averyswann's reviews
73 reviews

Pack Of Lies by Olivia Lewin

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challenging emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I don't know why but I've been reading a lot of rh omegaverse books lately, and maybe that's why I find this one less thrilling than the first books I've read because the plot are always smilar.

Basically, there's an omega with a traumatic past who will be saved by her fated mates. But her fated mates always have some excuse to initially refuse her and be a jerk to her, followed by some high-risk scene that will lead them to realize how much they I actually love her. Groveling will come after that, then the final fight, then a happily ever after. At this point, the only difference would be the world-setting in which the story took place. 

Anyway, I think I might have liked this book more if this is the first omegaverse rh that I've read. The whole plot is getting overused, I think.

However, if you're still on an omegaverse rh reading kick and the plot looks interesting to you and you're into:
  • FMC with traumatic past
  • Alpha MC with anxiety (he constantly fidgets)
  • Beta Dom MC (but a sweet caretaker at heart)
  • Homemaker Omega MC
  • Rougue Alpha MC (actually a romantic guy)
  • Alphahole MC
  • Experiments
  • Angst and grovelling
    although this has less grovelling than the other books I've read
  • Scent Match and nesting
  • MM
Then you'll definitely like this. The spice, for me, was pretty low. The smexy times happen most on the last part of the book.

Happy reading!
Darkfell Vampire Clan Boxset by L.A. McGinnis

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Disclaimer: This was supposed to be 5 ☆. But I have to be honest with myself that it's only 4.75 for me because of a petty preference.
Because why didn't we get Caine? This is a why choose romance, c'mon. Thankfully, the way the story was written made it easier to let go of the desire to have Caine in her harem, but I was so hoping that she'll add him initially.


Anyway, other than that small blip, everything else was amazing! I haven't read the novella included in the box set since I'm not into reading spin offs about side characters, but the main series was phenomenal. There's the perfect combination of plot and romance that will stop you from putting this book down. It's spice level is quiet low, though, but it's fine by me since I wasn't looking for spice when I read this.

Overall, if you're into:
  • Vampires
  • Queens and Court extravaganza
  • Dark and powerful MMCs
  • Overthrowing people
  • Age Gap
  • Lore-based plot
    There's Lilith, Caine and Abel
  • Mystery and secrets among the harem (and all the angst with it)
  • Blood, magic, witches, spells, curses, and the whole package
Then you'll definitely like this! I really enjoyed reading this book and it's definitely one of my top urban-fantasy reads.
Deadly Ties by Roxy Collins

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

An amazing 2nd book and conclusion to this duet! The last chapters were action-packed, and although the scenes leading to it made my blood boil first, the fight afterwards were so good it more than made up for it.

The only thing I have an issue with was how Cam and Link were pushed to the sidelines. I know they did something horribly wrong, but they can't exactly grovel if they're almost always not part of the scenes, especially Link who appeared only on the last few chapters. I'm also aware that Arben snd Kelly needed more screen time but I was really hoping that it could've been allocated more equally.

Lastly, I'm not sure how I really feel about this but the punishment for Roan Bisha was so quick. It kinda matches how he's presence were only felt but not seen throughout the book.

Anyway, I still enjoyed the book despite these issues so I definitely recommend for you to finish this duet!
Twisted Lies by Roxy Collins, Roxy Collins

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

It's an amazing read! Same vibes with Pack Darling so if you've read that book and loved it, then you'll love this one too. I think Blood Brothers Duet is a bit much darker, though, and although they have the same vibes (omegaverse, male omega, grovelling), its story is quite different.

Anyway, if you're into:
  • Groveling
  • Omegaverse
  • Possessive MMCs
  • Assassins
  • Male Omega in the pack
  • Memory alteration
  • A bit of stepbrother romance (but they're really not step siblings)
Then give this a try!

Vengeance: The Complete Series by M. Sinclair

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
I actually finished reading the first two books. When I think of continuing reading the last two and felt how much of a chore that would be, I realized that I have to drop this.

There were some scenes that I liked, and I find the characters are okay, kinda. I was just not prepared for the FMC's personality. I realized I don't like the main character being a bully herself, albeit for a good cause. I think the real deal breaker was how she sometimes just hurt others just for the sake of hurting them. If you're into that, though, then give this book a try and you'll probably like this.

Another thing was how the characters all sound juvenile. They are at least on their early to mid 20s but I feel like they all sound like teens sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I like them, but I don't think I like them enough to continue reading.

Then there's also how the first book was set up in an academy. I'm actually surprised that I managed to not dnf this right away because I'm not really into academy settings. Nothing wrong with that, just a matter of varying preferences. If you're into that as well, simply move along and keep reading.

Now, this is probably not related anymore with the book itself,
but I just found out that this was the second book I dnf from this author. I believe that the author's books are all amazing. It just need to be on the hands of the right reader. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm one of the target audience. I'll have to steer clear away from related works for the time being


Anyway, if you're into badass FMC and guardian-trope mixed with pnr/fantasy elements, then you might like this! Just a heads up to some of the issues I've encountered, in case we're on the same wavelength.
Apollo is Mine by Mila Young

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
When I first picked up this book, it wasn't really vibing with me. I couldn't pin point exactly the reason why it's not working for me. Perhaps it the FMC? Or maybe I don't like the MMCs enough? The first chapters were confusing? The writing style? The overall trope and plot? I have no idea. Anyway, I decided to take a break from it and just come back later. Unfortunately, that later didn't arrived. I haven't opened this book again and I don't think I'm going to anytime soon. For my peace of mind, I simply dropped it. Maybe I'll try and read this again... or maybe not.
Seconds to Silence by Kris Vanc

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challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was an amazing conclusion to this trilogy, although I have to say that compared to the first two, I least like this book. Perhaps it's because even though it's plot-driven, there were a lot of filler scenes and it made reading several parts tedious and slow.

On the bright side, if you're craving for more character interactions, then you might like this book most compared to the first two. There were a lot more spicy scenes and we got to read more about how the characters interact with each other and their dynamics.

The final scene and closing chapters were good. Not the best, but definitely not the worst as well. There's a nice surprise of a different pov for a couple of chapters but the rest of the book was from the pov of the FMC just like the first two.

Overall, I really liked this trilogy and you should definitely give this a shot!
Mourning the Minutes by Kris Vanc

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dark emotional mysterious

4.75

I knew it!
When I first read this trilogy, I immediately thought Remy was the serial killer. It turned out it wasn't him, but there actually was an initial plan for him to be the killer. Ha! At least my suspicion was valid. Although I'm secretly hoping the killer will join the FMC's harem. Not this kind of book, though. Definitely not this kind of book.


Anyway, if you've read the first book and enjoyed it, I assure you that you'll also thoroughly love this one! Keep reading!
Hidden by Hours by Kris Vanc

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.75

This was so good. I don't know why this books isn't recommended enough!

The crime/thriller aspect was so refreshing to find in a reverse-harem setting. All I've been seeing are mafia or bully-related RH books. It's good to read something that is legitimately on the crime-solving and detective stuff. It's contemporary, too!

If you're into:
  • Crime-solving
  • NA
  • Badass FMC
  • Serial Killer on the loose
  • Genius Hacker MMC
  • FBI Agent MMC
  • Professional Dancer MMC
  • Bi-Awakening
  • MM
And lots of other fun stuff, then you'll really love this!

This is a low-heat book, though, the mainly focuses on the plot and character dynamics. Relationships are a sub-plot.

Overall, I liked this book and I can't wait to read the next one.
Handfuls of Shattered Pieces by Kerry Taylor

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dark emotional
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I finished this book, surprisingly, since there were a lot of times that I considered dropping it.

I like the premise and the story, but the characters all sound juvenile, even those who shouldn't be. I also find it hard to like the writing style. There's a ton of drama, although I'm not really complaining about the quantity. The reason I picked up this book was because I want drama. The problem is how those dramas were executed. It seemed odd? Forced? It's like it was put there just for the sake of creating tension. The last part was also quite... odd. I didn't like it. It was ridiculous. The characters were also not well-developed. Their behavior and personality also don't match with their supposed occupations.

But, if you're into:
  • Over protective MMCs
  • Caring, sweet, and doting MMCs
  • Emotional story line
  • FMC with traumatic past
  • Damsel in distress trope
  • Tons of drama
  • Story line with serial killer and kidnapper

Then you might like this! Maybe it's just because of preference that I didn't like this book, but give it a chance and you might love this more than I did (or did not). I'm not sure if I'll read the second book but I'll keep an eye on this series.