Enemies to Lovers

Review of The Darkness Within Us By Tricia Levenseller

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Synopsis:
Chrysantha Stathos has won.
By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has become a wealthy duchess. And, once her elderly husband dies, she will have all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.
A man claiming to be the estranged grandson of Chrysantha’s lecherous late husband has turned up to steal her inheritance. To make matters worse, her little sister is going to be queen and is rubbing it in her face.

Chrysantha decides that the only thing to do is upstage Alessandra at her own wedding. And as for this grandson, he has to go. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive with mysterious powers . . . No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

Review:
I thought I was going to hate this book. Really, I had adored Alessandra and how she deviated from society, how she was willing to do whatever it took (and she was willing to) in order to gain the future she wanted for herself, and women in general. That being said, Chrysantha completely surprised me and I ended up absolutely loving her as well, in completely different ways. It was interesting to see how there are different types of strength and resilience, as well as intelligent ways to go about having freedom and the life you want. This book was just as endearing and heartfelt/heartrending as The Shadows Between Us, with different stakes, different magic, and entirely different characters. I enjoyed getting to see Alessandra and her King once again, and how well they compliment each other.

If you like enemies-to-lovers, strong female protagonists, and some interesting magic, this is definitely a book for you and I’d highly recommend it.

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 How To Fae It With A Fae by Amy Boyles

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Synopsis:
A broody fae king bent on revenge meets his match in this hilarious modern romance.

Book lover Addison Thornrose can match you with your next perfect read. Unfortunately, she can’t match herself with a good man. Her latest just dumped her. Worse, she’s learned that unless she marries, and quickly, her family will lose their witch magic—forever.

Feylin, king of the fae, has no interest in romance. In fact, the only thing he’s interested in is getting revenge on the Thornrose family for ruining his life. So when he learns that they’re holding a Bridgerton style ball to marry off their oldest daughter, Addison, he sees an opportunity for vengeance.

But what Feylin doesn’t expect is to start falling for Addison. And worse, he really doesn’t expect it when ancient fae magic binds them together.

His solution is to strike a bargain—be in a fake relationship. Just until they can break the spell between them, and just until he can get his revenge.

For Addison, this is a dream come true! She doesn’t want to be pawned off to a line of suitors, and she certainly doesn’t want to be engaged. But between the spine-tingling fake dates and the tension-infused banter, lines begin to blur. And Addison begins to wonder when her heart will stop faking it and her feelings become real.

This grumpy/sunshine witch romcom features a ballroom dance complete with frilly gowns, a magical bookshop, a tight-knit family, sisterhood, and of course, the promise of true love. It’s the first in a series of stand-alone romances.

Review:
I absolutely loved this book, which is odd, because usually I’m not a huge fan of “forced” pairings. I thought this book did really well with the enemies to lovers troupe, and getting Addison and Feylin to learn more about each other. I did think the ending seemed a bit rushed, and a bit too obvious in the big horrible event being just so easily swept away and everything returned to normal and forgiven. Addison, come on, girl! I also believe that the true culprit was very obvious from the start, but I absolutely love who came to the rescue in a complete deus ex machina moment (no spoilers here!!) All in all, this book is a quick, fun, light read and I have been looking forward to continuing with the next one in the series once it came out. Now that I’ve written this review… time to read book 2!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

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

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 Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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Synopsis:
Welcome, welcome to CARAVAL, Stephanie Garber’s enchanting, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling fantasy debut about two sisters swept up in a mysterious competition filled with magic, heartbreak, and danger

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful and cruel father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to attend. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, and her sister disappears forever.

Review:
“Every person gets one impossible wish, if the person wants something more than anything, and they can find a bit of magic to help them along.” -Caraval

This book takes you on a fabulous journey and from the beginning you’re completely enthralled. This is a book you’ll both not be able to put down and cannot wait to finish but never want to have end. A gothic romance with magic that truly pulls you in, that I would definitely recommend for any fans of The Night Circus. The characterization, depth, and reasoning for how characters are and behave how they do is very well done. A world in which you never know what to expect or what is real, there were a few twists that were eluded to and expected that I quite enjoyed. Overall it was a stunning mystery from beginning to end and I absolutely adored every moment of it, even the terrifying/horrifying parts.

I thought that the anaologies and descriptions/imagery did a great job of pulling you into the world, but there was a huge undercurrent of trying to pull someone from a bad situation and remind them how to live again. There is a lot of time where Scarlett is left having to remember not to act in a certain learned behaviours because of the life she grew up in, and that she cannot always be meek and live in fear. Scarlett is also allowed to dream again, and remember/experience the magic she always wanted and dreamt of when she was younger.

It’s intriguing the way in which Tella is involved in the Caraval, which leaves the question of are all the games rigged? What’s also interesting is that Donatella is shortened to Tella and not Dona, though I definitely think it suits the character. We are never quite sure just how much Tella is acting and how much she truly is the wild sister, which I presume we will learn more of in book 2.

I frantically bought the next two books before I finished this one, and look forward to continuing in this world once they’re delivered. This had actually been on my to read list for a while and I’d picked up a paper copy while at a Barnes and Noble buy two get one sale- I definitely recommend this in paper as you’re going to want to be able to loan it out! There are so many tropes in this book, a few of which being sisterly love, older sibling parentification, enemies to lovers, magic/mystery. I highly recommend this book series to people who love magic, relatable heroines, circuses, and always straddling the line between what is and isn’t, what’s good and evil.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯



Review of The Book of G by Lily Archer

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Synopsis:
Villains don’t get happily ever afters, do they?

I have a glorious past full of achievement and renown. I mean, I feel like I must, right? The problem is, I can’t remember it. I can’t even remember my own name. I was found in a river, body mangled and face scarred, with nothing to identify me besides a single embroidered letter.

My memory is a murky blur, but I have a quest, one that will give me back everything I’ve lost. The voice in the water told me so. But the voice seemed to miss a few important highlights—namely the woman who challenges me at every twist and turn of my journey. The woman who tells me I’m a villain. The woman who becomes every fervent whisper of my heart, and every last thought in my head.

If I can complete my quest and recover what I’ve lost, she’ll see we’re meant to be. But villains don’t get happily ever afters, do they?

Lily’s Note: Sometimes falling from a great height can lead to a whole new life. This is a full-length standalone fantasy romance. Let your imagination run wild about who G is and just how wide his evil streak can be (hint: massive.)

Review:
Holy. Crap. I knew I liked morally grey, and enemies to lovers can be amazing, but this Beauty and the Beast retelling is one I never expected to find, and a “villain” I never thought I’d love and resonate with. While I did know who G was from the start, I absolutely fell headfirst into this story and was held captive. I didn’t want to put it down! The writing is concise, the world building on point. The spice was incredible and a 5/5 on that alone. There was never a point where I thought I had the ending figured out, and there were still surprises up to the very epilogue. In taking away G’s past, we’re left seeing why he might think of things the way he did: nature vs. nurture, as well as a general lack of education beyond being a manly man. I absolutely love that while he did grow as a person his quirks and flaws remained the same and became understood and almost endearing. The banter and tension in this book is absolutely perfect. All that being said, this book was amazing and I quite loved it, and strongly recommend it if you like: morally grey, enemies to lovers, Beauty and the Beast retellings, and a whole lot of spice.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of To Carve a Fae Heart by Tessonja Odette

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Synopsis:
Every young woman dreams of marrying a king.
Everyone except for me.
Because the king I am to wed has razor sharp fangs and a thirst for blood.

All my life I knew I’d come of age during the Hundred Year Reaping. According to the ridiculous treaty, two human girls are sent to the faelands as brides for the fearsome fae king and his devilish younger brother.

Not me. I was supposed to be safe. Two girls were chosen from my village already. But when they are executed for offending the king, my sister and I are sent in their place.

What a mess. Then again, maybe it’s not so bad. The younger brother I’m paired with doesn’t seem as monstrous as I’d expected. He’s delightfully handsome too. But nothing compares to the chilling, dangerous beauty of the fae king. And when my sister flees the castle and her terrifying husband-to-be, I’m left to marry him instead.

If I go through with this, I might not survive my wedding night. If I don’t, no one is safe, neither human nor fae. An ancient war will return, bringing devastation we haven’t seen in a thousand years. Can I sacrifice myself for the good of my people? Or will a dangerous desire be the death of me first?

If I don’t lose my heart, the king will certainly lose his. I’ll carve it out with an iron blade if I have to.

To Carve a Fae Heart is an enemies-to-lovers fantasy, perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince, ACOTAR, and Kingdom of the Wicked. If you like snarky fae, brooding royals, sizzling romance, and fierce heroines, you’ll love this breathtaking fae fantasy.

*NOTE: This series is Upper YA/NA and contains sexual situations, moderate steam, and some violence.

To Carve a Fae Heart is the first book in The Fair Isle Trilogy, set in the same world as the Entangled with Fae series. To Carve a Fae Heart takes place twenty years before the Entangled with Fae books. Journey back to Faerwyvae or start your adventure for the first time with this epic fantasy tale!

Review:
This book had me from the very first line. I absolutely adore that Tessonja Odette’s heroines/protagonists have lives, aspirations, goals, and not everything in their heads disappears the instant there is a chance of romance. This book is a perfect mesh of faerie tales and the duality of what you see from the outside of someone versus what they may be harbouring within. I absolutely loved how Evelyn is always at war between her head and her heart, there were a few times that she seemed to do things that she absolutely should have known better than. While I believe the couples have great tension, I do wish a certain royal explained better why he felt as he did. Sure, I can deduce that much, but clearly Evelyn couldn’t, so it would have been nice to have it spelled out.

Quite enjoy her differences between Seelie and Unseelie courts, and the explanation of the different powers different creatures have. Evelyn seemed to take up the sayings of the fae quite quickly, whereas as someone raised human, you would think she would have kept those instead, but that could be because of how immersed she quickly had to become in the fae. Evelyn’s narration is quirky, amusing, and fun and this book was entirely impossible to set down. Highly recommend, and have already finished the second book before writing this review (oops!)

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Desperate Measures by Katee Robert

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Synopsis:
Once upon a time, I was a sheltered princess.

On the night Jafar takes everything from my father, he offers me a devil’s bargain—walk with my freedom and nothing else, or attempt to best him and regain my inheritance. In my arrogance, I play right into his hands. I foolishly assume I have a chance to come out on top. I’m wrong.

Now Jafar owns me, body and soul.

We fight during the day, but when night comes, we play out every fantasy I’ve never allowed myself to admit to having. I can’t hide them from Jafar, though. We know each other—and the dark desires we share—far too well. He sees to my every need, no matter how carnal or extravagant. It’s almost enough for me to be happy…

But a gilded cage is still a prison, and I’ll do anything to obtain my freedom—even betray the man I’m falling for.

Review:
This book was a great romance novel with some properly described BDSM elements. The heat between Jafar and Jasmine is tangible, and it is easy to believe she wanted to trust him and let him give her what she was never allowed to have: a man who actually supported her and her ambitions to move forward in life. While the intertwined fairy tale/myth elements were interesting, especially the use of Rajah, I feel as if this story was quite brilliant and very much could have stood on its own without trying to draw people in with the fairy tale element; that being said, I’m almost certain that’s why I was originally drawn in to purchase said novel.

The one issue I did have was how rushed the ending/climax felt. It seems unrealistic that Jasmine would have changed so quickly to become a much more assertive and self assured person willing to force her position on others, especially given the multiple instances where she’s mentioned/felt/shown that she isn’t that type of person and didn’t have enough life experience/knowledge to be able to do such a thing. That being said, I did very much like the ending, it could have just happened in a more convincing manner.

If you like fairy tales, like the morally grey villain, and like well written smut (romance) then I’d highly recommend you read this.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Prince of Never by Juno Heart

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Synopsis:
A fae prince with a poisoned heart. A mortal girl with a magical voice. Neither one believes in fairy tales.

City waitress Lara has the voice of an angel and no idea she’s marked as the fated mate of a silver-eyed royal from another realm. When she falls into Faery and meets an obnoxious huntsman who mistakes her for a troll, she’s amazed to discover he’s the cursed Prince of Air in disguise. Ever’s mother, the queen, is less than impressed. The opposing court of techno-loving Unseelie wants her as their very own pet. And an evil air mage wishes her dead.

Held captive by Elemental fae in the Land of Five, she’s certainly hit rock bottom.

But songs wield power, and Lara happens to be a true diva. Now if only she can use her newfound magical skill to make the Prince of Never a little less attractive. The first thing she wants is to find a way back home, and the last is to fall in love.

Prince of Never is book 1 in the YA enemies-to-lovers Black Blood Fae series. Each book has a HEA and stars a different cursed prince and his human fated mate.** Now contains an extended, swoony, all-the-feels love scene that isn’t included in the audio book. No longer fade-to-black due to popular demand! If you have the previous version, contact me to read the new scene.

Review:
This book was interesting. It seemed a little bit too good to be true in the enemies to lovers/insta-love sense. The characters didn’t really take the time to get to know each other that well, and while we are shown they start spending more time together, they never seem to really get to any depth of each other, except realizing that they care for each other. While I didn’t mind the story, I did find that there wasn’t really any bite to it- no stakes that the reader worries about. I hadn’t realized that there was previously a fade to black love scene, though I did think that the “steamy” part was a bit lackluster and didn’t really enrapture me. The word play and teasing back and forth between the main characters was fun, just felt like there should have been something more. There is also no real reason ever given as to why Lara’s singing is so powerful. It wasn’t a hard read, and I did read it rather quickly. Not quite sure if I will continue the series but if enemies to lovers if your MO then go for it.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Taste of Poison: A Snow White Retelling by Tessonja Odette

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Synopsis:
A runaway princess wanted for murder.
A deadly huntsman who’s after her heart…

Half-fae Astrid Snow is used to being disliked. With magic that makes her mirror back one’s worst qualities, she has more enemies than friends. And when she’s accused of poisoning her father, her stepmother—the formidable Spring Queen—becomes her greatest enemy yet. Forced into hiding, she finds solace at the Seven Sins Hotel. It provides the perfect subterfuge she needs. For who could ever find an outlaw in a hotel famed for sin?

Bear shifter Torben Davenport lost everything to the gambling halls. To pay off his debts, he serves the fae royals as their personal Huntsman, locating hard-to-find fugitives with his scent-based magic. When the Spring Queen offers him a bargain that will erase his debts for good, he’s willing to do what it takes—even if it means finding the queen’s runaway stepdaughter and cutting out her heart.

Astrid won’t go down without a fight, even if her assailant is a strikingly handsome Huntsman. If she can evade the bear-shifter’s claws, maybe she can make him an ally. It’s easier said than done, especially after she accidentally gets herself handcuffed to her infuriating captor.

Can Astrid cut through Torben’s icy demeanor and convince him to help her find the real killer? Or will she lose her heart in more ways than one?

ACOTAR meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this standalone fairytale retelling of Snow White. If you like brooding heroes, just one bed, and grumpy sunshine romances, then you’ll love this swoon-worthy story in the Entangled with Fae series.

*NOTE this book is upper YA/NA featuring mature situations, moderate violence and gore, substance abuse, and some adult language. The romance is slow burn but leads to moderate steam.

A Taste of Poison is a complete stand-alone novel set in the same world as The Fair Isle Trilogy. Journey back to Faerwyvae or begin your adventure for the first time with this enchanting tale. Each book in the Entangled with Fae series can be read on its own and in any order. Happily ever after guaranteed!

Review:
Wasn’t completely sure how I’d feel about this one since Astrid was so interesting. I quite enjoyed how the Huntsman got caught up and found himself more involved than he intended. I also had figured out who our big bad was going to be which I am quite please with myself for! This story had such depth and I quite loved all of the different places and people we got to meet and experience. It was beautiful seeing Astrid learn to let herself be and feel, and I think that’s something a lot of us relate to. Emotions are hard. It can be very difficult to process them and many times you can find yourself stagnant and trapped by memories and bad things, be that by what you use to get away from it or the thoughts themselves, but it’s important in life to keep moving forward and growing and working through. Quite enjoyed it, and very much enjoyed the connection that Astrid and Torben have!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯