Fae

Review of My Feral Romance by Tessonja Odette

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Synopsis:
A painter in need of a model.
A matchmaker seeking a subject.
An arrangement that will tangle their hearts.

Fae shifter Daphne has landed the opportunity of a lifetime: illustrating her favorite author’s steamy romance novels. If only she could master male physiques…and other essential anatomy. What she needs is a model. Yet how does the socially awkward fae with a tendency to bite find a man she can comfortably paint in the nude?

Self-proclaimed matchmaker Monty Phillips is a hopeless romantic…but only when it comes to others. Meddling in the love lives of strangers via his popular advice column keeps romance a safe distance away. Yet when he’s tasked with demonstrating his tips on modern courtship, he’ll need to step out from behind the pen and into someone’s love life.

And he knows just the perfect plaything.

The last time Daphne saw Monty, he broke her heart and discarded their friendship. Now he wants to drag her into one of his idiotic matchmaking games—where she’s the subject! But when he promises to pose as her model in exchange, she can’t refuse. At least it’s only temporary. If he’s the expert he claims to be, she can replace him with a lover in no time.

Painting sessions and flirting lessons commence, rekindling their friendship. But when instructional seduction turns their platonic spark into burning desire, will either have the courage to fan the flames?

Bridgerton meets My Fair Lady and He’s Just Not That Into You in My Feral Romance, a spicy standalone fantasy romcom in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series. Every book in this interconnected series is a complete story and ends with a HEA. If you like fae bargains, friends-to-lovers romance, and cozy fantasy worlds, you’ll love this sizzling tale.

Review:
“… you don’t have to pretend to be anyone you’re not. You deserve to be loved for exactly who you are.” (Chapter 33)

I have loved all of Tessonja Odette’s books, and this is no exception. I did prefer the first book in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series. I really liked that we saw Daphne and Monty thrown together and how their dynamic changed and yet stayed the same from when she was working as his assistant. I liked getting to know more of both of their pasts, and it was really interesting to see how Daphne grew up, and how that type of life might have shaped someone. There was so much more angst and turmoil in Monty’s past than could possibly be guessed (and I really hadn’t remembered him from the first book I had seen him in when I started this series). The romance was decent, and the way they had to work around fae bargains was *chef’s kiss*.

Another stellar book by Tessonja Odette. If you’re looking for something fairy tale esque, magical, with some spice, this will be a great fit for you!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

P. S. I don’t like Monty’s dad, and you likely won’t either!

Review of The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

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Synopsis:
Vying for the hand of one brother.

Falling in love with the other.

A new Victorian-inspired romantasy, perfect for fans of Bridgerton, The Selection, and The Cruel Prince.

“If you’re looking for the next YA sensation, here it is.” —Adalyn Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Belladonna

London, 1848—For four hundred years, England has been under the control of an immortal fae queen who tricked her way onto the throne. To maintain an illusion of benevolence, Queen Mor grants each of her subjects one opportunity to bargain for their deepest desire.

As Ivy Benton prepares to make her debut, she knows that not even a deal with the queen could fix what has gone wrong: Her family’s social standing is in shambles, her sister is a shadow of her former self, and Ivy’s marriage prospects are nonexistent. So when the queen announces a competition for Prince Bram’s hand, Ivy is the first to sign her name in blood. What a bargain can’t fix, a crown certainly could.

Ivy soon finds herself a surprising front-runner—with the help of an unexpected ally: Prince Bram’s brother, the rakish Prince Emmett, who promises to help Ivy win his brother’s heart…for a price. But as the season sweeps Ivy away, with glittering balls veiling the queen’s increasingly vicious trials, Ivy realizes there’s more at stake than just a wedding. Because all faerie bargains come with a cost, and Ivy may have discovered hers too late.

Review:
“Parents warned children to stay away from tall strangers in the woods and to never follow music that seemingly came from nowhere. They did not heed the warnings, and they paid the price.” (Page 365)

This book is AMAZING. It’s got the Victorian society mixed with fairies and magic and love. One of the best parts of this novel is that the faerie aspect is done very well; there is magic, there are bargains, but they all come with a price. While the bargains may be done to make the Faerie Queen seem sympathetic to humans, the duplicity of having to give something away that you often wouldn’t have considered the significance of should have made most realize that the fae don’t consider futures, morals, values, people in the same way that humans do. Yet one by one people send their daughters to ask for a bargain to try to make them more attractive, to elevate their family’s standing and lives, without considering what one may be giving away in return. This book also entwines familial relationships and what one would be willing to do for a sibling that they love more than anything.

This book is gripping, thought provoking, and leaves you wishing for the next book immediately before you’ve even set this one down.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Best Wishes by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Saffron Sawyer is on her own. She’s no longer part of the Office of Faery Godmothers – in fact, she’s no longer part of anything, even if her magic is stronger now than she could have ever dreamed possible. Thwarted at every turn and stalked by monsters in the streets, her life feels like it’s falling apart.

But Saffron isn’t going to give up hope. She’s sworn revenge on the Director and she can’t forget about Jasper and the way he makes her feel. And when some familiar faces come knocking at her door, she might just have found the answers she’s been looking for.

Review:
I loved everything about this book. How spunky Saffron is, how she recognizes that if she had to make it without magic, she can find a way to manage and still bring joy to people while doing so. I love how much Saffron wants to help people, even when she isn’t an official faery godmother. I also absolutely love the comradery and relationships built that help Saffron move on and fight a completely new battle for something that isn’t quite what she’d always wanted. The message that sometimes what you have wanted your whole life isn’t exactly what you need, or exactly what you’d thought it would be, is something that can resonate with many people. There are oftentimes when you think life is going one way and you find yourself doing maybe even the same thing, but in an adjacent to how you thought it would be capacity.

Saffron’s ability to read people, deal with people, and remain her sparky self continue to dazzle in this book, and I am so glad for how things turned out for her with Vincent, and Pumpkin, and of course her friends and Jasper. This was a perfect ending to the series, even if I wished it could have been a bit more/longer. Highly recommend this book, as well as everything else of Harper’s I’ve read thus far. She’s an incredible gem when it comes to modern fantasy–great characters, great plots, smooth reading.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of As You Wish by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
It’s a dirty job when you’re a faery godmother … but someone’s got to do it.

Saffron Sawyer’s world is spinning out of control in more ways than one. Her newly acquired pooch, Pumpkin, hates her guts and it’s highly possible that the trolls are reneging on their promise of temporary peace. Saffron is also on her way to setting the world record for the number of magical wands lost in one month while the continued proximity of Jasper, the emerald eyed Devil’s Advocate, is turning her into a near helpless lust puddle.

Unfortunately, life is never simple in the Office of Faery Godmother … especially when your past mistakes are preparing to come back and haunt you.

Review:
“The only limits are the ones we place on ourselves.” (Page 21)

This book really set Saffron up to show that she has guts. She keeps getting knocked down despite doing admirably, with harder things continuously putting her at risk, but she never once considers letting others that may be considered “stronger” or “higher up” deal with the people she’s upset. I absolutely love her interactions with Jasper, as well as her “sidekick” Vincent, and who couldn’t love Pumpkin? While I do not necessarily wish it on anyone, I did really like how PTSD from previous jobs was shown/represented in this book, and how despite everything Saffron has been through, she, too, could crack. I couldn’t believe where this story ended–what a cliffhanger! Be prepared to start book 4 immediately after.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Wish List by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
You don’t have to be mad to work at the Office of Faery Godmothers. But you do have to be magic.

Saffron Sawyer is a faery on a mission. She may no longer have the same rose-tinted spectacles about her job as she once did, but she’s still determined to be the best faery godmother that there is. And when she’s given the role as leader of a taskforce designed to hunt down the elusive trolls, she knows it’s her time to step up and be counted.

Juggling her new responsibilities while dealing with difficult clients isn’t easy, however. Danger lurks around every corner – and Jasper, the handsome and powerful Devil’s Advocate, is continually looming over her shoulder in the office.

Can Saffron prove her worth to the world of magic? Or will she make one mistake too many and find herself in mortal danger?

Review:
“Because the only person I’ve seen with a drive and will to succeed that surpasses my own is you,” he said simply. “What you lack in experience, you gain in determination.” (Page 16)

This book showed that Saffron really is willing to go above and beyond to do anything and everything for her clients, which perhaps a cat shaped tattoo should have alerted us to earlier. While Saffron is stuck trying to figure out exactly what Jasper and she want, she’s also stuck trying to take care of a very cantankerous client who refuses to open up, and lead people on a task force that rather refuse to listen to her. Every time Saffron does something serious, she finds herself thinking it’s the end for her faery godmother career. It is so refreshing to see a character who cares that much about everyone–even those that definitely aren’t as welcoming and kind to her(here’s looking at you, Pumpkin).

I couldn’t wait and immediately downloaded (and am currently reading) the next book. I highly recommend this book if you read the first, but by now you know I’m an avid Helen Harper fan, and recommend her for your Modern/Urban Fantasy reads.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Wishful Thinking by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
Muddled magic. Missing faeries. She’s having one spell of a day at work…

Saffron Sawyer has ambition by the bucketload and magic at her fingertips. When she lands a position at the esteemed Office of Faery Godmothers, she thinks all her dreams have come true.

But it’s not all glitter and glass slippers, especially with emerald eyed Jasper, the Devil’s Advocate, who is looming over everything. And when Saffron learns that other faery godmothers have been going missing, she realises that she might just be in over her head.

Wishful Thinking is the first book in the refreshingly original How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother in the World (or Die Trying) urban fantasy series. If you love determined heroines, enchanting spins on old tales, and clever twists and turns, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s captivating story.

Review:
“No matter what else was going on, I was still going to be the most awesome faery godmother the world had ever seen.” (Page 58)

I absolutely love Saffron Sawyer. She is what so many people wish they could be–someone with a plan, who tries to always stay positive while doing the right thing and keeping to her own morals. The tension between Jasper and Saffron is unbelievable, and while he can be quite frustrating at times, I cannot help but hope that in the end, they manage to realize how perfect they are for each other. Though Saffron doesn’t come from the uppity high end faery world, I really appreciated how much of her background as a dope faery makes her more knowledgeable and understanding of people’s wants, desires, ulterior motives, and how to look at getting them what they really want. She is in a world where she doesn’t look the part, but she has the right stuff, and it was so wonderful seeing her give her dream her all and truly shining while doing so. I absolutely loved this book, and immediately started on book 2.

If you like plucky heroines that aren’t perfect, who sometimes screw up and yet own it and try to still get the upper hand, along with magical hijinks and a slow burn romance, I’d highly recommend this book/series and Helen Harper’s novels in general.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

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Synopsis:
Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world: How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

Review:
This book had me in a bit of a choke hold–I wanted to continue, yet I wanted to wait and hope that everything was okay enough where I was. There were a lot of tragedies and parts where Emily really had to decide what she thought of as worthy–she had to go on quite the adventure! Her connection with Shadow really resonated with me, going through watching a beloved pet age and trying anything, everything, to give them as much more quality time as you can make happen. The realization by both parties that you must make sacrifices and compromises for those you love rings true of any relationship, and I feel so pleased to have gotten to read more of Emily and Wendell’s journey together. That being said, I am not so certain that this is the end… after all, Emily still has a lot more academic papers and books to pen.

I highly recommend the Emily Wilde series to any who love fantasy, romantasy, fae who act like those of old (not just made into romantic versions thereof), and an emotional rollercoaster to go along with it.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Heart of Desire and Deceit by Elayna R. Gallea

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Synopsis:
How does one pick up the pieces of their life after it has been obliterated by the person they mistakingly trusted?

Ryker Waterborn’s heart is broken, and his wife is a killer. Their marriage is a sham, built on a foundation of murder, lies, and deceit. They’re broken. Destroyed. Yet, even after hearing her confession, Ryker cannot leave Brynleigh in the Pit.

In an act of foolish love, he makes a deal to set Brynleigh free. All she has to do is go back to her Maker and find evidence that Jelisette de la Point is a traitor.

That’s easier said than done, but Brynleigh is left with no choice. She can either accept the deal or rot behind bars. Worse than all that is her relationship with Ryker.

Once, she thought they’d get a happy ending. Now, an ocean divides them.

She broke the rules and fell in love, but is love powerful enough to save them?

This is the second half of Ryker and Brynleigh’s duet, and should be read after A Game of Love and Betrayal.

Review:
Oh my goodness. There were so many JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER ALREADY moments in this book! I am very glad we got to see both Brynleigh and Ryker’s perspectives throughout this or it would have been completely maddening. While I expected a bit of resistance at the end, I hadn’t expected what actually happened, but it also seemed like a bit of a let down with how fast everything happened–almost as if things were too easy for Ryker and Brynleigh.

Personally, I really enjoyed Ryker and all of the “how you act reflects on me” moments, as that’s something I heard often growing up.

I quite liked the ending, though I am not certain I’d read this book duology again.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Game of Love and Betrayal By Elayna R. Gallea

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Synopsis:
He requires a wife. She needs to kill him. All’s fair in pursuit of love and revenge.

What’s a vampire to do when the fae who made her an orphan is searching for a wife?

Make him choose her and end his life on their wedding night, of course.

Brynleigh has been carefully planning this for years. Her plan is simple: date Ryker Waterborn, the Fae Representative’s son, make him fall in love with her, and kill him after they say, “I do.”

Unfortunately, it won’t be that easy. She won’t be the only one going after Ryker’s hand. Far from it. Two dozen men and women are competing in the Choosing, each searching for their perfect partner. The catch? It’s a blind selection process, and contestants won’t see each other until they have made their choice.

Nothing will stand between Brynleigh and her revenge, not even a competition for love.

A Game of Love and Betrayal is the first book in The Choosing Chronicles, a captivating enemies-to-lovers, new adult urban high fantasy romance.

Review:
I did truly like this book, but I’m not sure that the synopsis really explains it that well. Ryker is honestly looking for a wife and Brynleigh, well, she’s looking for something different entirely. It took me a bit to get into this book because it starts with Brynleigh in a very unique situation. From the very beginning, in the first chapter, we are told how hard it is for vampires to break away from their Maker, so it makes sense that Brynleigh does her best to appease hers. It becomes clear very early on that Brynleigh and Ryker are two very different people. The televised/blind aspect of this competition made it quite unique.

Both Brynleigh and Ryker both have trauma from their past that effects them more than one usually sees in a fae/vampire romance. If you’re looking for a morally grey female, this is it. As for this being enemies-to-lovers… somewhat from one side.

*This book ends on an ABSOLUTEY HORRIBLE cliffhanger, so be prepared to get book 2 immediately

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette

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Synopsis:
Two rival writers.
One prestigious publishing contract.
A bargain of hearts and desire.

They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she’s trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract.

The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option.

Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game.

Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other?

Review:
I was uncertain what to think of this novel and put it off for quite a time because I love Tessonja Odette and didn’t want to become sour of her if this book didn’t live up to the expectations I had from loving all of her other novels. That was a silly notion, because Odette did an amazing job putting a book tour through all of our favourite fairy tale haunts. I loved how there were plenty of bits of fairy tale magic without it being a direct retelling of any of the fairy tales. I absolutely adored the banter and connection between Edwina and William; no part of this book felt forced or out of place. This book certainly had me rooting for everyone, uncertain but hoping that somehow everyone gets exactly what they wish, want, and need. One of the things I adored about this book is that everyone is considered amazing just as they are; there is no desire or attempt to change things that might be considered unruly by human standards.

If it had been out at the time of finishing, I would have immediately started the second book in the series. This book is a no brainer for people who love romance and fairy tales and reading late into the night waiting to see if there’s a happy ever after on the horizon.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯