Scan barcode
chllybrd's review against another edition
4.0
After liking BITTERSWEET BLOOD so much I was a little worried I wouldn't like BITTERSWEET MAGIC but I worried for nothing. Roz has been in service to Asmodai for five hundred years, ever since she watched her mother burn and begged for help. She has no idea what she is but she keeps a low profile while she completes her tasks to finally gain her freedom. Her final task does not go as planned and she ends up in the company of those that Asmodai has warned her would kill her if they every knew what she was.
Roz is quite the character. She has a great head on her shoulders, she is kick ass and she can hold her own against Piers. Roz had me cracking up many times with her whole nun persona. She has no problem convincing people to see what she wants them to see and I found it highly entertaining. We originally meet Piers in BITTERSWEET BLOOD and he definitely is not that likeable. That all changes in BITTERSWEET MAGIC. He turns out to be a loyal guy that fights for what he cares about. We watch him change right before our eyes as he falls for Roz. They really fit each other well. I have one complaint, there wasn't a lot of world building going on. The story revolved mostly around the characters and I would have liked to see more of the world they live in. I wont spoil who Roz ends up being but know that it is super cool and I loved when Asmodai realized he could have been in deep shit if she would have unleashed herself before she did.
Book 3 should be extremely interesting as we follow Asmodai and his lady match. I am not sure what the final showdown will be all about but I do know that the order is stacking up to have quite a team of supernatural powerhouses to kick butt for their side.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Roz is quite the character. She has a great head on her shoulders, she is kick ass and she can hold her own against Piers. Roz had me cracking up many times with her whole nun persona. She has no problem convincing people to see what she wants them to see and I found it highly entertaining. We originally meet Piers in BITTERSWEET BLOOD and he definitely is not that likeable. That all changes in BITTERSWEET MAGIC. He turns out to be a loyal guy that fights for what he cares about. We watch him change right before our eyes as he falls for Roz. They really fit each other well. I have one complaint, there wasn't a lot of world building going on. The story revolved mostly around the characters and I would have liked to see more of the world they live in. I wont spoil who Roz ends up being but know that it is super cool and I loved when Asmodai realized he could have been in deep shit if she would have unleashed herself before she did.
Book 3 should be extremely interesting as we follow Asmodai and his lady match. I am not sure what the final showdown will be all about but I do know that the order is stacking up to have quite a team of supernatural powerhouses to kick butt for their side.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
bodebeabay's review
4.0
Other than a few typos, this is a great story.
Not as much humor as in book 1, but it is still there.
There is lots of adventure, suspense and romance.
My only problem with it is some repetitiveness.
A really fun series. I am looking forward to book 3.
Not as much humor as in book 1, but it is still there.
There is lots of adventure, suspense and romance.
My only problem with it is some repetitiveness.
A really fun series. I am looking forward to book 3.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
1.0
Ok look, this review will be a bit spoilery and it is going to be ranty because I am raging inside. This book made me so angry I almost couldn't finish it. I'll say upfront, the plotting is a bit rushed, but the writing is fine. I have no problem with the quality of the writing or editing. What I have a problem with is the asshole, raping 'hero' and love based on nothing at all.
Some will argue that there was no penis/vagina penetration, so there was no rape. But the man TWICE brought her to orgasim without her consent, in a situation when she couldn't refuse, and then thought he wiped her memory of it so she wouldn't even know. That's fucking sexual assault and how dare anyone, Nina Croft I'm talking to you, pass that off as the basis for fucking love!
Now, let's talk about that love, yeah? He's a smug, sexually harassing asshat to her from the moment they meet. Then she's panting and all but begging him to take her while thinking about how she couldn't control her body. Sorry, show women at least enough respect to presume we can control ourselves like adults. And what was she attracted to? What? He was not appealing. And somehow, despite his frankly revolting attitude they fall in love. I felt no chemistry, even outside of how horrid he was. The love was ridiculous and completely unbelievable. It was also morally objectionable, need I remind you of the lack of consent, but we'll set that aside.
I was seriously angry about the H/h relations in this book. But I also have to complain about the twist at the end of the book that was beyond the pale. As if the baddy would give up all her hard earned plans for that. Again, give women a little respect and show them to have at least one ambition beyond a freakin' godly dicking! And the too stupid to live, i'm gonna run off to the rescue with no plan and then have a miraculous deus ex machina save at the last second? Please, get outta here with that crap.
I won this book and I always appreciate a free read. But I wish I hadn't. i wish it had gone to someone who would have liked it more...or at least been less enraged by it.
Some will argue that there was no penis/vagina penetration, so there was no rape. But the man TWICE brought her to orgasim without her consent, in a situation when she couldn't refuse, and then thought he wiped her memory of it so she wouldn't even know. That's fucking sexual assault and how dare anyone, Nina Croft I'm talking to you, pass that off as the basis for fucking love!
Now, let's talk about that love, yeah? He's a smug, sexually harassing asshat to her from the moment they meet. Then she's panting and all but begging him to take her while thinking about how she couldn't control her body. Sorry, show women at least enough respect to presume we can control ourselves like adults. And what was she attracted to? What? He was not appealing. And somehow, despite his frankly revolting attitude they fall in love. I felt no chemistry, even outside of how horrid he was. The love was ridiculous and completely unbelievable. It was also morally objectionable, need I remind you of the lack of consent, but we'll set that aside.
I was seriously angry about the H/h relations in this book. But I also have to complain about the twist at the end of the book that was beyond the pale. As if the baddy would give up all her hard earned plans for that. Again, give women a little respect and show them to have at least one ambition beyond a freakin' godly dicking! And the too stupid to live, i'm gonna run off to the rescue with no plan and then have a miraculous deus ex machina save at the last second? Please, get outta here with that crap.
I won this book and I always appreciate a free read. But I wish I hadn't. i wish it had gone to someone who would have liked it more...or at least been less enraged by it.
beckymmoe's review
4.0
Review posted on my blog, Becky on Books.
I haven’t had a chance to read book one in this series yet–but after finishing this one, I’m definitely going to. You don’t have to have read the first one (Bittersweet Blood) in order for this one to make sense, but it definitely would help–and heads up, you’ll definitely want to read it once you get a taste. Roz, our heroine, is new to the universe contained in the books as well–technically, she’s been a part of it for roughly five hundred years, yet was mostly kept isolated for reasons that are later explained–so readers unfamiliar with The Order and the rules of this particular universe can learn them right along with her.
Still, though, you–like Roz–will definitely feel like the odd man out at times, with most of the other characters sharing inside information that you lack. However–this can all be quickly remedied, by reading book one first! ;)
Even going into this novel blind, it drew me in immediately. I wanted to figure out what was going on right along with Roz, and Piers intrigued me just as much as he did her. Those two had some fantastic chemistry, and every time they shared a scene you could feel the heat. I loved that Roz was a very capable heroine, and absolutely adored the scenes where she gave just as good as she got with Piers. The ones where she resisted his ability to mesmerize, yet let him think that he had succeeded? Priceless. And he so needed that come down!
There’s an excellent cast of characters in this book, which means a wealth of opportunities for future books. Besides our hero and heroine–a thousands-year-old vampire and a possible witch–we have warlocks, werewolves, demons, shapeshifters, and fey. Even the two mortal characters here–Ryan and Maria, a police detective and nun–are well fleshed-out and interesting; I hope we see more from them in future books too.
The one and only complaint I have about this novel is that the end was a tad bit on the rushed side–I did like how everything was resolved; all the pieces came together nicely–but it all happened very, very quickly.
If you like paranormal reads with drama and sexy romance, this is definitely one series you’ll want to try.
Rating: A-
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t had a chance to read book one in this series yet–but after finishing this one, I’m definitely going to. You don’t have to have read the first one (Bittersweet Blood) in order for this one to make sense, but it definitely would help–and heads up, you’ll definitely want to read it once you get a taste. Roz, our heroine, is new to the universe contained in the books as well–technically, she’s been a part of it for roughly five hundred years, yet was mostly kept isolated for reasons that are later explained–so readers unfamiliar with The Order and the rules of this particular universe can learn them right along with her.
Still, though, you–like Roz–will definitely feel like the odd man out at times, with most of the other characters sharing inside information that you lack. However–this can all be quickly remedied, by reading book one first! ;)
Even going into this novel blind, it drew me in immediately. I wanted to figure out what was going on right along with Roz, and Piers intrigued me just as much as he did her. Those two had some fantastic chemistry, and every time they shared a scene you could feel the heat. I loved that Roz was a very capable heroine, and absolutely adored the scenes where she gave just as good as she got with Piers. The ones where she resisted his ability to mesmerize, yet let him think that he had succeeded? Priceless. And he so needed that come down!
There’s an excellent cast of characters in this book, which means a wealth of opportunities for future books. Besides our hero and heroine–a thousands-year-old vampire and a possible witch–we have warlocks, werewolves, demons, shapeshifters, and fey. Even the two mortal characters here–Ryan and Maria, a police detective and nun–are well fleshed-out and interesting; I hope we see more from them in future books too.
The one and only complaint I have about this novel is that the end was a tad bit on the rushed side–I did like how everything was resolved; all the pieces came together nicely–but it all happened very, very quickly.
If you like paranormal reads with drama and sexy romance, this is definitely one series you’ll want to try.
Rating: A-
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
nadenetotallyaddictedtoreading's review against another edition
4.0
Bittersweet Magic (The Order, #2) SOURCE: Netgalley
This is the second book in the Order series which can be read as a standalone. However it would be good to read the first book, as it will provide you with background information on some of the characters mentioned in this book.After reading book one (Bittersweet Blood) I knew that this was going to be an exciting series and as such I was glad to receive a complimentary copy of Bittersweet Magic to provide a honest review.In this story we are introduced to Piers Lamont a two thousand year old vampire and Rosamund who is five hundred years old but has no idea who or what she is.Rosamund has been indebted to the demon Asmodai since she was seventeen years old, a debt which required her to carry out tasks for him from time to time. She desperately wanted to be free of Asmodai as such when she was called upon to perform what said to be her final task she was willing to go through any lengths to accomplish this task. It was during her quest to complete this task that she crossed paths with Piers. The meeting between these was fraught with deceit, however this did not stop the passion from flaring between them. It was quite fun to see the the interaction between these two.Ms. Croft has done a great job of combining the right amount of romance, action and suspense to hold her reader's attention. This story pulls you in from the very first page and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end. When Rosamund eventually found out what she was I was like OMG what a twist. This was a fun and fantastic read and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
This is the second book in the Order series which can be read as a standalone. However it would be good to read the first book, as it will provide you with background information on some of the characters mentioned in this book.After reading book one (Bittersweet Blood) I knew that this was going to be an exciting series and as such I was glad to receive a complimentary copy of Bittersweet Magic to provide a honest review.In this story we are introduced to Piers Lamont a two thousand year old vampire and Rosamund who is five hundred years old but has no idea who or what she is.Rosamund has been indebted to the demon Asmodai since she was seventeen years old, a debt which required her to carry out tasks for him from time to time. She desperately wanted to be free of Asmodai as such when she was called upon to perform what said to be her final task she was willing to go through any lengths to accomplish this task. It was during her quest to complete this task that she crossed paths with Piers. The meeting between these was fraught with deceit, however this did not stop the passion from flaring between them. It was quite fun to see the the interaction between these two.Ms. Croft has done a great job of combining the right amount of romance, action and suspense to hold her reader's attention. This story pulls you in from the very first page and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end. When Rosamund eventually found out what she was I was like OMG what a twist. This was a fun and fantastic read and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
nadenetotallyaddictedtoreading's review
4.0
Bittersweet Magic (The Order, #2) SOURCE: Netgalley
This is the second book in the Order series which can be read as a standalone. However it would be good to read the first book, as it will provide you with background information on some of the characters mentioned in this book.After reading book one (Bittersweet Blood) I knew that this was going to be an exciting series and as such I was glad to receive a complimentary copy of Bittersweet Magic to provide a honest review.In this story we are introduced to Piers Lamont a two thousand year old vampire and Rosamund who is five hundred years old but has no idea who or what she is.Rosamund has been indebted to the demon Asmodai since she was seventeen years old, a debt which required her to carry out tasks for him from time to time. She desperately wanted to be free of Asmodai as such when she was called upon to perform what said to be her final task she was willing to go through any lengths to accomplish this task. It was during her quest to complete this task that she crossed paths with Piers. The meeting between these was fraught with deceit, however this did not stop the passion from flaring between them. It was quite fun to see the the interaction between these two.Ms. Croft has done a great job of combining the right amount of romance, action and suspense to hold her reader's attention. This story pulls you in from the very first page and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end. When Rosamund eventually found out what she was I was like OMG what a twist. This was a fun and fantastic read and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
This is the second book in the Order series which can be read as a standalone. However it would be good to read the first book, as it will provide you with background information on some of the characters mentioned in this book.After reading book one (Bittersweet Blood) I knew that this was going to be an exciting series and as such I was glad to receive a complimentary copy of Bittersweet Magic to provide a honest review.In this story we are introduced to Piers Lamont a two thousand year old vampire and Rosamund who is five hundred years old but has no idea who or what she is.Rosamund has been indebted to the demon Asmodai since she was seventeen years old, a debt which required her to carry out tasks for him from time to time. She desperately wanted to be free of Asmodai as such when she was called upon to perform what said to be her final task she was willing to go through any lengths to accomplish this task. It was during her quest to complete this task that she crossed paths with Piers. The meeting between these was fraught with deceit, however this did not stop the passion from flaring between them. It was quite fun to see the the interaction between these two.Ms. Croft has done a great job of combining the right amount of romance, action and suspense to hold her reader's attention. This story pulls you in from the very first page and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end. When Rosamund eventually found out what she was I was like OMG what a twist. This was a fun and fantastic read and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
bookadventurer's review
2.0
This book definitely falls into the category of guilty pleasure. I’m not sure that it is truly an amazing book, but I had such fun reading it.
Roz, our main character, is some kind of immortal, but she doesn’t know what. In fact, she doesn’t know much about her past at all. She has been indebted to a demon, Asmodai (great demon name, by the way), for 500 years. Five hundred years ago, she agreed to perform 13 unspecified tasks whenever he asks her, in return for her life, and the deaths of the villagers who burned her mother at the stake as a witch and who were all set to burn her, too.
The story opens with Asmodai calling in his 13th and final favor - that Roz find a specific key hidden in a monastery. So Roz goes under cover as a very unlikely nun, in order to find it. Only she gets there too late, witnessing the murders of most of the nuns, and the stealing of the key by a shadowy figure followed by demon dogs. This leads her on a chase for the key, and to Piers’ door. Piers, though Roz doesn’t know it, is a vampire. And Head of the Order of the Shadow Accords (established to keep demons, humans, and elves in line), whom Roz has been taught by Asmodai to fear.
Roz is naive, even though she’s been around for 500 years. She’s also brave, clever, determined, and isolationist. She avoids getting close to others because Asmodai has warned her not to trust anyone, and because she regularly has to change lives (she never grows older). I enjoyed her discovery of her past. Asmodai is enigmatic, kind of mysterious, but what I really liked about his character is that even though he’s a demon, he is motivated in part by concerns familiar to humans. That is to say, he is not pure evil. He is a manipulative, cunning liar, and not much concerned for the welfare of others, but he’s more of an unscrupulous good guy than an unalloyed bad guy. This makes him more complex, and his contributions to the story at times amusing. Piers is ever so amusing, and I really enjoyed his pursuit of Roz, and Roz’s resistance to him.
As the second book in a series, I had surprisingly little trouble entering into the world. The worldbuilding was solid enough that it was easy to pick up some of the back story, and to understand what was going on.
While there’s nothing really remarkable about the world, the characters, or the plot, I found this to be a highly entertaining and enjoyable novel. I couldn’t put it down, finishing it in two days. I’ll definitely be back for more. Recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy a light, fun, paranormal romance/urban fantasy.
Read-alikes
If you're into modern-day paranormal romances/urban fantasies with supernatural heroines and vampires heroes (and villains) you'll probably enjoy:
If you like the love-hate relationship (at the beginning, anyway) between Roz and Piers, and again, vampires as shadowy, enigmatic love interests, you might also like:
For a touch of heaven and hell in your paranormal romantic urban fantasy, try:
Lastly, Darkfever is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy that takes place in Ireland, with a human heroine who gets involved with all sorts of fae, demons, and mythical creatures in the fight for humankind after hell breaks loose on earth.
*e-ARC provided by NetGalley
Roz, our main character, is some kind of immortal, but she doesn’t know what. In fact, she doesn’t know much about her past at all. She has been indebted to a demon, Asmodai (great demon name, by the way), for 500 years. Five hundred years ago, she agreed to perform 13 unspecified tasks whenever he asks her, in return for her life, and the deaths of the villagers who burned her mother at the stake as a witch and who were all set to burn her, too.
The story opens with Asmodai calling in his 13th and final favor - that Roz find a specific key hidden in a monastery. So Roz goes under cover as a very unlikely nun, in order to find it. Only she gets there too late, witnessing the murders of most of the nuns, and the stealing of the key by a shadowy figure followed by demon dogs. This leads her on a chase for the key, and to Piers’ door. Piers, though Roz doesn’t know it, is a vampire. And Head of the Order of the Shadow Accords (established to keep demons, humans, and elves in line), whom Roz has been taught by Asmodai to fear.
Roz is naive, even though she’s been around for 500 years. She’s also brave, clever, determined, and isolationist. She avoids getting close to others because Asmodai has warned her not to trust anyone, and because she regularly has to change lives (she never grows older). I enjoyed her discovery of her past. Asmodai is enigmatic, kind of mysterious, but what I really liked about his character is that even though he’s a demon, he is motivated in part by concerns familiar to humans. That is to say, he is not pure evil. He is a manipulative, cunning liar, and not much concerned for the welfare of others, but he’s more of an unscrupulous good guy than an unalloyed bad guy. This makes him more complex, and his contributions to the story at times amusing. Piers is ever so amusing, and I really enjoyed his pursuit of Roz, and Roz’s resistance to him.
As the second book in a series, I had surprisingly little trouble entering into the world. The worldbuilding was solid enough that it was easy to pick up some of the back story, and to understand what was going on.
While there’s nothing really remarkable about the world, the characters, or the plot, I found this to be a highly entertaining and enjoyable novel. I couldn’t put it down, finishing it in two days. I’ll definitely be back for more. Recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy a light, fun, paranormal romance/urban fantasy.
Read-alikes
If you're into modern-day paranormal romances/urban fantasies with supernatural heroines and vampires heroes (and villains) you'll probably enjoy:
If you like the love-hate relationship (at the beginning, anyway) between Roz and Piers, and again, vampires as shadowy, enigmatic love interests, you might also like:
For a touch of heaven and hell in your paranormal romantic urban fantasy, try:
Lastly, Darkfever is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy that takes place in Ireland, with a human heroine who gets involved with all sorts of fae, demons, and mythical creatures in the fight for humankind after hell breaks loose on earth.
*e-ARC provided by NetGalley
More...