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katvou's reviews
250 reviews
Twisted Desires by T. S. Buckner
1.0
⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️
The blurb of the book sounded interesting, especially the part from the mysterious Anonymous. The beginning of the book seemed promising.
Unfortunately, the book wasn’t quite what I expected from the blurb. The story itself had potential, but in my personal opinion, it would have needed more work and editing.
I hoped to see more world and character building, as well as character development. Personally, I didn’t feel the chemistry between FMC & MMC, and I honestly didn’t understand what the FMC saw in the MMC. Their interactions felt mostly weird and awkward.
There were some characters mentioned only a few times, and it was never clear to me what their purpose was, even though it felt like they were supposed to be important for the story.
This is both a debut novel and the first book in a series. Maybe some of the questions will be answered in the coming books.
The story had potential, and after some work and editing, it could be a 3-star read.
I want to make it clear that these are just my personal thoughts and opinions about the book. I have nothing against the book or the author, and I’m sure that there are a lot of people who will enjoy reading this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
This didn’t affect my rating, but the number of grammatical errors unfortunately made the reading experience unpleasant for me. I understand that an ARC is not a finished copy, so a few grammatical errors are fine, and I can look past them, but, for example, the amount of mistakes with “their” vs “they’re”, punctuation, and misspelling of words unfortunately made the reading experience quite frustrating and, at times, confusing.
Into The Darkness by Vee Taylor
2.0
⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️
Into the Darkness is a modern day Romeo & Juliet inspired dark college romance where the FMC Ember and MMC Ash are from two rival families.
Both the blurb and the tropes sounded interesting, but unfortunately the book itself wasn’t for me. The first chapter of the book was promising but after that I personally wasn’t invested in the plot or the main characters.
I didn’t feel chemistry between the FMC & MMC and wasn’t a huge fan of their relationship or how they ended up together. In my opinion the FMC forgave the MMC too easily after what he did to her.
The book ended with a cliffhanger and there were a lot of questions left unanswered.
I almost DNF the book, but decided to push through and finish reading after seeing multiple 4-5 star reviews.
I have nothing against the author or the book itself, the plot and characters just weren’t for me.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
Vrauma's Menagerie by E.K. Darnell
medium-paced
3.0
Short, easy-to-read, and surprisingly sweet alien romance.
Unique aliens with tentacles. The pacing felt 'realistic,' not super fast but not overly slow either. There were some spicy scenes, but spice wasn’t the whole point of the plot.
Would have liked to see a bit more world and character building and character development.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Blood and Death
Nala: Book Of Law by Saralyn Everhart
fast-paced
4.0
“Power above pleasure, and respect above equality. That is how you win.”
Great, short prequel. Nice introduction to Nala as a character. Lots of questions left unanswered but those will probably be answered in the following books.
Left me wanting more.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
A Kingdom of Bitter Magic by Alaya Wells
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
DNF after 50 pages.
The book sounded promising but unfortunately the writing style wasn’t for me and I couldn’t get into the story.
Wasn’t a fan of the insta-lust and banter between characters who had never met each other before.
The book sounded promising but unfortunately the writing style wasn’t for me and I couldn’t get into the story.
Wasn’t a fan of the insta-lust and banter between characters who had never met each other before.
The Musician and The Monster by Megan Van Dyke
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Musician and the Monster is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a touch of Phantom of the Opera and Bridgerton. This is the fourth book in the Reimagined Fairy Tales series but can be read as a standalone.
The book was well-written, and the storyline was interesting. The pacing was a bit slow at times, especially in the middle of the book, but picked up towards the end.
I liked Ceridwen as the FMC. Her backstory about why she played the flute, why she stopped singing, etc., was interesting. Even though she was more quiet and reserved, she was a strong FMC in her own way. Also, her and her sister Bronwyn had a great sisterly relationship and bond.
I would have liked to learn more about Drystan, his history, and his powers. The magic system seemed interesting and could have been explored a bit more.
I really liked Malik as a character. It was sometimes quite easy to guess where the plot was going, but Malik as a character brought some more complexity and mystery to the story because it wasn’t always clear where his loyalties lay and whether he was one of the “good” or “bad” guys.
The ending was a bit too “easy” and convenient for the main characters, and I personally would have preferred if they had struggled a bit.
I enjoyed the slow burn and enemies-to-lovers elements, as well as the gothic vibes. Overall, a great, well-written retelling.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
The book was well-written, and the storyline was interesting. The pacing was a bit slow at times, especially in the middle of the book, but picked up towards the end.
I liked Ceridwen as the FMC. Her backstory about why she played the flute, why she stopped singing, etc., was interesting. Even though she was more quiet and reserved, she was a strong FMC in her own way. Also, her and her sister Bronwyn had a great sisterly relationship and bond.
I would have liked to learn more about Drystan, his history, and his powers. The magic system seemed interesting and could have been explored a bit more.
I really liked Malik as a character. It was sometimes quite easy to guess where the plot was going, but Malik as a character brought some more complexity and mystery to the story because it wasn’t always clear where his loyalties lay and whether he was one of the “good” or “bad” guys.
The ending was a bit too “easy” and convenient for the main characters, and I personally would have preferred if they had struggled a bit.
I enjoyed the slow burn and enemies-to-lovers elements, as well as the gothic vibes. Overall, a great, well-written retelling.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
The Voyant and the Mark of Malice by Sadie Hewitt
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️
“Are you ready to join a ship crewed by the guilty and captained by the cursed”
“I haven’t been avoiding you, I’ve just been aware of where you are at all times and have made an effort to be elsewhere.”
“Who did this to you?”
Voyant and the Mark of Malice is the second book in the Aeglecian Seas series but can be read as a standalone.
I liked Kalia as the FMC; she was feisty and resilient. I enjoyed the banter and tension between Kalia and the MMC, Rahmi. Their interactions were really funny at times. I also really enjoyed their enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
There were some really interesting side characters, like Reshef, who helped move the plot forward and also aided in the FMC's character development.
I really enjoyed both the enemies-to-lovers and found-family aspects. The plot reminded me a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
“Are you ready to join a ship crewed by the guilty and captained by the cursed”
“I haven’t been avoiding you, I’ve just been aware of where you are at all times and have made an effort to be elsewhere.”
“Who did this to you?”
Voyant and the Mark of Malice is the second book in the Aeglecian Seas series but can be read as a standalone.
I liked Kalia as the FMC; she was feisty and resilient. I enjoyed the banter and tension between Kalia and the MMC, Rahmi. Their interactions were really funny at times. I also really enjoyed their enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
There were some really interesting side characters, like Reshef, who helped move the plot forward and also aided in the FMC's character development.
I really enjoyed both the enemies-to-lovers and found-family aspects. The plot reminded me a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Murder
Pretty bloody doll: Malikova bratva by Bekah D. Killer
dark
fast-paced
3.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5
“This is what happens when you touch what’s mine”
“If I can’t have you, nobody will “
“My little stalker, my bloody doll”
Please check the trigger warnings before reading!
I liked how the FMC was portrayed as the obsessive stalker instead of the MMC being the typical crazy, obsessive alpha male.
The pace of the book was really fast, which was expected given its short length. Despite its shortness, there was a lot happening and surprisingly, a significant amount of backstory.
“This is what happens when you touch what’s mine”
“If I can’t have you, nobody will “
“My little stalker, my bloody doll”
Please check the trigger warnings before reading!
I liked how the FMC was portrayed as the obsessive stalker instead of the MMC being the typical crazy, obsessive alpha male.
The pace of the book was really fast, which was expected given its short length. Despite its shortness, there was a lot happening and surprisingly, a significant amount of backstory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Toxic friendship
These Shallow Waters by Madison Mouser
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.
DNF after 92 pages.
The first chapter/prologue seemed interesting, but after that, the book just wasn’t for me.
Ellie travels to Scotland after her husband dies. Her friend abandons her, taking all of Ellie’s money, cards, etc., and just leaves a written message. Couldn’t she call or text her to get her stuff back?
And, of course, the inn Ellie is staying at was only paid for a few days, so she has to find another place to stay. She ends up staying at Graham’s (whom she just met) aunt's place and works there?
I don’t like the love triangle element with Ellie, Graham, and Lawson. There’s no chemistry between any of them. And why is everyone commenting on how much she is eating?
I’m just annoyed with Ellie as a character. Her character doesn’t make any sense. She might be crying one second and completely fine during the next sentence, and there’s nothing explaining why or what happened.
I have nothing against the book or the author, this book just wasn’t for me.
I have nothing against the book or the author, this book just wasn’t for me.
Reckless Beta by C.J. Primer
medium-paced
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Reckless Beta is the 3rd book in the Shadowed Heirs series but can be read as a standalone.
This book was so fun and easy to read. I enjoyed the banter between FMC Andie and MMC Nash. I liked how their relationship developed.
The pacing of the book was mostly good, but the ending felt a bit rushed. There were a lot of spicy scenes, and while those were well written, I would have liked to see a bit more of the plot too instead of mostly spice.
For a wolf shifter book, there wasn’t that much about pack dynamics or werewolves, and at times I almost forgot that they were, in fact, wolf shifters.
I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, so I didn’t have any background for the characters or the world itself, but it didn’t really affect my reading experience.
The book ends with a cliffhanger, and there are a lot of questions left unanswered. I’m interested to see where the story goes next.
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content