Lisa

Picks up right where the first book left off (on a massive cliffhanger). This book continues with Shiloh learning to live with her past and figuring out what she wants for her future. A lot spicier than the first book and more focus on the individual relationships between the four love interests.

I was so caught up in the last scene that I didn't realize I was at the end of the book. If you can't stand a cliffhanger you'll want to wait until the series is finished before you start. Otherwise you'll end up frantically googling the book 3 release date as soon as you're done like me.

Another reviewer said it best. This is dark romance fantasy fae trash (in the best way).

The split between fantasy and romance is almost 50/50. A lot of typical fae themes but with key plot points that felt unique compared to other series. The twist at the end wasn't a surprise, I felt it was telegraphed pretty early on but that didn't take away my enjoyment of reading it.

Caelum and Estrella as characters don't have a lot of depth but the banter between them is fun. The most interesting thing about Estrella is the fact that she's marked. Caelum's personality is 90% being protective over Estrella, but those are my favorite moments in a romance so I didn't mind.

With the amount of fantasy books available you are going to have common themes between them, especially when set in a world with fae. This had enough differences that it feels like a different story.

The pacing is good. The cliffhanger is enough to keep me interested in reading the next book when it comes out, but not so big that I'm frustrated with the wait time.

Easy, fun read. Would recommend.

This book is romantic suspense in a way I typically don't see in that genre. Tons of adventure, twists, action, and plenty of sexual tension between the main couple. Something Wilder is fun, shocking, and at it's core heartfelt. Definitely recommend for Christina Lauren fans who have ever dreamed about long lost treasure or love.

A sweet romance with character depth and light suspense. This book can absolutely be read on it's own without feeling like you're missing something but I enjoyed the first in the series just as much and would recommend starting there.

The story feels complete but sets up the next book nicely and I can't wait to read that one too.

I enjoyed this book but it was a slow start, not because of the writing or characters but by the nature of the plot. The first half of the book is mostly interactions between two characters in one setting and it made me feel a little stir crazy.The second half of the book picks up quickly.

There's enough explanation of past events that it could be read as a standalone but I think a lot of the characters would fall flat without having read the previous books.

It was still good, not my favorite in the series but worth reading through. If I ever reread I'll probably skip this one.

Slow burn/fake marriage/(light)romanic suspense

I feel like the book gave enough background on things that happened in the first one that it could be read as a standalone but I wouldn't recommend it. The plot of this book is heavily tied to the first one.

Honestly both the main characters have a lot of trauma they're dealing with internally and one of them is notoriously quiet and closed off so there's a lot of working through things on their own before they're able to come together. Their relationship never fully pulled me in but it was still a good read. Once the action picked up towards the end it was hard to put it down. It definitely satisfied the curiosity I had after the end of the first book.

Easy to read and entertaining. Romantic suspense with plenty of plot to match the romance.
The end of this book will hook you into reading the next in the series. Things wrap up nicely for their relationship but there are questions left unanswered that all leave you wanting to start the next book immediately.

I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoyed the Throne of Glass or Blood and Ash series.

Lady of Darkness is an intriguing start to what I imagine will be an epic fantasy series. The plot is compelling. Roehrich skillfully weaves in past events and hints for the future, giving you the satisfaction of learning what's happened before while leaving you curious for what's to come.

The main character is complex. She is confident, strong, and deadly but still has the capacity to be vulnerable and feel deeply. In addition to the challenges she faces she's also working through the masks she must wear and how they affect her relationships around her.

This book has plenty of romance without sacrificing plot and leaves you wanting to know what comes next. I had a hard time following some of the history and world building presented in the book but not so much it affected my enjoyment or understanding of the story.

Witty banter, good pacing, and a solid romance surrounded by a deeper plot. I loved everything about this book. It reminds me of all the best romcoms and the epilogue manages to be sweet but not cloying.

The audiobook is also narrated excellently and I'd highly recommend listening to it.

If you love a man with protective instincts then this series is for you. Shiloh is learning to heal and move on from a traumatic past, and the four brothers next door offer her a safe space to do just that.
This book focuses primarily on building the relationships between characters with the WITSEC plot steadily woven throughout. It can feel juvenile at times but the main character is a senior in high school so that's to be expected.

Great if you're always looking for those moments where the love interest gets protective over the main character, will-they-or-won't-they romantic tension, and the nightmare trope.

Lots of love with some light zombies and a thought provoking look at death and grief.

This was a delight. It reminded me of a Miyazaki movie in the best way, while also being a little steampunk and a little western. The world Bannen created feels new and old at the same time. The characters are likeable. The setting is unique.

My only complaint is that I would have loved more description. It has a lot of that thing in fantasy/sci fi novels where you take a familiar object and adapt it to fit the world you're building while it still serves the same function, but without descriptions of what that's supposed to look like I had a really hard time picturing things. My brain jumped all over the place trying to decide what people, places, and objects looked like only to have to start over 50 pages later when we got another small detail. Everything ended up just sort of fuzzy around the edges for me.

But the heart of the story is pretty solid and by the end tears were shed. I enjoyed it from the start but by the halfway point I was truly hooked.

This was an incredibly refreshing contemporary romance book. Jules lives in a retirement complex and the cast of older, quirky characters around her add so much humor and heart to the story. This book was a delight from start to finish, unexpected at times and consistently funny. Occasionally I read lines out loud to my husband (who did not care) because I was laughing out loud.

Highly recommend if you're looking for a romance with some mystery and a main character who is unabashedly herself, all wrapped up in a fun, sexy, and funny package.

Grumpy/Sunshine, fake marriage, and plenty of groveling at the end. It wrapped up a bit too quickly for my taste but I enjoyed reading it an would recommend it.

Can be read as a standalone but I think it's beneficial to read the first one to have a better grasp on the character dynamics.

The Soulmate Equation is a little bit of science with a whole lot of heart. There are enough characters to flesh out the world around Jess while still allowing time for you to get to know them and their personalities.
The written is very satisfying with no detail feeling unimportant and things come together nicely by the end.

This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. Heartfelt, sexy, and funny. Basically everything I want in a romance.

Hannah and Fox both deal with imposter syndrome on some level and watching them work through it both individually and together makes it so satisfying when you get to the end.

Friends to Lovers. Can be read as a standalone but you'll definitely get more out of it if you read Piper and Brendan's book first.

The more Jolie Vines books I read, the more I like them. This offered everything I wanted out of a romantic suspense book. While it can be read as a standalone novel I'd recommend reading the other two in this series at least.

Initially I was put off from starting this because I didn't want the conflict of Rory kissing the wrong twin but happily this was not an issue.

This book was lovely. The premise was fun, the different settings were rich and exciting, and the romance was both tender and steamy.

I'm looking forward to the next in the series and would recommend this for anyone looking for an easy to read historical romance with a bit of a modern progressive touch.

A River Enchanted is a wonderful mix of real life elements surrounded by magic. The characters were distinct but their individual stories connected beautifully and the overarching plot was compelling.

(4.75) Dark, horrific fantasy with deeply layered lore, complex characters, and a fiercely tender heart beating throughout.

The tone of this book was a definite shift from the first (totally expected after how book one ends), but all the elements that made me love Silver in the Bone are there. The action outnumbers the mystery in this one, and that's saying something because there's still plenty of mystery to unpack. A lot of groundwork was laid in book one and it pays off beautifully.

There's strong themes of friendship, loyalty, and accepting the love you think you don't deserve. A lot of heavy emotions and difficult decisions. The main characters are working through deep grief and betrayal and they don't always handle it well, but that's part of what I liked about it. These characters are flawed, they have complicated motivations, and sometimes they make the wrong decisions but there's always a chance for forgiveness and redemption.

There's only a couple of things holding this back from being a full five star book.

I expected gore, but the slaughter in this book is so unrelenting that I almost found myself getting desensitized to it. The action scenes are very well written and it makes sense within the context of the story, it just started to feel repetitive.

There's a small number of chapters from another character that I truly disliked reading, but you're not supposed to feel sympathetic, so I suppose they did their job. I personally think the ending would have had the same emotional impact without their POV but I can see what it adds to the story.

The book leaves you with a sense of closure while also leaving room for some storylines to continue on. Would absolutely recommend. I think fans of One Dark Window would enjoy this.

This ARC was provided through NetGalley by Random House Children's Books in exchange for honest feedback.

This book was fine. On par with the last one. The world building is personally a little complicated for me and I'm not a huge fan of couples being separated for long amounts of time but it wasn't a dealbreaker.

For everyone upset about THAT particular scene. It has been very obvious since book two that this was where things were headed. It should not be a surprise. I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea but at the end of the day this was how the author planned for the plot to go. If anything, abandoning it at this point because people didn't want it is more fan service than writing a scene that was clearly planned from the start.

This was exactly what I was looking for and I loved it for what it was: An easy to read, suspenseful series with a heavy focus on the romance and an intriguing (if light) plot.

Enemies-to-Lovers with mafia vibes. Honestly more romance than plot, but the plot that is there is interesting and provides a lot of opportunities for the love interests to get overly protective over the main character while still leaving her room to become stronger and more independent.

It won't give you an in depth story but it is absolutely a good time and I've gone back and re-read the series.

Pretty standard for the genre. Great suspense. Romance fell a little flat for me but was still thoroughly enjoyable. Plenty of suspenseful situations that drive the main characters together.

I enjoyed the small town setting and getting to know the Easton family.

Can be read as a standalone but seems to set up the next book nicely.

A fun romance surrounded by the complications of love and family.

The story is rich with cultural details that I wasn't familiar with but never found alienating. They're presented in a way that's both informative and seems natural in context.

The romance is funny, steamy, and complex. There's a lot of background info packed into the beginning but it mellows out as the story goes on.

It started off a little slow for me but I got hooked halfway through. I didn't see the twists coming until the last second and sped through the second half of the book to find out what happened.

The book is beautifully descriptive in a way that builds the community of Pastoral for all your senses.

An interesting story filled with mystery, lies, love, and morality.

This can be read as a standalone but I'd highly recommend reading the first two in the series to get the most out of it.

A great fit for the enemies-to-lovers trope with complex characters and solid writing. If you like witty banter, possessive alpha males, and a bit of mystery that doesn't leave you hanging then this book is for you.

I'm looking forward to the next one already.