roksyreads's reviews
422 reviews

Honor by Danielle Baker

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Protect by Paisley Hope

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Car accident

Minor: Pregnancy

Fight by Sloane St. James

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

Heartless by A.J. Merlin

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Searching for Shadows by Tonya Burrows

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Stalking

Minor: Addiction, Confinement, and Drug abuse

Vicious by A.J. Merlin

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Searching for Redemption by Tonya Burrows

adventurous dark sad 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? Yes

3.5

The Voice Upstairs by Laura E. Weymouth
Did not finish book. Stopped at 31%.

Very atmospheric, however the pacing is agonisingly slow for me and I’m not feeling the setting. Historical does not appear to be my genre. 

Brutal by A.J. Merlin

dark funny fast-paced

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

4.5

Review

𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘭 was technically a re-read for me, but as with 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥, the new format made the story into a whole new experience. I loved this dark yet surprisingly sweet romance between FMC Hazel and MMC Wren the first time around when I devoured it via my Kindle and I enjoyed it even more as an audiobook. I thought Victoria Connolly’s delivery was perfect for Hazel and she did a fantastic job capturing Wren, too. He’s seriously unhinged and unapologetically rabid for Hazel, but he’s also a communication and aftercare king, and whilst Connolly’s voice doesn’t go as deep as I imagine Wren’s would be, she got his tone just right throughout, including during their steamiest moments.  

Tropes

🖤 Touch her and 💀

🖤 Masked man

🖤 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝗄𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗋

🖤 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗅𝗄𝖾𝗋

🖤 Fake relationship

🖤 He’s ✨️obsessed✨️

What I loved

🖤 Breathtaking spice with primal play

🖤 Excellent banter between the MMC/FMC and side characters

🖤 Mental health rep that’s done well

🖤 Communication and aftercare

🖤 Childfree MCs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Stalking and Murder

Depraved by A.J. Merlin

dark funny fast-paced

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

4.0

Review

I first read Depraved mid last year and I admit that I’ve been itching to revisit it for months. I’m so glad I did—and in a new format. As I normally have at least one book and one audiobook on the go at the same time, I generally prefer to devour my romance reads in eBook form where I can annotate and swoon over passages to my heart’s content, whilst using my listening time for other genres, but I’m definitely going to listen to more romances after this. Enjoying this story as an audiobook this time around was an *experience*. Lia Holland did a fantastic job bringing FMC Sloane and MMC Virgil to life through their banter and their sizzling romance, and she truly brought the heat with Virgil’s sinfully delicious dirty talk. 

Tropes

🖤 Touch her and 💀

🖤 Masked man

🖤 Serial Killer

🖤 Stalker

🖤 “Princess”

🖤 He’s ✨️obsessed✨️

What I loved

🖤 Praise and primal play~

🖤 Epic banter between characters

🖤 Mental health rep that’s done well

🖤 Great animal characters, including a service dog (both doggos are safe!!)

🖤 Childfree MCs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content

Moderate: Stalking and Murder