ARC Review - The Worst Wedding Date by Pippa Grant

 Thank you so much Pippa Grant for sending me this ARC!

Title: The Worst Wedding Date

Author: Pippa Grant

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Series: Standalone

Pages: 453

Synopsis:

I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother, but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do.

Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade.

Even if he should be responsible enough to not wreak havoc at his sister’s destination wedding.

Even if it means we have to share a hotel room in Hawaii, which might be the final duty that breaks me.

Not only does Theo know exactly how to push my buttons, but he never wears clothes, he’s hiding a litter of kittens in his room, and he keeps showing up with fresh-baked cookies that seemingly come from nowhere.

Also?

I have no idea what’s up with the tension between him and the groom.

Or why he’s so proud of the world’s strangest wedding gift.

Or why I suddenly want to know what makes him tick. The story behind his tattoos. How he can afford to rent a convertible in Hawaii. And if maybe all of that utter frustration and irritation I’ve felt for him for years is suppressed attraction that a good girl like me isn’t supposed to feel for the biggest bad boy of Snaggletooth Creek.

But I do know one thing.

When I find out his biggest secret and the answer to all of my questions, it will change everything.

Review & thoughts:

The Worst Wedding Date releases today and I loved Laney and Theo’s story in this hilarious romantic comedy! 

Laney and Theo have known each other since they were children and never got along with him doing everything to have as much fun as possible and Laney being his polar opposite. When they are both invited to the wedding of Theo’s sister and Laney’s best friend and Emma asks Laney to babysit her accident-prone brother, Laney and Theo are forced to spend a lot of time together and they might just realize they were wrong about each other and that opposites really do attract. 

The Worst Wedding Date had me hooked since the first chapter (I was laughing out loud during the whole sneeze fiasco) and it was just getting better and better with each chapter. I loved our main characters, Theo and Laney, they were total opposites but fit so well together despite their rocky beginnings. Theo is a perfect MMC, he was just so fun but also caring and supportive to everyone and I loved that it was a case of ‘he falls first’, his crush on Laney was so cute and it was amazing to see him finally acting on his feelings. Laney was also really great but a bit uptight in the beginning, I loved seeing her coming out of her shell. I also liked the supporting characters, Emma, Sabrina and the triplets were so much fun and I was laughing out loud so many times while reading but despite it being hilarious at times, this book also carries some important messages that everyone needs to hear and I loved those parts as well. 

The Worst Wedding Date is an amazing romantic comedy with interesting characters, cute enemies to lovers romance with some secret pining and hilarious banter that will leave you wanting more. Definitely recommend it to everyone!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - The Captain's Revenge by Jessica S. Taylor

 Thank you so much Jessica S. Taylor for sending me this ARC!

Title: The Captain's Revenge

Author: Jessica S. Taylor

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: The Syren's Mutiny (book #2) 

Pages: 361

Synopsis:

“Not all treasure is silver and gold.”

Caelum stopped his father, but at what cost? Brigid was gone, taken by the very woman she once owed her life to, and Caelum was now wanted for his father’s murder. Now, he has to deal with the aftermath of his decisions, and with the other syrens who only seem determined to make his life more difficult. 

Brigid, torn from the new life she had begun to make for herself, must now endure the wrath of the goddess who had saved her. To survive, she shuts herself down, silently hoping that Caelum will rescue her and silently resigning herself to the fact that he won’t make it in time before her body succumbs to Cliodhna’s torture. 

When whisperings of a mysterious witch in the South reach Caelum, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get Brigid back, including giving up that which he holds most dear. But will he be able to save her in time? And will what remains of his father’s crew really give up that easily? 

Review & thoughts:

The Captain’s Revenge is the second book in The Syren’s Mutiny duology and is an amazing New Adult Fantasy Romance that I absolutely loved!

The Captain’s Revenge begins shortly after the ending of book 1 and if you’ve read the first book you probably know why I was dying to read book 2 ASAP and now I can say it definitely did not disappoint. I was pulled in since the first page and finished the whole book in one sitting, so much is happening here and it’s honestly so good! I love our main characters, Brigid and Caelum, they are so perfect together and I loved how they fought for each other, they have the perfect slow burn romance and I already miss these two. I always enjoy books about pirates and sirens and I loved how they were written in this duology, there are many morally grey characters and I liked that they were kind of unwilling allies in this book which led to some hilarious scenes when they were forced to work together and their bickering had me laughing out loud many times. 

The Captain’s Revenge is a perfect ending to Caelum and Brigid’s story and I hope Jessica will write more stories in this world because I already miss all the characters! I loved this duology and if you like Fantasy Romance books with slow burn enemies to lovers romance about pirates & sirens, you should definitely give this one a try.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Finding You by Jack Whitney

 Thank you so much Jack Whitney for sending me this ARC!

Title: Finding You

Author: Jack Whitney

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Standalone

Pages: 460

Synopsis:

Chloe

My life was perfectly fine.
I had my own business, friends, and even a fiancé. 
Everything was going just fine.
Until he showed up again—Gavin, also known as the god of lust, Eros.
He was thrown back into my life when his company, Cupid’s Arrow, hired mine for their tenth anniversary marketing plan. It’s been five years since we last saw each other, but somehow, it's like no time has passed at all. 
I don’t understand why seeing him again should change anything. It was a one-night stand, nothing more. 
But I can’t stay away from him. It feels like something more is pulling me toward him, something ancient and otherworldly—as if my soul craves his.
God, that sounds ridiculous.
And yet, I know it’s true.

Gavin

For five years, I’ve searched for the woman I can’t get out of my head, who made me feel truly alive, even though it was just a one-night stand. And for five years, she escaped me.
I was beginning to think she was a mere figment of my imagination until my company hired hers for our tenth anniversary marketing plan.
Now, she’s back in my life, and I can’t stay away. I know she’s engaged, but what’s between us is more than the lust she swears it is. I’m beginning to think she’s someone I lost long ago, someone who I had forgotten—who the world has forgotten. 
I’ll do whatever I have to do to make her mine. 

Review & thoughts:

Finding You is a Fantasy Romance book and a continuation of the story introduced in the Sweet Girl novella (but it can be read as a standalone). Since I’ve read Sweet Girl a few months ago I was dying to know the rest of Chloe and Gavin’s story and now I must say this book was everything I hoped for and more, I loved it!

After an amazing night together 5 years ago, Chloe and Gavin went their separate ways. Now, Chloe is engaged and set to marry in a few short months, but when Gavin hires her marketing company and they meet again, old feelings begin to resurface and they will need to decide if they have any chance of being together… especially when Gavin starts to remember his previous wife, Psyche, who seems to be connected to Chloe, but nobody know why she was erased from everyone’s memory.

I love Greek mythology and I always liked the myth of Eros and Psyche so I loved the unique twist the author did on their story in this book, it was interesting to read and try to figure out what happened and it’s easy to say I did not figure it out and the plot twist had me shocked. Chloe and Gavin’s relationship was written perfectly and I was rooting for them to be together the whole time, they deserve a happy ending after everything they went through. I also liked that we got to see some other gods and it was interesting to see them living in a modern world, I really hope the author will decide to write more similar stories.

Finding You is an incredible read that I really recommend to everyone, it’s a sweet but angsty story with some amazing spice that I really loved and already can’t wait for more books from Jack Whitney.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

 Thank you so much Carissa Broadbent for sending me this ARC!

Title: The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King

Author: Carissa Broadbent

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Crowns of Nyaxia (book #2) 

Pages: 665

Synopsis:

Love is a sacrifice at the altar of power.

In the wake of the Kejari, everything Oraya once thought to be true has been destroyed. A prisoner in her own kingdom, grieving the only family she ever had, and reeling from a gutting betrayal, she no longer even knows the truth of her own blood. She’s left only with one certainty: she cannot trust anyone, least of all Raihn.

The House of Night, too, is surrounded by enemies. Raihn’s own nobles are none too eager to accept a Turned king, especially one who was once a slave. And the House of Blood digs their claws into the kingdom, threatening to tear it apart from the inside.

When Raihn offers Oraya a secret alliance, taking the deal is her only chance at reclaiming her kingdom–and gaining her vengeance against the lover who betrayed her. But to do so, she’ll need to harness a devastating ancient power, intertwined with her father’s greatest secrets.

But with enemies closing in on all sides, nothing is as it seems. As she unravels her past and faces her future, Oraya finds herself forced to choose between the bloody reality of seizing power – and the devastating love that could be her downfall.

Review & thoughts:

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is the second book in a Fantasy Romance series about vampires, humans and gods and if you enjoyed The Serpent and the Wings of the Night I’m sure you’re going to love this sequel, it’s so utterly amazing!

Let me begin by saying I was actually speechless after finishing this book and it took me 2 days to try to start writing this review because I just couldn’t (and still can’t) find words to describe how much I loved it. I’ve been obsessed with Oraya and Raihn’s story since the first page of TS&TWOTN and while I thought the first book was incredible, this one is simply perfection and I loved it so much I was sobbing at the end because I didn’t want it to end. After the end of book 1 I had so many theories and ideas as to what can happen next, but Carissa as always managed to blow my mind and I loved the plot, it was surprising and so well written, we learn so many new things and the plot twists had me screaming, everything was perfectly paced and I finished reading in a few hours because I couldn’t put this book down.

I LOVED the romance, Oraya and Raihn’s relationship was written so perfectly, they went from enemies to lovers then to enemies again and I was rooting for them to get together so much. We have a marriage of convenience trope here which is one of my favorites and I was so satisfied with it and how well it fit this story. And of course I loved Raihn’s groveling, after what he did in the first book he had much fixing to do but I couldn’t be mad at him for long, he made many mistakes, but he was so devoted to Oraya and I could understand his actions. Oraya is an amazing FMC, she is strong, but she also makes mistakes and it is easy to relate to her. I loved how these two were just perfect together, even while being enemies they supported each other and made me cry so many times, I just love them so much and already miss them.

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King is an incredible Fantasy Romance book and a perfect ending to Oraya and Raihn’s story, I loved it and it’s definitely one of my all-time favorite books. I already can’t wait for more books in this world!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn

Thank you so much Amazon Publishing Montlake for sending me this beautiful book!

Title: Vacation Wars

Author: Meghan Quinn

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Series: Standalone

Pages: 429

Synopsis:

Prepared for a good time, Tessa is thrilled to spend the weeks before her sister’s wedding at their family’s favorite vacation spot: Santorini. Sandy beaches, stonewashed houses, attractive men—it’s heaven.

But Tessa’s idea of a girls’ trip comes to a screaming halt when her sister thinks it’s high time Tessa finds some love herself. Unfortunately, Tessa forgot about the deal she made back in high school: she has to find her soulmate before her sister’s wedding. Or else.

As she dodges suitors and her sister’s pranks, Tessa finds an ally in the oh-so-dreamy Myles, her childhood crush who just so happens to work at the resort. But Myles is dealing with some family conflict of his own. He’s elated at being reunited with Tessa, but his father’s refusal to acknowledge his interest in the family business and relegating him to only grunt work casts a dark cloud.

As Tessa and Myles help navigate their way through their families’ antics, they begin to realize that their past feelings may have a future—if only they can turn their island fantasies into something real.

Review & thoughts:

Vacation Wars is the newest romantic comedy by Meghan Quinn and a really fun and entertaining read that I loved!

Tessa and her family have been spending their holidays in Santorini ever since she can remember and she has always had a crush on the resort’s owner’s son, Myles. Now, 30 years old, Tessa comes to Santorini for her sister’s wedding, but what she hoped would be a peaceful time is interrupted when her sister decides Tessa needs to find love ASAP. Trying to escape from her sister and their friends’s matchmaking efforts which often end in disaster, Tessa finds an ally in Myles who also has some family problems and they decide to help each other, but when their friendship grows into something more, they need to decide if they are ready to give each other a chance, especially since they live half the world away from each other.

I loved Tessa and her friends’s antics, I was laughing out loud so many times at how hilarious they all were while trying to play matchmakers and how far Tessa was willing to go to destroy all their efforts. But my favorite part of the book was definitely the romance, I loved how real and believable it was, Tessa and Myles went from childhood crushes to friends to lovers and I loved seeing all their scenes together, they were just so cute and had such a beautiful, wholesome romance, I would happily read another 400 pages about them. I also liked how family was a really big part of this book, from Tessa’s relationship with her sister to Myles and his father, it was all so well written and fleshed out and I was rooting for them all to overcome their problems.

Vacation Wars is a really great romantic comedy with cute romance, amazing characters and well written family dynamics that I absolutely loved! Meghan never disappoints and I already can’t wait for her next book.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli

 Thank you so much Nisha J. Tuli for sending me this ARC!

Title: Rule of the Aurora King

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Artefacts of Ouranos (book #2) 

Pages: 400

Synopsis:

“I am not his conquest. I am not his to claim. I am my own castle.” 

Freed from the golden clutches of the Sun King, Lor now finds herself in the hands of Nadir, the Aurora Prince. Convinced she’s hiding something, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her talk. But Lor knows the value of secrets—she’s been keeping them her entire life—and she’s not letting hers go without a fight. 

When Lor and Nadir team up to search for a lost item that holds the key to her past and her future, she isn’t sure if she can trust him. All she knows is she won’t fall for his promises and make the same mistakes again. 

Lor also hasn’t forgotten her vow to destroy the Aurora King. As Atlas hunts her across Ouranos, Lor plots to bring down the Imperial Fae who took everything. But she soon realizes the future of the continent is about so much more than just her shattered legacy.

Review & thoughts:

The Rule of Aurora King is the second book in a Fantasy Romance series and while I liked Trial of the Sun Queen, I LOVED this sequel, it’s so freaking good!

Rule of Aurora King begins shortly after the ending of the previous book and I was engrossed in it since the first page. We learn so many new things, some of which I suspected and some were so surprising I had to put the book down for a moment to process everything. There is so much action, plot twists and new characters that I enjoyed getting to know. We finally learn more of Lor’s past and I loved the chapters set a few hundred years ago from the Heart Princess’ POV, it was so interesting to learn what exactly happened then. But I think one of my favorite parts of this book was our main character, Lor. She grew so much from who she was in the beginning of book 1 and I love how strong and independent she is here, I loved reading about her journey. My other favorite part was the romance. I don’t want to spoil anything but OMG the romance… it was the perfect enemies to lovers with mutual secret pining and while it definitely was a slow burn, there was a perfect amount of spice that made me love this book even more. 

Rule of Aurora King is an amazing continuation of Lor’s story and if you enjoy fantasy romance books with enemies to lovers romance, forced proximity, Fae, found family and some spice, you should definitely give this series a try, it’s incredible! I really recommend it and already can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

ARC Review - Lady of Starfire by Melissa K. Roehrich

 Thank you so much Melissa K. Roehrich for sending me this ARC!

Title: Lady of Starfire

Author: Melissa K. Roehrich

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Lady of Darkness (book #5) 

Pages: 875

Synopsis:

The Final Game Begins.

Scarlett Sutara Aditya has finally learned the full cost to save her world and correct mistakes that are not hers, but she refuses to accept the fate that has been decided for her. Making demands of her own, she fights for her twin flame, her family, and the realm that balances on her destiny. She has always played games by her own rules, but this time, winning might cost her everything.

The broken are remade. The lost are found. Fate is defied, and new destinies are forged as the realm comes together to defend what is theirs. Kings will fall, and Queens will rise. Power is lost, and Chaos is born. Truth can be uncovered in the darkness, but some secrets can only be found among the stars.

Review & thoughts:

Lady of Starfire is the fifth and last book in a Dark Fantasy Romance series and while I’ve loved all the previous books since I started reading this series over a year ago, this one is definitely my new favorite out of them!

Lady of Starfire begins right where Lady of Embers ended and there is so much action since page 1. This book is huge, over 800 pages, but I wasn’t bored for a single moment, there is a perfect balance between crazy action and mind blowing plot twists and sweet moments between our favorite characters. I loved that there are so many POVs here, we can see what’s happening in different parts of the world as everyone is preparing for the war and also see old and new relationships grow. I really like all the characters (let me just say that Razik and Eliza were everything I hoped for here), but my favorites are definitely still Sorin and Scarlett, I’ve loved them since the first book and it’s amazing to see them here together after everything they went through, I always waited for their chapters with bated breath and I can honestly say I am happy with literally everything that happened in this book, I just love it. 

Lady of Starfire is a perfect conclusion to an incredible fantasy series. I loved everything about it and already can’t wait for Melissa’s new series coming this August, she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. If you enjoy dark fantasy romance books with badass FMC, great romance and morally grey characters you should definitely start this series ASAP!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5