry and Steven were amazing and I can’t wait to read more about them in the next books in this series. 

Prelude to Us is a really great romance book and the perfect conclusion to Isabel and Roman’s story, I loved it and definitely recommend it to everyone and already can’t wait for Meg and Byron’s story!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Arc Review - Reckless Love by Hannah McBride

Thank you so much Hannah McBride for sending me this ARC!

Title: Reckless Love

Author: Hannah McBride

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Standalone

Pages: 111

Synopsis:

I’ve always been the good girl. The one who put her family above all else. But now my family is gone, and I’m alone. Penniless and on the verge of utter ruin, I make a reckless choice and decide to hand my fate over to an agency known as Wife for Hire.

It’s not like marrying a stranger can make my life any worse, right?

Wrong.

Because the man waiting for me at the end of the aisle is Warwick Forrester–the man who took everything from my family.

But the more I’m with Wick, the less he seems like a monster. He’s kind, caring, and more than a little obsessed with me in all the right ways.

Maybe this man isn’t my ruin. Maybe he’s my salvation.

Review & thoughts:

Reckless Love is a Billionaire Romance and a short novella that I really enjoyed. This is definitely a different read than what I came to expect from Hannah but like all her books it was well written and interesting with great characters and beautiful romance and I hope we will get more such stories from her. 

After the death of her beloved grandparents, Sia wants to save their failing family business, but to access her inheritance she needs to be married. When her lawyer tells her about an agency where she can become a wife for hire for influential men, she jumps at this opportunity, but when the man at the altar turns out to be the who who put her in this situation in the first place, she sets out to destroy his life the way he destroyed hers, which proves difficult since the more time they spend together the more she realizes she might have been wrong about him. 

Reckless Love was such a fun and quick read. It started a bit slow but quickly picked up and I couldn’t put it down, Sia and Wick’s story was really captivating and there was a twist I didn’t expect. While they didn’t start on the right foot, Sia and Wick quickly realized that despite the circumstances that forced them together they might actually be what each other needs and I loved their relationship and how they slowly began to trust and cherish each other. They were truly amazing together and I wish this novella was longer because I couldn’t get enough of these two. 

Reckless Love is a beautiful story with amazing characters and sweet and spicy romance that will leave you wanting more, I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it to everyone. I already can’t wait for Hannah’s next book!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - That Reunited Feeling by Nicky Redford

Thank you so much Nicky Redford for sending me this ARC!

Title: That Reunited Feeling

Author: Nicky Redford

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Series: Dashwood Billionaires #6

Pages: 364

Synopsis:

It’s sixteen years since I’ve seen my high school sweetheart. But here he is. Right in front of me. Stark naked.

A lot has happened since my teenage first love abandoned me and crushed my heart. 

These days, Tom Dashwood is a billionaire global music mogul. And I’m a single mom with nowhere to live.

I only accepted this job as a live-in housekeeper for Tom’s aunt after she assured me that, since he lives in London, I’d never see him.

But that wasn’t entirely accurate.

And now here he is…wearing nothing but a sexy grin.

Quitting and leaving right now would be a good idea. Not agreeing to be his personal assistant during his extended visit would be even better. But I need the money.

So I’ll do this job until Tom goes back to London. And since the chemistry between us is hotter than ever, I might even have a one-night stand (or two, or ten) with him.

But I will not fall for him.

He nearly destroyed me once. No way am I going to let him finish the job. 

Review & thoughts:

That Reunited Feeling is a Romantic Comedy and the last book in a series of interconnected standalone rom-coms. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and it definitely won’t be the last, I really enjoyed it and Hannah and Tom’s story was amazing.

When Tom comes to visit his aunt and uncle, he definitely doesn’t expect to see Hannah, his first love and the woman he left 17 years ago, working as their housekeeper. Forced to spend time together by Tom’s meddling family, Hannah and Tom quickly realize that no matter how much they want to hate each other their old feelings are still there, but with Hannah going to LA with her son in a few months and Tom returning to London, they need to decide whether rekindling their romance is worth risking their hearts again.

That Reunited Felling is such a fun and beautiful story. I loved Hannah and Tom’s second chance romance, it was amazing to see them fall in love all over again and this just proved they were always perfect for each other. I loved their banter, their conversations, cute moments and the spicy scenes, they went through some things in their time apart and it was great to see them open up and support each other. I also laughed out loud so many times, the chocolate workshop scene had me crying from the laughter and the antics of Hannah, Tom and his family were hilarious. I also liked the relationship Hannah had with her son, Dylan, and the way Tom and Dylan got along, it was amazing to see their growing bond and I loved the family they all made together and with Maggie and Jim. I loved all these characters and hope we will get to see them again in some of the author’s other books. 

That Reunited Feeling is a really great romantic comedy book with amazing characters, beautiful romance and laugh-out-loud scenes, I loved it and definitely recommend it to everyone.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Dawn of the Cursed Queen by Amber V. Nicole

Thank you so much Rose & Star Publishing for sending me this ARC!

Title: Dawn of the Cursed Queen

Author: Amber V. Nicole

Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance

Series: Gods & Monsters

Pages: 581

Synopsis:

Ask her, boy. Ask her what she begged the stars for and what lives now. Ask her what she ripped from the very heavens. And then ask her if she cares. The old blood runs through her veins.
Nismera and her legions rule the realms as Samkiel’s power fills the sky. With him gone, she strives to solidify her spot on the throne, no matter the cost.

Dianna struggles beneath the weight of half-truths, lies, and deceptions. After overcoming what she thought was her hardest battle, she soon learns she is at risk of losing everything.

Samkiel strives to heal, but he has more on his plate than ever before. The Hand is dismantled, the realms are in turmoil, and the one person he can trust keeps him at arm’s length. Can the two work out their differences, or will they both fall to the blade of the Goddess of War?

The one true king returns, but is it the king or queen who shall rule them all?

Review & thoughts:

The Dawn of the Cursed Queen is the third book in a Dark Fantasy Romance series with a fascinating world building, interesting plot, amazing characters and beautiful enemies to lovers romance, I absolutely love this book and the whole series!

OMG I don’t know how Amber does it but this series gets better and better with each book and I’m still as obsessed with it (if not more) as I was when I started reading Book of Azrael 2 years ago. After THAT ending of book 2, I couldn’t get my hands on book 3 soon enough and it was even better than I expected, I loved seeing all my favorite characters again and we get to meet some new ones that I also really liked. The stakes are higher than ever and this book was full of crazy plot twists, betrayals and secrets that kept me on the edge of my seat and had me finishing this book in less than a day, I couldn’t put it down. The plot was perfectly paced with a lot of action but also all the beautiful, sometimes cute sometimes angry scenes with our main characters. To say I missed Dianna and Samkiel would be an understatement, I loved seeing them again and OMG I loved them so much in this book, they have come such a long way from how their relationship started in the first book and it was amazing to see a different aspect of their relationship here, I don’t want to spoil anything so I will just say I loved all of their scenes together and already can’t wait to see them again in book 4 because in a true Amber fashion I got to the last page of the book desperate to read just a few pages (or a couple hundred) more, I can’t wait to see what she has in store for these characters next. 

The Dawn of the Cursed Queen was a perfect third installment in this amazing dark fantasy romance series, I absolutely love this series and book 4 can’t come soon enough! Definitely recommend these books to everyone who enjoys this genre, trust me, you don’t want to miss them, and if you’ve read the first two books I just know you’re going to love this next part of Dianna and Samkiel’s story as much as I did.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5