please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
read this book if you love
Merged review:
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. FMC: Vivian- an exclusive party panner who is the daughter of the Lau family- a new-money family in the jewelry business. Yes, her parents are overbearing, emotionally manipulative, and often rude but they crossed the line when they force her into an arranged marriage with the most eligible billionaire bachelor before she’s 30. MMC: Dante- an elusive billionaire CEO, who is known for his connections and ruthless business, has never been interested in marriage. One mistake leads to another, and Dante is being blackmailed into a forced marriage with Vivian, a jewelry heiress, to keep his brother alive. Dante will do everything in his power to destroy the blackmail evidence and break off this farce of an engagement...all he has to do is not fall in love in the process. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: yes spice: several spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, torture, slight racism, classism, slight OM drama, terrible family dynamics, parental neglect, emotional abuse, child abandonment (past), mental health- anxiety/PTSD standalone: yes, but set in the same world as the Twisted series with overlapping character mentions and interactions final thoughts: YES!! This book was so great! The banter was great and they each gave as good as they got. The tension was amazing and I loved the slow burn of both Vivian and Dante pretending they’re not falling in lust and love with each other. The writing style made this a quick and easy read with lots of intrigue and world building.
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. HEA: HEA POV: dual 1st person POV spice: many open-door spicy scenes TWs: abuse, non-consensual body mutilation, emotional abuse, gore, manipulation, portrayal of mental illness, attempted sexual assault, torture, violence Kinky Content: anal, biting, double penetration, “eyes on me”, grinding, marking, oral, praise, prehensile magic play, spanking, triple penetration standalone: book 3 of Love and Fate series final thoughts: this book broke my heart and put it back together. I love a morally dark MMC who would burn the world for his FMC while being soft just for her. This was another huge twist and plot change from book 2 (just like book 2 was for book 1) that kept me guessing, nervous, and giddy. Persephone is a badass who gets to know herself all while fighting an internal battle and falling in love with Hades all over again. The side characters, once again, make this book amazing. I’m excited to read the novella of Mellie and Helios since it takes place during the same timeframe as The Queen & The King. A great wrap-up but I didn’t want their story to finish!
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. HEA: HFN POV: dual 1st person POV spice: several open-door spicy scenes TWs: attempted r@pe, cancer, cheating, death of a child (recounted), death of a parent (recounted), domestic violence, emotional abuse, gambling addiction, gun violence, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence Kinky Content: anal play, BDSM, blindfold, cum play, cumming in pants, deep throat training, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism, finger licking good, fingering, grinding, impact play, irrumatio, knife kink, oral, praise, queening, restraints, sex club, sex toys, somnophilia, virginity auction, voyeurism standalone: book 1 of Tarnished Reign series final thoughts: this book was great- dark, thriller/suspense, kinky, mafia with sweet romantic moments and a surprisingly sweet (but only for his girl) MMC. I felt like I was missing some context and had to keep checking that this was book 1 of a series and not book 2. I wish we got Kira and Maxim’s story first so we could have their background since he seems to be the top guy, but I really enjoyed them as side characters. I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes with Nikolai- I think that will be a great book too.
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. HEA: cliffhanger POV: single 1st person POV spice: several open-door spicy scenes TWs: housefire (non-fatal), torture, murder, possession, drugging, human trafficking, kidnapping, gore, threats, blackmail standalone: book 2 in the Bewitched series final thoughts: WOWWWW I’ve been anxiously waiting for this book to get myself off the cliffhanger that was book 1 and this DID NOT DIAPPOINT. Another 5⭐ read from Laura Thalassa with so many tropes, an incredibly intriguing plot, great characters, intense action and drama, and a Shadow Daddy. This series has everything, and I can’t wait to see where Selene and Memnon go from here! What an edge-of-your-seat adventure this series is!!
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. HEA: yes spice: a couple open-door spicy scenes TWs: death of a loved one (recounted), violence, murder, black sheep daughter standalone: book 1 in the Seven Suitors for Seven Witches series final thoughts: I had a great time reading this book! There were some iffy things happening in this book between the MCs that made it feel like a mildly dark romance but I didn’t mind them. I liked the banter, the side characters (at least some of them!), and the forced proximity- they added so much to the story and kept me engaged. I loved this take on a fated mates but not really fated mates situation. This was fun, fast paced, angsty, steamy, and opens up to meeting the rest of the sisters and finding out more about them and their new suitors.
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. HEA: yes-ish cliffhanger POV: multi 3rd person POV spice: one open-door spicy scene (the slowest of burns) TWs: war, manipulation, death, cheating, death of family members (recounted), bullying standalone: book 3 in The Elf Queen series final thoughts: J.M. Kearl how and why are you invested in ripping out our hearts?! This book was devasting in the best and worst ways. This series has me in a chokehold and I’m eager for what happens next. Silly me... I went into this book thinking it was the end of a trilogy only to be sidelined realizing that there is (at least) one more book in this series coming in Fall 2024. We once again follow an engaging cast of characters looking to eliminate evil, get back home, and find their place as they uncover memories long forgotten.
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. HEA: yes spice: several open door scenes TWs: traumatic brain injury, mental illness, mentions of death, kidnapping, war, murder, curses standalone: book 2 in the Matchmaker Monster Romance series final thoughts: monster romance is one of my favorite genres and this hit so many of the tropes you want to see in a monster romance! Plenty of romance, reluctance, adventure, and possessive monster MC displays. And you know krakens=tentacles so…. Didn’t disappoint
the dedication: to all the girls who saw the true villain before anyone else. the cover: GORGEOUS OMG I’m obsessed before I even open the book FMC: Cannthe dedication: to all the girls who saw the true villain before anyone else. the cover: GORGEOUS OMG I’m obsessed before I even open the book FMC: Cannetella- the princess of a kingdom who is being forced to marry by her 20th birthday. She gives her father the impossible task saying she will only marry a man with a face of pure gold… there’s no way he’ll find someone that matches this, and she can live her life free of the confines of marriage… right? MMC: Enzo- the lone surviving Stregone who will do anything to get his kingdom’s magic back… including wearing a face of pure gold and marrying a rival kingdom’s only daughter. POV: 1st person, single POV HEA: yes spice: yes, there are several open-door spicy scenes with lots of talking and praise TWs: slight OW drama, poisoning, murder, kidnapping, attempted SA, death of a parent, death of family, physical abuse from family members, emotional manipulation standalone: this is book 1 in the Tales of the Lost Kingdom series final thoughts: this book was SO GOOD I loved the enemies-to-lovers, push-and-pull, aspects of their relationship. I couldn’t put it down and loved almost every minute of it… I KNOW I KNOW it’s just a story but the OW drama and manipulation was driving me NUTS and I just wanted him to stop being an idiot and tell her how he feels and trust her! BUT the storyline was great, and the spicy scenes were SO GOOD. I feel like there are so many things left open and I’m curious to see how they unfurl in the next book of the series if it follows the same characters.
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. MMC: Angel- the boss of the Castillo family… well once his dad dies. After owing a debt to Emma, he is forced to marry her and produce an heir. What could possibly go wrong? FMC: Emma- a courier who delivered a package and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. After witnessing a shoot out she is now in the clutches of the Castillo family and forced to marry the oldest son and become the matriarch of the family. POV: 1st person, dual POV HEA: no, cliffhanger spice: a slow-burn with a few open-door spicy scenes TWs: death of parents (recounted), death by cancer, estranged/uninterested parents, suicide, sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, abuse, domestic abuse, isolation, mental abuse, standalone: Castillo Cartel book 1 final thoughts: I was so excited by the themes, tropes, title, and cover but the book did fall a bit flat for me. Emma was fine, but Angel gave me whiplash. One minute he’s great and the next he’s terrible. I didn’t see a lot of character growth and I hated the casual domestic abuse throughout the book. There were so many plot holes for me and I felt no love between the characters.
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this booplease note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. HEA: yes spice: several open-door spicy scenes TWs: blackmail, car accident (non-fatal), death of a parent (recounted), parental abandonment, cheating (not MCs), verbally abusive partner, verbally abusive parent, sexism standalone: book 3 in the Chestnut Springs series final thoughts: OKAY SO JASPER TOOK ME BY COMPLETE SURPRISE!!! He comes across as grumpy when he’s a shy cinnamon roll guy, but WOW does his mouth not match that persona!! I love a dirty talking MMC especially when it’s unexpected. I loved how he was a hockey player and a cowboy- didn’t know how that was going to play out but it was done well. I’m glad Sloan made him work for it since he’s turned her down over and over throughout the years
Dino Queen
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