Romance

Romance Book Reviews

Review of Hex and Hexability by Kate Johnson

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Synopsis:
Bridgerton meets The Ex Hex this witchy season with this oh so spicy romantasy Regency romcom!

‘Do you want to see what witches can do?’

Lady Tiffany Worthington has always had a special talent for making the world around her come to life – whether she wants it to or not – but it’s only with the arrival of her mysterious great aunt Esme on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo that she learns she’s a witch … and that the magic she’s long feared is actually a gift to be embraced.

Now, as she’s exposed to a side of London she never knew existed, one with sea creatures, magical portals, time travel, and a handsome duke from a faraway land with a dashing scar that makes him look like a pirate, Lady Tiffany discovers that despite what the ton might decree, there is no limit to what she can do … or who she can be.

Review:
I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book because I really hadn’t been a great fan of Hex Appeal but I was so pleasantly surprised by how amazing this book was! Firstly, while hearing about the “Tiffany problem” everywhere, this is the first book that had a Tiffany in it set in older times, using the “proper” form of the name: Theophania. (This has been a year of Effie/Effy and Thea/Theadoras). Everything about this book really showed how stifled women could be when in polite society. The way in which ladies were expected to keep up with fashion and goings on and never really truly think or do anything different or unexpected made it very clear why Tiffany didn’t want the life she felt was being thrust upon her. Add in a bit of magic and a Duke who isn’t at all what is expected of a Duke, some mythical creatures, and there is just so much going for this book! I adored Santiago and thought his past and current hang ups were well fleshed out and fitting.

I tried this book because it was mentioned to be “Brigerton meets” and moreso the “spicy romantasy Regency romcom” and I was not disappointed! I highly recommend this to anyone who wonders why happily ever after is always “they got married and had a baby, THE END”, who loves magic, pirates, and people who go against societies expectations.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Gothikana by RuNyx

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Synopsis:
An outcast her entire life, Corvina Clemm is left adrift after losing her mother. When she receives the admission letter from the mysterious University of Verenmore, she accepts it as a sign from the universe. The last thing she expects though is an old, secluded castle on top of a mountain riddled with secrets, deceit, and death.

An enigma his entire life, Vad Deverell likes being a closed book but knowing exactly everything that happens in the university. A part-time professor working on his thesis, Vad has been around long enough to know the dangers the castle possesses. And he knows the moment his path crosses with Corvina, she’s dangerous to everything that he is.

They shouldn’t have caught each other’s eye. They cannot be. But a chill-inducing century-old mystery forces them to collide. People have disappeared every five years over the past century, Corvina is getting clues to unraveling it all, and Vad needs to keep an eye on her.

And so begins a tale of the mysterious, the morbid, the macabre, and a deep love that blossoms in the unlikeliest of places.

Review:
I found this book through the insanely large social media following it has.

This story has a lot of weird elements that while perhaps gothic, are also just odd. At some points there seems to be an active story going on, with dark atmosphere and whispers on the wind. In others, there are parts that definitely seem unrealistic; can you imagine a college where you are given a curfew, no cell phones/telephone access, and mail can only be posted once a week? The language was repetitive in the descriptions as well. That being said, the characters were well fleshed out but I honestly didn’t find myself liking Corvina that much.

Despite there being killings/disappearances, having a ball that the school completely pays for, including all the clothing for students, that ends up being an… group adult affair involving less clothing… didn’t seem very college like to me.

All in all, while the mystery was interesting, there was a lot that constantly took me out of the story.

Star rating: ✯✯✯

Review of Forked by Melanie Harlow

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Synopsis:
I have trouble saying no.

To shoes, handbags, the dessert tray… you name it.

But when I agreed to plan a last-minute engagement bash for a spoiled Mafia princess, I had no idea she’d demand that my sexy ex, Nick Lupo, cater it. Sure, he’s now a famous celebrity chef, but to me he’s just the boy who broke my heart.

Still, I need the money for a down payment on my dream house, so I summon all my strength and approach him. I should have known Nick would turn the situation to his advantage.

He’ll agree to work for me, but only if I agree to spend a weekend with him.

Hear him out. Give him a second chance.

Did I mention my weakness for dark eyes and tattoos?

I’m completely and totally forked.

Review:
I absolutely loved both Coco and Nick. Seeing their interactions, and how he clearly still is head over heels for her, made me team Nick from the beginning. I love how supportive Nick is, how he tries so hard to do and be everything Coco needs and wanted him to. There were times when they obviously needed to communicate a little better, and one in particular made NO SENSE AT ALL. No one goes that long without a phone in today’s day and age. Yet, in the end, this was an absolutely beautiful story and I am so glad I read it; even if it was so long after I read Frenched that I was reading about completely new people I didn’t really remember.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of How to Outfit a Wizard by Amy Boyles

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Synopsis:
What happens when magical enemies wind up in a real-life Freaky Friday?

Witch Blair Thornrose has spent her life working in her family’s magical bookshop. But when the magic begins failing, the only thing that can save it is for Blair to marry. The one way that witches know how to do that—throw a witchy ballroom dance to find the most eligible suitor.

But Blair has a power that makes most men run for cover—all of them except the brutally handsome and terribly arrogant Devlin Ross, that is.

Wizard inventor Devlin Ross has never gotten over Blair Thornrose. The two dated in high school, but things ended badly between them. When he discovers that she must find a husband, Devlin’s jealous. He wants Blair badly, but there’s a reason why they can’t be together—a secret that Devlin refuses to share.

When a magical spell goes terribly wrong and Devlin and Blair switch powers, Blair is furious. But Devlin makes her a deal—he will help her win the man of her dreams if she helps him build his latest invention. This is too big an opportunity for Blair to give up. But will Devlin reveal the secret that tore them apart, or will he push Blair into the arms of another man and give her up forever?

If you love sisterhood, romances that sweep you off your feet, magical bookstores, and loving families, then you’ll adore the second book in the Seven Suitors for Seven Witches series.

Review:
This book is a great second chance romance. A comfy, light read. Despite their friction it’s so obvious that there is still so much between Blair and Devlin. I quite enjoyed the story and was glad for how everything ended. While there were some obvious parts, and some parts where you wanted to shake the characters and tell them to just talk to each other, over all the story was sweet. I loved that Devlin really knew her and encouraged Blair to look into herself for what she liked and wanted to do instead of just being what she was expected because of her family. Looking forward to seeing how they help the other sisters get married off in the future!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Star-Crossed Holiday by Sarah Deeham

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Synopsis:
One grumpy movie-star dad + one nanny = holiday Christmas magic in a small town.

The small-town teacher
I never imagined I’d get stuck in an elevator with Ronan Masters, a grumpy, gorgeous action star, and his adorable daughter. But then again, nothing has gone as expected over the last few months. Not losing my beloved job as an art teacher or my fiancé dumping me.

The giant of a man may not smile much, but at least his little girl likes me. I try to keep the crush I’m feeling on Hollywood’s hottest dad under control. But all bets are off when he asks me to be his temporary nanny over the holiday season.

And the action star

I’m in Snowflake Harbor to film a movie while adjusting to being a parent to a daughter I only recently met. When I get stuck in an elevator with Poppy O’Brien, I’m not sure what to think of her. She smiles too much and has a Mary Poppins purse full of glitter glue, goody bags, and snacks. And she makes my solemn child smile like no one else. Soon, we’re both under her spell.

Becoming the new nanny, though, makes her strictly off limits. I can’t afford distractions and I don’t do commitment. I also don’t do holidays. But as the countdown to Christmas continues and the date we have to leave comes closer, Poppy has me rethinking everything.

Review:
Oh, the slow burn of this is just perfection! Poppy is just the best, most bubbly person who went through something traumatic and I absolutely love how Ronan ends up the knight in shining armour. Ronan is stoic and unsure of himself and yet Poppy breathes life into his and his daughter’s lives. This is truly one of the sweetest holiday romances I’ve read and I absolutely loved it. The characterization of these two is spot on and I love how they push each other. Poppy is a totally relatable character who throws her whole heart into everything she does and because she cares finds it hard to say no, whereas Ronan finds it much easier to just keep to the status quo and has to learn there’s more to life than simply work. Together, with Belle to guide them, it’s fun to see exactly how perfect a family can be during the holidays- especially in a town that ADORES everything about Christmas. Amazing cozy romance I highly recommend. Probably even cozier if you read during the Christmastime and not in August like I did.


Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️

*This book was read in August, though reviewed now.

Review of Star-Crossed Letters by Sarah Deeham

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Synopsis:
One girl with a typewriter + one movie star = anonymous pen pals, a secret crush, and a steamy, slow-burn summer to risk it all.

The bookshop barista…
When I sold a vintage typewriter, I never imagined its new owner would become my pen pal, best friend, and secret crush.
We have two rules: no photos and no real names.

Over the years, “Remington” and I go from typewritten notes to daily texts, but our rules stay the same. And so does my life. I’m a wannabe writer who can’t complete a novel, and I’ve fallen for a guy who I’ve never met.

So when I receive a letter my Nanna wrote before she died encouraging me to embark on a summer of risks—my first on the list is to break all the rules.

& the celebrity…
I hate keeping secrets from my pen pal, the one woman I care about. But I’m Hollywood’s hottest celebrity, and my fame is toxic. If I get close to a girl, she becomes vulnerable, stalked by the tabloids, trolls, and superfans.

Our anonymous friendship works until “Typewriter Girl” suddenly ghosts me. Now, I’ll do anything to ensure she’s safe, including stepping out from behind the screen and leading a double life.

Review:
Normally the “girl next door” troupe is so not me and yet this book takes a completely different angle that makes it just *chef’s kiss*. There were moments where you think for sure that “Typewriter Girl” and “Remington” will reveal themselves; or figure out who the other is of their own merit, but the whole time they are living their lives and it is impossible to stop reading. While there were many things I did absolutely love about Olivia, I wasn’t a fan at all of how she came across as too naïve and inexperienced. That being said, I absolutely adored this book and couldn’t wait to start the second one. This is a quick, cozy, feel good read. Highly recommend it for a little bit of romance.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️

*This book was read in August, though reviewed now.

Review of Vampire Charming by Cassandra Gannon

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Synopsis:
Jane Squire is a normal, rational human, who doesn’t believe in fairytales. Then, the self-proclaimed “King of the Vampires” arrives in her grocery store. Slade says that Jane is destined to help him on some crazy, epic quest. Not only does the arrogant lunatic get her fired, but she’s somehow transported into the worse fantasy movie imaginable.

With script pages full of stolen dialogue, random musical numbers, and a whole cast of supernatural weirdoes, there’s no denying that Jane and Slade are stuck in a swords-and-sorcery film. Even worse, Jane is starting to think that the handsome vampire who’s wrecked her practical life might just be her Prince Charming.

M/F
Happily Ever After
Fated Mates, Isekai trope, medieval world romance, himbo romance
97,000 + words
Standalone romance, but Slade also appears in Not Another Vampire Book

Review:
I had a bit more understanding of how this book was going to work than Not Another Vampire Book and while I did enjoy the story, there were A LOT of holes. From the story we learn that Jane Squire is a loner but there is never any more back story about her parents or life outside of one role in theatre that didn’t work out for her. While overall there were some good quips and lessons, such as you shouldn’t rely on another person to bring you happiness- you need to find that for yourself, there was a lot of entitlement and switching perspectives. While the nature of this story is a story within a story it seemed at times that Jane completely shifted from her thoughts and feelings on a matter and what had been happening in the “real” world of Infinia would change without any mention of change because of the script–just randomly Jane would think or desire something else. I did love how characters from the past world Slade lived in were in this one, and that being said, highly recommend if you want to read this book reading Not Another Vampire Book beforehand.

While Slade does grow quite a bit in this novel to learn that he shouldn’t just have things given to him and should consider others, Jane seems to be fighting being a typical heroine while becoming more of a stock character. “Slade’s real power is his goddamn optimism.” (page 100) By the end she’s calling him “Dummy” and it’s just totally out of character. Priorities are also clearly an issue in this book as there is no problem with long intimacy scenes in the middle of a fight/escape. While part of me wants to dock the book for all of the above, given that this book seems like it was written by someone other than Amalie, and perhaps the lack of ability of the author within the story is what made the issues so big. I did love the tie in with Prince Charming, and there were many of neat modern drama references. I did like the acting background and Dracula, Ph.D, however a lot of times there were mentions that seemed as if they were put in just so the author could state they liked xyz- like continuously calling Slade shiny towards the beginning/middle of the book. Also not a fan of how a person’s world would JUST STOP without another in it. That being said, if you go in knowing this book is kitsch and comical while trying to be a deep romance novel, you could still have an enjoyable reading experience.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️

Review of Not Another Vampire Book by Cassandra Gannon

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Synopsis:
What’s worse than editing the stupidest romance novel ever written? Getting stuck inside of it. Karalynn Donnelly has somehow been transported into Eternal Passion at Sunset, a vampire love story filled with enough clichés, anachronisms, and run-on sentences to drive any hardworking book editor insane.

To make matters worse, Kara accidentally prevents the story’s hero and heroine from meeting. Now Slade, the idiot Vampire King, thinks Kara’s his destined mate. If she’s going to find her way home, Kara needs to get this story back on track. But, teaming up with Damien, the novel’s handsome, super-powered bad guy might not be the best place to start…

M/F
Happily Ever After
Fated Mates, Isekai trope, time travel romance
120,000 + words
Standalone book, but Vampire Charming is a sequel starring Slade

Review:
Originally, the ending bit above hadn’t been included when I decided to pick this book up. From the actual synopsis, it sounds like a lovely book, unfortunately in many regards this book is exactly what it claims, or at least seems to claim, to be a parody of. While Kara doesn’t want to do the instant attraction/love at first sight thing, she is drawn to Damien. While I did quite love Damien/Kara, there was just so much involved that was supposed to be REALLY happening that exactly mimicked what allegedly Kara would not stand for in literature (so why would she stand for it in her real life?) That being said, at the end we do realize why the romance novel that Kara’s stepmother’s friend wrote isn’t very good, though I will say I saw the ending of WHO wrote the book from the beginning.

I am torn between numbers on what to consider this book, because based on the description without the added bit, I’d have said 3 stars, but if you KNEW that it was going to be Fated Mates, that would kick it up to four for me. That being said, I do still want to read Slade’s book- but this time I’ll know from the start what I’m getting myself into. If you like being frustrated by characters consistently doing things that don’t make sense get called out on their dumb choices, and a hint of romance, this book is for you.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️

Review of Hate Mail by Donna Marchetti

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Synopsis:
Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal jousting…

But what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, years later, when the letters suddenly stop.

It’s been two years since Naomi last heard from Luca. Two years since the letter that changed everything.

But when a new envelope turns up out of the blue at her desk at the local news station, Naomi is determined not to let Luca have the final word.

Review:
This book was great. It was easy to fall into, a quick read, and one that was hard to put down. I loved the interspersed backstory bits about Luca, though it was a bit one sided as it was predominately from the perspective of Naomi. The main big “mix up” I saw a mile away and while I didn’t like the huge reaction it caused, I was completely smitten with how everything tied up in the end. There were some great quirky side characters, some awesome adventures, and a great little peek of spice. I also quite loved how one small connection kept over your life since you were young can make all the difference to what you turn out interested in/doing/being/who you are. If you like enemies to lovers, wordplay, and good banter, this is the summer beach read for you.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️

Review of Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

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Synopsis:
One sister.
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge . . . Welcome to Hell.

After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.

She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria . . . even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world .  . or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature? 

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves . . . 

Review:
This book was all about finding things out that had seemed almost already too obvious in the first book in the series. This book still left enough mystery that I continued to read the third book, but it was the beginning of a decline. What had started as a young adult book became decidedly adult with an overabundance of sexual experiences, which were often at points that would not make sense.

Star rating: ✯✯✯
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️


* This was read in May, but did not write the review until June.