The Rulers (Heartless Kingdom, #0.5) by K.I. Lynn Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The Rulers is currently available for free on iBooks and Kindle.

Atticus has been placed on a time crunch in order to maintain the life he currently lives, and Ophelia may be the solution to all of his problems. After a one-night stand that seems to linger in both of their minds nearly one year after the encounter, their lives are about to be utterly upheaved. I am an absolute sucker for the marriage of connivence trope, especially when the pair have a short history together -- even better when we have a cold-hearted CEO that is in a bind. And with the added bonus of some serous family drama on Atticus's side of the story, I am sure the future installments can only take readers down an interesting path.

With dual perspectives, I enjoyed seeing Atticus and Ophelia's separate lives and the interactions that they shared with one another. Too often in romance books you only see the characters as extensions of their relationship, rather than as individuals who are in a relationship with each other. Ophelia and Atticus share a number of similar traits, but it is clear that they have lived two completely different lives, which I can only imagine can cause them to butt heads in the future.

This was a great set up to the rest of the story, and does not leave the reader on a major cliffhanger, but rather leave the reader with the knowledge that something will definitely happen, it is only a matter of when and how. The end can seem abrupt to some, but I viewed it as a growing point in the series where the development can truly begin to take root. I can see how the side characters will be integrated into Atticus and Ophelia's story, and was pleased with how the author was fleshing out their personalities without abandoning their development in favor of the leads.

Fans of Lexy Timm and contemporary romance with a bit of a kick to it will certainly enjoy this introduction to Atticus and Ophelia's story -- I know I will definitely be finding my way back to this series to see what is in store for this stubborn pair.

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The Starglass Girl (Of Candlelight and Shadows: A Short Story) by Sylvia Mercedes Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Moonfire Bride on my blog now!

I absolutely loved The Moonfire Bride, and was delighted to find out that there was a companion novella that gives Erolas a short introduction in his perspective. Exploring this pivotal moment from the first installment through Erolas's eyes allows the reader to understand the predicament both Valera and Erolas are in, as the bridegroom and Moonfire bride.

With Valera having such an intense personality seen through her own perspective in The Moonfire Bride, it was nice to see the way that Erolas internally reacted to her response to their wedding. He wants to be respectful of her natural reaction to being put in such a position, but he also has a responsibility that needs to be carried out.

Being able to understand what the goblins say was a major plus in this addition to the duology, considering we are not aware of the translations in the first book. The relationship and concern that Erolas has with the goblins and other creatures exhibits his concern and morals on a greater level, and with the exhibition of his care toward Valera upon her arrival, it only builds upon his good character.

I wish this was longer! I would have loved to explore even more of his mind and the moments after the wedding, especially considering how much we were able to learn about Erolas in this short story. From a publication standpoint, I would definitely recommend reading this after completing The Moonfire Bride, but if read prior, it certainly would not spoil any major plot points.

This story has me excited to complete the duology and see how Erolas and Valera's relationship plays out as more information is brought to light and as they overcome the obstacles in their way. For readers looking for a solid combination of romance and fantasy, Of Candlelight and Shadows series offers a great balance.

You can add The Starglass Girl on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!