raesbookbanter's reviews
220 reviews

Vicious Luna by C.J. Primer

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-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

𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘢 -𝘊𝘑 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳 

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 5⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 4🌶 /5

ᶠᴬᵛᴼᴿᴵᵀᴱ ᵟᵁᴼᵀᴱ: “They say well behaved women rarely make history… so get out there and fuck shit up, girl” 

ᵀᴿᴼᴾᴱˢ: 

🐺 Wolf Shifters

🖤 Fated Mates

🖤 Enemies to Lovers

🖤 Forced Proximity

🖤 Hostage Situation

🖤 Strong FMC Who Takes No Shit

🖤 Morally Grey MMC

🖤 Primal Play

🖤 Secrets & Lies

🖤 Darker Themes

🖤 Tons of Spice

🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨

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It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that’s consumed my soul like this one! 🤯 It’s been about a week since I finished it, and I’m nowhere near getting over it. I absolutely devoured this book and would happily do it all over again! 

Avery is one of the most badass FMCs I’ve come across in fantasy! She was an absolute gem to read, and I found myself cheering her on from beginning to end. 🙌

Cam was perfection in so many ways, and I loved his character arc throughout the book. 😍 He definitely underwent the biggest transformation, and it was incredibly well-written! 

The side characters truly made this book shine in so many ways. 🌟 I’m so glad their stories are out there, too, because I couldn’t get enough of them! 

This was my first werewolf/shifter book in many, many years (think Twilight days 🐺), so I was honestly a little apprehensive about diving back into that world. But this book has definitely pushed the shifter trope to the top of my favorites list! 🔥

If you’re a Twilight fan, especially if you were Team Jacob, this book will blow all your werewolf fantasies out of the water! 🖤

Trudy, Madly, Deeply by Wendy Delaney

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense medium-paced

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

4.5

𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘺, 𝘔𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺, 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 - 𝘞𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘺 

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 4.5⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 1🌶 /5

ᵀᴿᴼᴾᴱˢ: 
       🛋️ Cozy Mystery
👮‍♂️ Smitten Cop
🕵️‍♀️ Natural Lie Detector FMC
🏡 Small Town Rumor Mill
⚰️ Angel of Death
👵 Sassy Grandma

🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨

What a cozy, funny, lovable murder mystery story! This book had me gooped, gagged, and giggling!

When Char shows up for her first day at her new job at the courthouse, things escalate quickly, and I was all here for it! The small-town rumors were spot on, and Char has a knack for solving murders! If only cop man Steve wasn’t so bagged with his information, she might have solved it sooner and avoided all the mess that came from sticking her nose where it didn’t belong—oh, and she definitely could have avoided accusing not one, not two, but three people of murder!

Plus, the dash of smitten romance had me squealing like a little girl!

This is definitely a perfect read for the October season! 

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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me! 😉

Hey Jude by Hannah Brixton

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘑𝘶𝘥𝘦 -𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘰𝘯

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 4.2⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 4🌶 /5

ᵀᴿᴼᴾᴱˢ: 
🧠 PTSD Awareness
🪓 Lumberjack MMC
💃 Hot Mess FMC
🐶 Dog Falls First
🌆 Small Town Setting
🚪 Forced Proximity
🌶️ Open Door Spice
🎉 Playful Energy
👥 Dual POV in First Person

🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨
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What an absolute joy of a book! Jude and Olena were M👏🏻A👏🏻D👏🏻E for each other! I loved them together from the very first moment (get your mind out of the gutter!).

As always, Hannah did an incredible job incorporating real-life problems and being incredibly inclusive with her characters and their mental health journeys.

And let’s not forget the ending! *insert swooning emoji* 
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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me! 😉

The Fate Date: An Opposites Attract, Fake Dating Romcom by Clover Callahan

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.0

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 - 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 4⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 3🌶 /5

ᵀᴿᴼᴾᴱˢ: 
😠 Grumpy X Sunshine
🔮 Witchy Vibes
💑 Fake Dating
🤔 Miscommunication
🥐 Cinnamon Roll Man
🚪 Open Door Spice
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🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨
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This book was nothing like I expected, and I loved every second of it! It was sweet, simple, and so cozy.

Usually, when I pick up a book about witches or curses, it’s 90% fantasy, but it was such a nice surprise to see those elements in a contemporary romance!

Gavin is the ultimate cinnamon roll. I honestly don’t know how anyone could find him unpleasant. He’s so supportive and an amazing businessman. The way he instantly connected with Sabrina (yes, the witch’s name was Sabrina 🤣) still makes my heart swell days after finishing the book.

Sabrina was so kind and understanding (up to a point), which was exactly what Gavin needed in his life. She definitely did witches proud!

And you know I’m a sucker for a good fake dating trope, and this one was done so well! 👌🏼

‼️ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 - 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘯 was given to me for free by the author for a honest review. 
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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me! 😉

Velvet Kingdom by B.B. Hamel

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘵 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 - 𝘉.𝘉 𝘏𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 3.5⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 4🌶 /5

ᶠᴬᵛᴼᴿᴵᵀᴱ ᵟᵁᴼᵀᴱ: "I didn't mention anything about a shower to Dante. I would never willingly put that image in another man's head. If you haven't noticed, bella topo, I can be very possessive."

ᵀᴿᴼᴾᴱˢ: 
🔫 Mafia Romance
💍 Arranged Marriage
⚔️ Touch Her You 💀
🤰 Pregnancy
🖤 Morally Grey Man
🏢 Office Romance
🚪 Forced Proximity


🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨
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When your whole world is falling apart—the other Mafia bosses think you’re weak and nothing like your father, your family doubts your abilities, your sick mother needs you, and your arranged fiancée runs away—what do you do? You marry your office manager to fix all your problems, right?

If you like a mix of possession, power, and just a touch of softness, I suggest picking up this book. You’ll get all that and more! *Chef’s kiss* 
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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me! 😉

That Last Secret by Jenn McMahon

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵- 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘯 𝘔𝘤𝘔𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘯 

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 4⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 3🌶 /5

ᶠᴬᵛᴼᴿᴵᵀᴱ ᵟᵁᴼᵀᴱ: "I've been wanting to kiss you all day, all week. I never thought I'd be the type of man to say this, but I'm starting to feel like being apart from you is slowly killing me. Like kissing you is the air I need to breathe each day."

🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨
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I never thought I would say I prefer a third-act breakup over the emotional roller coaster this book took me on! But wow, it was amazing—raw, joyful, and wrenching all at once. 💔

I quickly and easily became obsessed with these characters and their lives. Everything felt so real and magical that I couldn't get enough. Even now, I still feel like I need more of them! 🥹

In just four hours, I cried, giggled, yelled, laughed, and bawled my eyes out. The story was that absorbing!

I loved the real struggles each character went through. Logan’s trauma broke my heart more than I expected—it was so relatable and realistic. Both characters’ traumas and secrets felt genuine. 

The only reason I’m not giving this incredible book a full 5 stars is because of one trope (no spoilers here!) that happens to be one of my book icks. While it was well done and contributed to the happiness of the story, I felt like it didn’t give the character their full moment. Despite that, I still 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮 recommend this book with all my heart—just be warned, it will wreck your soul for a few days! You've been warned! 🫣

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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me! 😉

Stroke of Fate (Titan Security Series Book 2) by

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

3.0

𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 - 𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 3⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 3🌶 /5

ᶠᴬᵛᴼᴿᴵᵀᴱ ᵟᵁᴼᵀᴱ: "Use your words, doll”

🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨

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I was hooked on this love story from the very beginning! It had everything you could want and more—“touch her and you die” vibes, praise kink, suspense, grumpy meets sunshine, found family... I could go on and on about all the incredible tropes this book covered! 💕

The twists and thrills kept me on the edge of my seat! I never knew who to trust at any point in the story, which made it even more exciting. 😱

The FMC had moments where I completely adored her and wanted to protect her, but there were also times I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop being so naive—especially considering the dangerous world she lives in!

The MMC was as sweet as honey, yet he had such a dark side. I only wish we saw more of it throughout the book. I connected with him, but there were moments where that connection was lost because I felt he wasn’t staying true to the backstory we were given.

The spice was 🔥! I loved how it deepened the connection between the two MCs, making everything feel more real. The nickname “Doll” is now one of my ALL-TIME favorites—it definitely got my blood pumping! 😍

I fell in love with all the side characters, even though I wasn’t sure if I could trust them. Honestly, I still have trust issues going into the next book, which is a testament to the amazing writing! ✨

While I enjoyed the story, I did feel that certain parts were a bit drawn out. There were moments where I found myself checking to see how much I had left, as it sometimes felt like the pacing slowed down. As you all know, I tend to prefer a more concise style without too many extra details, and this one leaned a little heavily on description. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if it was a bit shorter and more to the point.

So, overall—did I enjoy this book? Yes, I did!

Do I think it could have been shorter and less fluffy? Absolutely.  

Were the characters lovable? Heck yes! 

Would I recommend this book? Sure, it’s still a good read!

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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me! 😉

Calamity Rayne: Gets A Life by Lydia Michaels

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

Matteo by T. Priceton

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘰 -𝘛. 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘯

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 5⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 4🌶 /5

ᶠᴬᵛᴼᴿᴵᵀᴱ ᵟᵁᴼᵀᴱ: "I'll always come for you, Little Lux. I'd go to the ends of the earth and back to find you. Never giving up until you're back in my arms”

🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨

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How the heck is this a debut novel?? 🤯 Holy crap, this book was absolutely incredible! It was fast-paced, spicy, morally grey, and just… perfect! 🔥

Matteo DiMaggio makes Dante Russo from 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩 look like a saint! 😈 This man is the definition of morally grey—possessive, deadly, unhinged, swoon-worthy, and the ultimate Mafia Boss. 💀👑

Every single character in this book was perfection. You will absolutely fall in love with the DiMaggio family, and you’ll be rooting for Lux and Matteo’s marriage from the start. 💍 Just like Matteo, you’ll want to protect what’s yours—especially our little Lux! ❤️

Let’s talk spice! 🌶️ The slow burn starts from page one and keeps you burning up until things get real, and when they do, it’s done in such a tasteful and respectful way, yet still leaves you absolutely melting! 😏🔥

The humor and sass in this book, not just from the FMC, will have you literally laughing out loud. 😂 Prepare for a silly smile plastered on your face throughout, but don’t forget about the suspense! You’ll be on the edge of your seat for a whole other set of reasons, too. 😬📖

This debut has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year—honestly, one of my all-time faves. 🌟 I highly recommend getting your hands on this book ASAP. You will not regret it! 🙌

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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me! 😉

Room for Improvement by Jessica Gregory

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.25

𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵- 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘺 

ᴼᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᴿᵃᵗⁱⁿᵍ: 3⭐/5

ˢᵖⁱᶜᵉ ᴸᵉᵛᵉˡ: 3🌶 /5

🚨 ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs 🚨

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This book was such a light and easy summer read! ☀️📖 I really enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters—it was super fun to watch them interact. 💕 It did leave me wishing for more conversations between them, though. At times, it felt like there was a bit too much "fluff" and not quite enough substance. 🤔

The story is told from a dual POV, but unfortunately, it’s in third person for both characters. I really wish it had been written in first person! 👀 I feel like I would've connected so much more with the characters and what they were going through if I’d been in their shoes instead of just being told about it. 🫣

That said, I absolutely loved the resort setting! 🏝️✈️ It was so fun to travel to different locations throughout the book and get a taste of the luxury life. 💎

Overall, this book was good! It kept me entertained, and while it could’ve been a little more engaging, I’d still recommend it if you're looking for something sweet, fun, and easy to dive into! 🎉🌸

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📚✨ Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on my personal rating scale. Don’t come at me!