Disclosure – All reviews and opinions, are my own. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may earn a small commissions from Amazon, and/or other retailers at no extra cost to you.
Disclaimer -This is a New Adult Fantasy book. Please make sure to be mindful of your triggers.
Triggers include explicit monster-form sex scenes, adult language/cursing, violent/disturbing imagery, murder/blood/gore/death, human sacrifice, illness, loss, & grief of a parent, Non-consent (not between FMC & MMC), flashbacks of sexual assault, and potentially triggering thoughts/depictions of mental health-related topics.
Luciana The forest is my refuge from the lies of my people and the wounds I keep hidden—but the forest is changing and no one is safe. A monster saves me from the brink of death, his midnight eyes promising more than I ever thought to find. When my father falls ill with a mysterious sickness, I have to race against the clock to find the connection between the secrets of Hellhind Wood—or lose him forever. But my beast has secrets too, with the power to ruin everything.
Dorran As the firstborn son of a cruel and greedy lord, my soul was already forfeit. Our crimes enraged an enchantress, cursing everyone I love to a fate worse than death and leaving Hellhind vulnerable. Cursed and surrounded by evil on all sides, I must fight to free my family and right our wrongs. When I save my beauty, she sees beyond the curse, her soul just as broken and lonely as mine. I try to stay away, but our connection refuses to be ignored—and she may be the key to everything.
Although this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling of sorts, the world and the story that the author created was so much more than the original story we know and love.
It took me about 1/3 of the book to really get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down and was constantly wondering if Lu was ok. I admittedly didn’t highlight or annotate much in this story, and it’s largely due to how connected I felt to the story and Lu’s journey. There is nothing like losing a parent, and reliving some of the pain through Lu’s journey was both painful and immensely healing in a way I can barely put into words. ** read the freaking trigger warnings! They are there for a reason! Loss of a parent plays a significant role in this novel and the character’s actions**
Lu’s father was the mayor of their quaint town, and came down with an illness without a cure. Theo was the handsome, reliable, golden boy that the whole town knew and loved. And then there was Luciana, an outcast of sorts in her small town. Whispers and rumors followed her seemingly everywhere she went. But after her mom left, everything Lu did was out of love. Her only goals were to protect her little brother Theo, and take care of him and their father in the only ways she knew how, at whatever cost.
As Lu’s dads health starts to decline and the emotional turmoil her and Theo go through, I felt like I started to connect with her so much more than I could’ve imagined. I love when a FMC has the hard IDGAF exterior and keeps her vulnerable side shoved deep down for so long that the most unexpected person/being brings it out and she feels safe enough to be herself with all of her emotions, vulnerabilities, flaws, etc. Thats’s where Dorran or “Beast” comes in. Their connection was almost instant, and hit Lu hard. Where most would fear the monstrous beast, she felt no fear, and was uncharacteristically comfortable in his presence. Opening up to him in ways that she never could with others, not to mention the incredible spicy moments between them in the forest, it seemed like Lu had finally met her heart’s match.
Some moments did feel a bit predictable, but not enough to affect my overall love for the story. There were definitely unexpected plot twists that I did not see coming.
Heart Sworn was hands down one of my favorite reads of 2022. Cia, you did an outstanding job with this one, and I can’t wait to find out what happens to Luciana and Dorran in Hellhind Woods next!
Fave Quotes
“You alone have the power to destroy me,”
“I’m not a hero in anyone’s story, I was the villain. I still am.”
“Was it so selfish to seek any glimmer of happiness or spark of pleasure when everything else seemed to fall apart no matter what I did?”
“there was no black or white in our world. Nothing was purely good, and nothing was purely evil.
Check out Heart Sworn by Cia Petrichor if you’re looking for ✔️A Beauty & The Beast retelling ✔️Monster romance ✔️Touch her and you die ✔️A curvy FMC ✔️LGBTQ+ representation
Disclosure – All reviews and opinions, are my own. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may earn a small commissions from Amazon, and/or other retailers at no extra cost to you.
Wrapped up January finishing 7 books and they were all so good!!!
𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒎 by Ali Stuebbe ★★★★★/5 Ali freaking killed it with her debut novel! The character growth, the angst and slow burn, Draven🖤, and an epic cliff hanger of an ending. Definitely my favorite book of the month.
𝑫𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 – 𝑯𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆’𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆 by Jenn Lynn Adams (ARC Copy) ★★★★.5/5 The Underworld and a gorgeous cover?? I was sold before even reading the blurb. Although this story wasn’t what I expected, it did not disappoint and I can’t wait for it to release on the 14th!
𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝑷𝒊𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 by ToEatAPeach (Dramione FanFic) ★★★★/5 The perfect post-war fluff fic when I needed something quick and lighter to read. The thought of Draco baking makes me swoon.
𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 by Slytherin_Prince27 (Dramione FanFic) ★★★★/5 Ron’s an ass. Pansy is still a bitch. And Theo and Ginny are surprisingly perfect together. Ch20 fucked me up. Tears and all. HEA.
𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝑽𝒐𝒘 by Asia Monique ★★★★.5/5 My first true Mafia Romance and I am so here for it. Not to mention it was a Black Mafia Romance, which you don’t see too often. The FMC Lucia is a badass and I love her straight out the gate. Can’t wait to finish this series!
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑯𝒆𝒓 by @jadelillywrites (Dramione FanFic) ★★★★/5 I already told y’all a couple of posts back how I felt about this one. Smutty with an ending that ripped my heart out #TeamTheo
𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 by Asia Monique ★★★★/5 Got toknow Lucia’s other half, Luca and I can’t wait to see where his and Galina’s relationship goes.
That’s a wrap on January! Did we read any of the same books?? What was your favorite read from last month? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll see you in the next post!
Disclosure – All reviews and opinions, are my own. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may earn a small commissions from Amazon, and/or other retailers at no extra cost to you.
Disclaimer -Helfyre is an Adult Fantasy book. Please make sure to be mindful of your triggers.
Triggers include graphic violence, general dark themes, swearing, and sex scenes– some of which include dubious consent– and should in no way be misconstrued as a depiction of a healthy relationship.
Summary | Two immortal creatures. One dangerous bargain.
After the death of her mother, Aheia finds herself stained by more blood than she can hide in the perpetual daylight of her home of Keloseros. She escapes the realm but pays the price: giving up her immortality and her powers–once a Mithra with light at her fingertips, she becomes near-mortal. Her desperate search for asylum leads her to the doorstep of the only place out of her abusive family’s reach—a realm that deals in death and darkness unapologetically—Aljira.
But nothing in this world is free, and to buy her way to dubious safety, she’s forced to give up the only thing she has left to barter.
Her soul in exchange for seven days in the devil’s realm.
Wow, there was a lot to unpack in the first part of this story. Tons of world building and info on the different demons, gods, and shapeshifters. Not gonna lie, I sometimes struggle with intense world building and info dumping and it usually takes me forever to get through those parts of a story. (I’m looking at you Crescent City).
But I couldn’t put this book down and the world the author created is incredible. I enjoyed the writing style and although there were moments where the detailed descriptions outweighed the overall plot, I appreciated how easy it was to get wrapped up in the world, and I now have a soft spot for several of the characters and can’t wait to learn more about them.
Our FMC is Aheia, a fiery young goddess who isn’t afraid to do what has to be done, but can also show her vulnerability. Arioch is the perfect morally grey main character, he was definitely more darkness than light, which I live for, but he has a fierce loyalty to his friends, his people, and Aheia.
The world was complex, the spice was 🔥, and I loved the underlying story about mental health.
Fave quotes
“Life is too long for shame, Ruhí. You are what you are, and you like what you like.”
“Lions aren’t afraid of wolves,”
“The blood of the covenant you chose over the water of the womb you were born from.”
“We’re all broken, Aheia. It’s what gives us strength. Only the broken can grow.”
If you’re looking for ✔️An immersive, magical world ✔️A steamy enemies to lovers vibe (with some serious shadow play) ✔️A dark, blood drinking, morally grey male ✔️A female main character who is equally badass and vulnerable
Then I highly recommend giving Helfyre a read, but please make sure you check your triggers first!
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ /5
Read 10/24/2022 – 11/2/2022
Update 1/17/2023
Helfyre has a brand new alternative cover! Check out this beauty
Have you read Helfyre yet? If so, what did you think?? Also, which cover are you feeling? I loved the first one, but the second one is gorgeous with the vibrant colors! Let me know in the comments below, and we’ll chat soon!
Disclosure – All reviews and opinions, are my own. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may earn a small commissions from Amazon, and/or other retailers at no extra cost to you.
Disclaimer -This is a Dark Suspense Romance novel. Please make sure to be mindful of your triggers.
Triggers – Explicit language, explicit sexual descriptions and scenes, violence, gore, blood, religious trauma, grief, death, and mentions of abuse.
Summary
Sienna
Death, heartbreak and destruction follow me, much like the enemies my bloodline has given me. Halloween is around the corner, it’s only a matter of time before tragedy strikes again. When Carmine Moretti, a tattooed devil in disguise summons me on Halloween back to the city where my parents were murdered, I should know better. I should run the other way. Except I can’t. He is hiding something. Since I have nothing to lose I will die trying to find out if he holds the answers I need or the fate, I fear. This Halloween I might as well dance with the devil, maybe he will be the one to stitch my broken pieces.
Carmine
I am dead inside. Haunted by visions of pain and carnage that have turned me into a shell of the man I once was. I have been many things, liar, thief, murderer, but never hers. How could I be hers when I only exist in the distant shadows of her nightmares. I need to make my presence known, I have to bring her into my reality. The daughter of the enemy, the one I crave with every fiber of my wicked being. Revenge is near, war is on the horizon. This Halloween I will bring my rag doll home where she belongs, with me. Together we will rule amongst the dead and it will be such a fright.
Skulls & Stitches, the debut novel by N.J. Weeks, was actually my first mafiaesque romance and I will absolutely be back for more. The fact that it had spooky vibes + some suspense and mystery without being terrifying was everything I needed.
Our FMC, Sienna has overcome so much in her life and is strong, knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. She is sassy with a smart mouth and I appreciate her always speaking up for herself and never taking anyones shit.
I do hate that she let her grief and losses consume her for several years after the heartbreak she went through when she was younger. But that’s also life sometimes. Eventually she had the strength to stop simply existing and finally move past the pain and start living her life again. Unfortunately, her deciding to take control of her life, was also the same time as Carmine entering her life and in a sense preventing her from fully escaping the life of a drug lords daughter. But I equally love and despise Carmine at times, and his audacity in the beginning of the book left me speechless in moments and I think Sienna was seriously looking for trouble with the way she was drawn to him. But the heart (and body in Sienna and Carmine’s case) wants what it wants, and eventually Sienna stopped trying to fight the pull she had to Carmine. And even if others saw it as reckless and dangerous, following her heart eventually led her to the answers to the questions she had been asking herself, and ultimately helped Sienna stitch herself back together.
Skulls & Stitches is a Nightmare Before Christmas retelling with mafiaesque vibes, suspense, and spice. S&S was beautifully written, the spice was🔥, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. Certain things I did see coming, but definitely not in the way I was expecting.
Fave Quotes (There were so many amazing quotes throughout this book, I struggled to pick my top four, so you get six instead)
“I can still grieve my losses without losing anymore of myself in the process. Today, I am finally giving myself permission to move on.”
“To me, however, a lady is to be whatever the fck she wants to be. She can fck whoever she wants to f*ck and shouldn’t care about the opinions of others.”
“But I would rather push through that pain and fix myself than let it break or ruin me.”
“But if monsters look like him, the only thing I should be afraid of is how much my demons want to come out and play with his.”
“If there is a dream in your heart, if there is something you feel you are destined to do or be, love yourself enough to follow that path.”
“It may not be the popular path and chances are it won’t be easy but it will be worth it. Life is too short to be anything but your true self. Believe in yourself, believe that you deserve to write your own happy ending and fight like hell to make it happen.”
If you’re looking for ✔️ A mouthy FMC, that doesn’t take shit from anyone ✔️A sexy, tattoo covered, NYC drug lord (that also happens to be the FMC’s new boss) ✔️Slow-burn romance ✔️A serious revenge plot
Disclosure – All reviews and opinions, are my own. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may earn a small commissions from Amazon, and/or other retailers at no extra cost to you.
Manipulated into a service contract, Davyna’s only goal is to find her father and find a way out. But when that search all of a sudden takes her down a path full of the things that chase her in her nightmares, she must decide whether to follow what is safe and easy, or follow the darkness and step into her power and save herself.
Disclaimer -This is a New Adult Fantasy book. Please make sure to be mindful of your triggers.
Triggers include grief, violence, blood, torture, death, PTSD episodes, emotion & physical abuse, sexual assault (mentioned in passing several times), difficult pregnancy contributing to the end of a mother’s life, profanity, and sexually explicit content.
Summary | “Hide-and-seek was a game Davyna loved playing as a child because she always won. But after the death of her adopted father, the game became her life’s mission to seek a blood relative to set her free from the cursed deal she made. When every lead turns up empty, Davyna is forced to seek help from the creatures that hide in the dark. What started as a quest for her freedom quickly turns into a fight for her life as Davyna navigates loss, lust, and love. But more importantly, as she seeks answers to who- or what- she is.”
I received an ARC copy of Hidden Beneath the Embers in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been following Fay’s writing journey the majority of the year, and there were still unexpected twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.
Off the back Davyna gives off straight fiery, bad ass female vibes. Shooting whiskey and putting guards in their place within the first few pages? I’m here for it!
There wasn’t an extreme amount of world building, but enough for you to get your bearings on the world the MC was in and the things, places, and creatures she was experiencing and I personally appreciated that. Although world building is crucial in a fantasy novel, it can easily become overwhelming if too much info is thrown at you. Some of the pacing in the first part of the book, felt a bit inconsistent, but that could just be me being overly anxious to get to the meat of the story. Not enough of an annoyance to knock my rating, but worth mentioning. Once Davyna entered the magical realm, the pacing to me was much smoother, and I couldn’t put the book down.
Red flags were immediately being set off for me with one of the male characters, and he felt predictably untrustworthy, but the full extent of his assholeness did end up surprising me in the end.
Fave quotes
“Let your fire shine bright… Let the world see you.”
“Don’t play with the Devil, Dearest. You’ll end up hating yourself for liking it.”
“Maybe he was the Devil, but right now, I would gladly sin to get more of him.”
“We can be painted as villains in anyone’s story, but even villains have a reason for the things they do.”
If you’re looking for
– Enemies to lovers – A magical realm & shapeshifters – A fiery, badass FMC, discovering her strength & power, with a smart ass mouth – A deliciously morally gray vampire – Spicy tension filled relationship – Touch her and you die vibes
Then I highly recommend grabbing Hidden Beneath the Embers when it releases on Oct 27th.
