etymoye's reviews
43 reviews

dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The tension between Cardan and Jude is phenomenal, but this is a slow burn, so there’s not really much romance happening in this book. That being said, I absolutely loved Jude, our heroine. She’s determined, kind of bloodthirsty, and not always likable.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Both are 17.

Cheating:

Jude casually dates a man who is not the hero in this book. She later discovers that he is planning to ask for her twin sister’s hand in marriage.

Other Man/Other Woman:

Jude casually dates a man who is not the hero in this book. She later discovers that he is planning to ask for her twin sister’s hand in marriage. There is also mention of the hero, Cardan, being with other women before Jude.

Separation:

Jude and Cardan aren’t really a couple in this book, so they are separated numerous times.

Triggers:

Mentions of violence and death.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, first in series.

Content Warnings

Lord of Gold and Glory by Lisette Marshall

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fae, Found Family, Possessive Hero, Competent Heroine, Magic, Royalty/Aristocracy, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Once again, I’m impressed by how well Marshall can balance complexity in her main characters, Creon and Emelin. We see Emelin growing into her powers, but she isn’t infallible. I can think of at least two times in this book where Emelin’s flaws are on display, and I thought the author did a good job of keeping understandable and likable.

Creon continues to be a complicated hero, and I mean that as a compliment. He’s devoted to Emelin, but he’s got his own issues that prevent him from being there for her the way she sometimes needs him to be. This can be a tricky conflict for some books, because as a reader, you want to see a couple experience conflict, but you also want to feel like the conflicts between them are both in-character and solvable. By the end of this book, I genuinely felt like Creon and Emelin came out stronger and are capable of weathering the storm as a couple.

One complaint I had: for some reason, multiple immortal characters in this book kept mentioning how Emelin was essentially a child in fae years, comparing her to a twelve year old. On the one hand, this comparison makes sense when most of the immortals are hundreds if not thousands of years old. On the other, it gets weird when you remember that Creon is hundreds of years old, too, and he clearly doesn’t see her as a child. I felt like these comments were sort of drawing my attention to the age gap between Creon and Emelin and making it weird even though it hadn’t felt weird prior.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Emelin is 20, Creon is 368.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

We learn more about the Other Woman alluded to in book 1 and Creon’s past. Creon previously developed feelings for Lyn when he was rescued by the Alliance. However, he is very clear with Emelin that he no longer has feelings for Lyn and, in retrospect, was not in love with her but instead was just desperate for kindness/affection.

Separation:

Creon decides to go on a mission for about six weeks for the Alliance. Emelin stays behind. She’s not happy about it, and the couple is working through some issues at the time, but they are definitely not broken up or anything during this time.

Triggers:

Descriptive scenes of violence, death, and war.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, 2nd book in series.

Content Warnings

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap, Enemies to Lovers, Fae, Possessive Hero, Competent Heroine, Magic, Morally Gray Hero, Royalty/Aristocracy, Slow Burn

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Wow, this book was good. Even in a borderline over-saturated subgenre (fae romance), this one really stands out. I can’t make up my mind if I want to binge the series or try to drag it out to savor it.

Both Emelin and Creon are well-developed and complex even if we admittedly didn’t get all the Creon backstory that I’d have liked. Creon really does straddle the morally gray line–Emelin (and by extension the reader) have access to a softer side of him, but for the most part, the book doesn’t try to keep vague or whitewash the terrible things Creon has done. Emmaline’s struggle to understand the dichotomy of these two sides of him felt very believable to me thanks to Marshall’s skilled writing.

The age gap in these kinds of stories always has the potential to be problematic, but even though Emelin is comparatively young compared to Creon (20), she’s capable, pragmatic, and at times, ruthless, making their dynamic feel much more equal than the age gap would suggest.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Emelin is 20, Creon is 368.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

None, but there is a hint dropped by Creon’s mother that he may have some kind of past with another woman.

Separation:

Separated in the third act. Emelin and Creon argue, Emelin is essentially kidnapped. Creon does rescue her but is seriously hurt, so the couple doesn’t really get a chance to discuss the argument and fallout in this book. Ends in a cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Some mentions of war, death, and violence, including the death of children.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, 1st book in series.

Content Warnings

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

Fall of Ruin & Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

1st in the Awakening series

★★★★★

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap,

Fated Mates,

Forced Proximity, Possessive Hero, Magic

Moods: Adventurous, Dark, Mysterious

Ugh, the double-edged sword of book hangovers. I loved this book, but I wish I’d realized that not only is the next book not out yet, the author currently has two other series she’s writing that she wants to finish before releasing book 2. As much as I loved this book, if I’d realized that, I’d have waited, because this is a plot-heavy book, and God knows I’m going to forget everything that happened by the time book 2 rolls around.

All that being said, I was surprised how much I liked this book. Armentrout’s writing is very hit or miss for me. I’m not sure why, but the quality of her writing really fluctuates from book to book. Maybe it has to do with editing?

I was really impressed by the characterization in this book. Nobody is a stereotype even when you can see how easy it would have been to make them one. Lis’s childhood friend, Grady, is a friend to her, like a brother, and not a romantic rival for Thorne. Claude, the baron whose protection Lis is under, is a weak and selfish person, but he also genuinely cares about Lis and his other “paramours” as he calls them. The characters in this book are a breath of fresh air, and I can’t wait to get to know Thorne’s friends better. We didn’t see them much, but when we did, they were a hoot.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Lis is 22, Thorn is basically some ancient god-like creature. So he’s somewhere in the hundreds of years old though his exact age isn’t stated.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

There are 2 scenes where Lis, our heroine, is involved in some sexual activity with OW & OM on page. She doesn’t have romantic feelings for either, but casual sexual activity is part of the household where she lives under the Baron’s protection.

Separation:

Lis is separated from Thorne in the 3rd act and basically kidnapped. Cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Graphic descriptions of violence and death.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, first book in a series.

Content Warnings

Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

2.5

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Magic, Found Family, Love Triangle, Slow Burn

Moods: Adventurous, Emotional, Mysterious, Tense

Available on Kindle Unlimited

This is a book where I wish we had multiple POVs, because I frequently had the feeling interesting things were happening elsewhere, and we just weren’t privy to them. The world Cole has crafted is an intriguing one, but TBH, more often than not, the book feels constrained by its choice of narrator.

Diem really feels overdue for some character growth now that she’s

queen

. She’s a little hard to buy as some kind of

fate-ordained monarch

and seems more like she’d just get everybody killed.

I did like a lot of the supporting characters and the found family aspect. Luther also continues to be a swoony LI.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Diem is 20. Prince Luther’s age is not stated, but he is implied to be mid to late 20s.

Cheating:

See OM/OW note.

OM/OW:

Lots of OM/OW drama. Diem is still technically betrothed to Henri while she has feelings for Luther, not that Henri is around much in this book. (There are some hints dropped to the reader that Henry is being unfaithful.) Diem is also flirted with by Aemmon, Luther’s cousin, who is interested in using her for power. She doesn’t have feelings for Aemmon but does flirt with him a little. We also meet Ileana, who Luther courted “off and on” for years before he met Diem. He does not seem to have feelings for her now..

Separation:

Luther and Diem are separated at the end of the book when she is attacked while being coronated. Cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Death of a parent.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, book 2 of a series.

Content Warnings

Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

4.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Love Triangle, Magic, Slow Burn

Available on Kindle Unlimited

This was a quick, fun read for the most part. I liked the setting and worldbuilding, both of which were fairly unique. The biggest drawback IMO is the heroine, Diem, who frankly acted more like 16 than 20. It’s pretty obvious to the reader within the first 20% or so what the big “revelation” is going to be (I can’t really call it a twist since the only person surprised by was Diem), yet for some reason it never even occurs to our heroine. Also, her behavior doesn’t always line up with the way other characters describe her. For example, Diem is a healer, and her mentor says how patient and good she is with patients, even the difficult ones. But we almost never see this side of Diem, and more often than not, she’s temperamental and impulsive.

Complaints about Diem aside, I immediately jumped into book 2 to see what would happen next. So clearly that cliffhanger of an ending worked on me.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Diem is 20. Prince Luther’s age is not specified though he is referred to as “several years older” than Diem. So he’s presumably in his mid to late twenties.

Cheating:

See OM/OW note.

Other OM/OW:

Love triangle. Diem has a boyfriend, Henri, but is attracted to Luther. There is a kiss scene between Diem and Luther, and a sex scene between Diem and Henri.

Separation:

This is a slow burn, so the couple isn’t really a couple yet in this book.

Triggers:

Some mention/description of violence, including the death of children. Additionally, due to the love triangle, some people might consider Diem's behavior cheating.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger. First book in a series.

Content Warnings

Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

★★★★★

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Genres: New Adult Fiction, High Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural, Competent Heroine

Tropes: Vampires, Age Gap

Moods: Adventurous, Dark, Emotional

This was really good! More of a novella, so things move kind of quickly, but it never felt rushed, IMO. The development of the relationship always felt natural to me. I look forward to catching glimpses of this couple in book 2!

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Ages are not stated, but the implication is that, as a vampire, Vale has lived hundreds of years.

Cheating:

None.

Other OM/OW:

Lilith walks in on Vale having sex with OW before they are a couple. It’s clearly a casual arrangement, BUT this scene added nothing to the book and should have been cut, IMO.

Separation:

None, really.

Triggers:

None.

HEA/HFN?:

HFN

Content Warnings

The Flame King's Captive by Chloe Chastaine

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adventurous dark emotional

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

The Flame King's Captive by Chloe Chastaine

★★★☆☆

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Fated Mates, Magic, Nonhuman Hero, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine, Omegaverse

Available on Kindle Unlimited

I generally liked this but am on the fence about whether or not I liked it enough to continue the series. The details about the dragons and the Maledinni (the people magically linked to the dragons) were interesting. That being said, omegaverse is often a little hit or miss for me, and I started to get really, really tired of Isavelle’s resistance toward everything by the time the book hit 75% or so. I understand (and even expect) her having to go through growth, but damn, I was getting tired of her by the end.

That being said, the spice is off the charts in this one.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Zabriel is 23 not counting the 500 years he was asleep, Isavelle’s age is not mentioned.

Cheating:

None.

Other OM/OW:

None.

Separation:

Separated at the very end of the book when Isavelle is kidnapped by the villain. Cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Some mention of violence towards Isavelle by the villain. Some descriptions of violence and death, including the death of a child.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, this is the first book of a series.

Content Warnings

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

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adventurous dark mysterious

5.0

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

★★★★★

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap, Enemies to Lovers, Fae,

Fated Mates

, Forced Proximity, Magic, Possessive Hero, Nonhuman Hero, Slow Burn, Vampires

The pros:

Seeing fae actually act like fae in this book. They’re cunning, deceptive, and fairly immature despite being comparatively much older than our heroine.
The slow burn between Saeris and Fisher worked for me. I think I would have preferred it if they weren’t
fated mates
, actually. I liked them coming together and getting to know each other. (Granted, it is instalust, so be aware of that.)
The world building was excellent. Hart clearly thought through the rules of her universe and seems to stick to them, as far as I could tell.

The cons:

The last 20% or so moves at a breakneck pace, to the point where I debated dropping my rating a star. So much information gets revealed that it’s almost overwhelming as a reader. I definitely needed to sit and process everything after finishing the book.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Saeris is 24, Kingfisher is 1,733.

Cheating:

None.

Other OM/OW:

Saeris’s former one night stand, Carrion, is around for most of the book, but Saeries doesn’t have any feelings for him. He’s kind of a manwhore, and it wasn’t serious.

Separation:

Fisher leaves Saeris to go fight the villain without her, but Saeries and friends find him anyway. Once the couple is together, there is no breakup.

Triggers:

Mentions of violence and death, including the death of children. At least one threat of sexual assault towards Saeris’s friend.

HEA/HFN?:

HFN, book 1 in a series. That being said, the couple has officially accepted their mating bond at the end of book 1, so I probably would have called this a HEA if there wasn’t another book coming.

Content Warnings

Roma King by Callie Hart

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

Genres: Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery

Tropes: Bad Boy Hero, Possessive Hero,

Fated Mates

This was fine. Not much of the mystery gets handled in this book. It very much feels like one book was split into two.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Zara is 26, Pasha is 27.

Cheating:

None.

Other OM/OW:

Zara’s friend has feelings for her, but she doesn’t realize it. It’s pretty minor, and she doesn’t feel the same way.

Separation:

None.

Triggers:

Some brief mention/descriptions of child sexual assault and endangerment of a child.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger.

Content Warnings

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etymoye's reviews 43 reviews

etymoye's reviews
43 reviews