Romance

Review of Disowned: A Cinderella and Snow White origin story by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
Not all fairy tales are ribbons and roses.

In a world where the measure of a person rarely goes beneath the surface, Margaret Thoning refuses to play by its rules. Unwilling to compromise her ideals, she walks away from everything she’s ever known to risk her heart and her life for the people who matter most.

Welcome to the Tales of Cinder and Snow.

Review:
So I read this after the Cinder trilogy. Oops. I will say that it did not detract from how much I loved the novella, and I will say I think I actually liked it more because it answered a lot of questions that Eloise and Kellen had–answers I would have already known had I read this first. It is a sweet little tale, and it gives us a really nice background on how Margaret got involved in magic, and just what she was willing to do for the royal house, and to have the life of equality that she wanted.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Damnation: A Cinderella Retelling by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
Abused but not beaten, I will break the curse.
With the reason behind her mother’s death revealed, it’s a race for Eloise to exact her revenge and prevent her stepsisters from marrying the prince. However, amidst the glittering jewels and colorful ball gowns, the royal court holds secrets of its own that will devastate Eloise and strike a final blow to her plans. Betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust, Eloise questions how far she’s willing to go for revenge.


After all, in the game of kingdoms, everyone is a pawn.

Review:
Ooo, we had the heat, the romance, and enough twists and turns that I wasn’t sure exactly how it might end. I absolutely loved the twist with Prince Greydon, and I had expected it since the first book so I wasn’t terribly surprised. I loved how drawn to the right thing Eloise stays, and how she has to fight with her heart to consider if the things she has had to do for survival make her bad, or if she is bad to wish the things others have done onto them. There were so many neat twists and turns, and I especially loved the part with her hair. It was never fully explained but lovely all the while.

In the end I am left with a couple of questions: I wonder if Eloise and/or Kellen end up as magic users, if Eloise kept her second promise to Rose, and when Kellen’s book is going to be out! I am impatiently awaiting the continue of this series.

All in all, while I loved this series and thought it was very different and dark but in other ways from The Beastly Tales, I wouldn’t necessarily say you’d like this one because you liked the other. I clearly tend to love fairy tales and retellings, but while these may be in the same universe, the feel, story… everything is quite different. That doesn’t make it better or worse, and I love them both quite a lot, just don’t expect you’re getting the intensity and same level of adult themed content from this series as the last. That being said, this is in no way a clean story; just not as… detailed or sexually oriented.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Disdain: A Cinderella Retelling by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
A single blow shattered my life of glass. They shouldn’t have left me with the shards.

Eloise knows the name of her mother’s murderer, but she cannot speak it. A curse keeps her silent and locked in the tattered remains of her once charming life. Though magic holds her tongue, it doesn’t quell the smoldering spark of her anger or her need to learn the reason behind her mother’s death.

However, games of magic have dire consequences. Desperate to keep those she loves safe from the repercussions of her actions, Eloise must make a bold gamble with her safety that could win her everything or destroy her forever.

Two lives hang in the balance. For, if Cinder fails, Snow will fall, too.

Review:
This book is certainly darker than the first, as promised. Eloise knows more than she should, but she’s proven herself to be quite resourceful. There are so many things left unsaid that you merely will have to read on to learn about. I love her resourcefulness and wit, and cannot wait to see what the third book has in store!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Defiant: A Cinderella Retelling by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
A dark, twisted Cinderella retelling that fans of Sarah J. Maas and/or Melanie Dickerson are sure to enjoy.

Magic can have deadly consequences.

When the sudden and suspicious death of Eloise’s mother points to forbidden magic, Eloise is determined to bring her mother’s murderer to justice. She will stop at nothing to find the killer…even if the clues lead right to the palace gates and the prince’s manservant, Kaven. He is irrational, volatile, and prone to knocking women off horses. Given his personality, it should be easy to find the proof she needs to place him in irons.

However, when dark magic is used, nothing is as it seems, and Eloise is about to learn that nightmares often hide behind fairy tale lives.

Fans of the Beastly Tales will not want to miss this new addition to the same world. Filled with magic, unexpected foes, and brooding, impossible men, this Tale of Cinder is sure to leave you burning for more!

Review:
I bought this book as soon as I finished The Beastly Tales, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to fall into another world like that one; so in depth and gripping. So I waited, and finally- the time came to crack this open. Without any more preamble, I quite loved it. This story wasn’t all that similar to The Beastly Tales from my perspective. There was a good set up of characters, a nice revolving door, and there was no mention of anything of a particular adult nature in detail until I believe chapter 16. That being said, the set up and landscape are brilliant, and I found myself immersed and enthralled from the start. I had my suspicions about what was going on, and I was pleasantly surprised that I had not managed to figure out exactly what was going on. I quite love how the bookseller knows the difference in taste of books between the two girls, and never judges them or says anything about it, other than “these books are good for you, these are good for your sister”, and nor does he attempt to censure them. Amazing man! There is mention that the next books are darker, and I look forward to seeing what that entails. Off to buy the next…

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Cowboy’s Forbidden Crush by Deborah Garland

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Synopsis:
Don’t tempt a cowboy if you’re not prepared to go for a ride.

Meet Dr. Walker Rhodes, DVM. He has rules about sleeping with his students. He doesn’t go there. But when Emmaline Phillips waltzes into his class, all bets are off.

Emma is smart and beautiful and those haunting caramel eyes will be my undoing. I’m watching her every move while I wait to make her mine. The way she looks at me tells me: She’s mine.

With graduation just days away, I’ll get her in my bed and keep her there until she leaves this small Texas town to chase her dreams in the Kentucky Bluegrass. She’s got plans that don’t include me.

And I’m not looking for anything long-term. I don’t do relationships.

I just need enough time with Emma to satisfy us both and get her out of my head.

Only, when she shows up on my ranch with tight jeans, boots and ready to work as my intern, I’m ready to lose it. Emma Phillips will be my downfall.

There’s only so much a cowboy can take…

Review:
This book was amazing. Yes, there is an age gap, but not in a weird or creepy way like some books/situations tend to be. Emma is about to graduate vet school and she definitely sees something in Rhodes. While there are some uncertainties with both of them set for different things in life, the way they came together and found themselves changing, for the better, from working together and having a deeper understanding of the way they each are, was great to see. There are twists and turns and the ending leaves you wishing for something a bit more concrete, yet knowing that they will likely feature in the rest of the books in the series. One of the things that I, as a horse owner, personally appreciated was that they Garland didn’t make the profession out to be easy, and did show that being a large animal vet with horses, which are prey animals, means dealing with unpredictability and dangerous situations sometimes. I found it quite realistic, and it was a very enjoyable, quick read.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Captive of the Pirate King: A Pirate Romance by Rebecca F. Kenney

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Captive of the Pirate King: A Pirate Romance (Standalone) (Dark Rulers Book 2) by [Rebecca F. Kenney]

Synopsis:
Veronica wants nothing more than to find her brother, who sailed away years ago. But when Veronica’s ship is captured by pirates, she’s determined to save her own skin, while keeping her magic and her gender a secret. Disguised as male, she finagles a spot as a cabin boy aboard the buccaneers’ vessel–which is bound for Ravensbeck, a stronghold where the Pirate King holds sway. He may have the answers Veronica seeks–but getting those answers could cost her more than she’s willing to pay.

Review:
This book… was slow burning and great. I loved the way Veronica worked as a cabin boy, and how her relationships develop from Nick to Veronica. She is so capable and becomes so strong, so while she does have disadvantages that she has had to deal with her whole life, it is great to see her overcome what she perceives as her own shortcomings. I did quite enjoy this book and fell asleep several nights, stopping to sleep when my eyes were blurring. I quite loved how she was challenged regularly by her male counterpart, but her inability to realize how much attention he kept on her and how much he was pushing, that he had to care, was frustrating and annoying. It was also hard to empathize with her feelings for her brother as well, but the connections she made and her journey on sea and with the pirates certainly made up for it.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Bride to the Fiend Prince: A Dark Rulers Romance by Rebecca F. Kenney

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Bride to the Fiend Prince: A Dark Rulers Romance (Standalone) by [Rebecca F. Kenney]

Synopsis:
When her father surrenders to an invading kingdom, Amarylla doesn’t realize she’s part of the treaty until it’s too late. Drugged to prevent resistance, she’s swept away to the dark, tortured kingdom of Terelaus, where she is forced to marry the Fiend Prince. When Amarylla holds a dagger to his throat on their wedding night, she and the Prince come to a tenuous arrangement of their own. But he may not be the greatest danger lurking in the Cursed Palace.

Review:
This book. I grabbed it because I saw a Tiktok about Captive of the Pirate King and it wasn’t available for a few days! This book looked equally interesting and honestly I am so glad I read this first! I absolutely loved this book, finding Amarylla to be a damsel, who isn’t in distress, and can definitely handle herself. While she might have been betrayed previously, she didn’t let her previous preconceived notions about people and why they did things stop her from becoming compassionate and working for what is right. She’s a great heroine and I loved all of the tension (especially the dancing!!) and the spice between her and her Fiend Prince.

Update: I forgot to add that I also loved how this book made the heroine face mortality.

“He’s going to die.”
“As we all are,” said Onwe, “And those closer to the grave deserve love just as much as those with years of life left ahead of them.”

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Tin Rose: A Steampunk Romance by Anne Renwick

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The Tin Rose: A Steampunk Romance (An Elemental Steampunk Chronicle) by [Anne Renwick]

Synopsis:
An evening escape. A clockwork poison. A race to save a love balanced on the edge.

On the night they were to elope, a spurned lover returned. A gift, she claimed. But the clockwork contraption unwound a poisonous bloom, sending Lady Emily and Luca, her beloved, on a desperate race to reach the cure.

Review:
A very quick novel, which showed the tenacity of Lady Emily and just how far people will go for those they love. There were stakes and one was never quite sure how it would end, but it was quite short (with a print length of 58 pages). I did enjoy it, as I have all of Renwick’s books thus far.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Times Like These: A Rock Star Romance by Julia Wolf

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Times Like These: A Rock Star Romance (Blue is the Color Book 1) by [Julia Wolf]

Synopsis:
It all started with a concert I never wanted to attend…

Nick Fletcher is the kind of arrogant, beautiful, bad boy who draws me in like a moth to a flame. He’s also a world-famous rock star who should be untouchable to a struggling college student like me.

One impulsive decision from me, a vicious response from Nick, and we’re thrust into each other’s worlds, whether we like it or not. And he really doesn’t like it.

To him, I’m an intruder working on his summer tour. One with a sassy mouth I can’t keep shut, especially when he leans in hard to the whole sexy, grumpy rocker thing.

There’s something undeniable simmering between us, and it’s not hate. But beneath Nick’s arrogance is a broken man and my days of fixing men are behind me.

No matter what, I’m walking away when this tour is over.

Even if the heat we ignite burns hotter than the summer sun.

Review:
Found this book from booktok. A quick fast read. The characters are quirky, flawed, and stay with you. Great book, good flow. A lot of unseen twists and turns and the perfect ending. A great quick enemies to lovers romance, and the spice was great and well written.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon

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A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor (Tempting Monsters Book 1) by [Kathryn Moon, Jodielocks Designs]

Synopsis:
On the brink of losing her position as a maid and with no prospects to go on, the offer of a place at Rooksgrave Manor—a house of ill and unusual repute—sounds like a perfect fit for a young woman with Esther’s inclinations. Even better, the invitation comes by the hand of the handsome Dr. Underwood, a delicate gentleman with a ferocious alter ego who knows exactly what he wants from Esther.

Upon arrival, the men and the daily decadence of the manor feel too good to be true for a girl of Esther’s station. There are rules to be followed, expectations to meet, and Esther is afraid she might be too wicked even for a place like Rooksgrave.

Temptations lurk around every shadowy corner and Esther has never been a girl able to resist. But the risk of disappointing her new gentlemen isn’t all that’s threatening Esther’s new position. Rooksgrave Manor’s protections for its unusual patrons are failing, the wards are crumbling, and Esther’s new and exquisitely pleasurable life may all come tumbling down.

Review:
The synopsis gives you no idea just how much spice you’re about to walk into. Esther is a girl who really likes sex, and there are plenty of men who are more than willing to give it to her well, good, and often… even if there is something a bit different about them. This book… I had worries that a WIP had too much spice too soon, and this definitely assuaged that fear! Not only was there a lot of sex, but it was all written quite well! Despite having lots and lots of sex, there were actually some pretty intense plotlines and depth beyond the physicality. This book had everything; believable characters, gripping plotlines, prejudice to be dealt with, and through it all–you just wanted to keep reading more.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯