The King's Men (All for the Game, #3) by Nora Sakavic Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Raven King on my blog, now! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

I love this group of idiots like they are my own children. There is nothing bad I could say about a single one of them, and that includes the murder they allegedly committed. This series is so absolutely absurd and I love every second of it. It truly has taken me this long to continue on with this series because I frankly do not want it to end, so I continue to prolong the inevitable ending by waiting an excessive amount of time between books. Sakavic's content intensity can feel overwhelming at times, and considering I feel as though I am the one being hunted and tortured alongside these characters, I need to have them spaced out.

I was literally sick to my stomach yet again when Neil's plot took a turn for the worst. As if my boy has not suffered enough, we see him literally go through the most insane horrors known to man after already having to suffer at the hands of Riko in The Raven King. That being said, I have never seen a character so resilient when it comes to self-sacrificing in order to protect those he sees as family. He takes everything like a champ and even when you would think something would be the driving force that would finally kill him, he perseveres. His attitude problem is truly charming and I love the way that no matter how many times Wymack asks him to rein it in, Neil will up the ante by any means necessary. He is the world's number one rage-baiter at heart and will never not be stepping on someone's neck.

"Did you know I've never been skiing? I'd like to try it some time." Kevin Day I will always love you. These characters are consistently put through the ringer on and off the page, and they deserve to be able to defend themselves - either with fighting words or on the court. I will say, some of these characters definitely like to test out how far they can take it when it comes to pushing buttons and seeing if they can get someone to crack. Aaron and Nicky certainly take the cake when it comes to provoking Neil, and I am surprised that their remarks have not landed either of them in the hospital with the way they speak. Neil and Andrew are the most volatile yet unbothered individuals I have ever come across, yet they are most readily on standby to put fighting words to the test.

Jean, my poor little boy - I wish I could say that his suffering will end but I fear this is just the end of the slow beginning of him healing and likely going through another Saw-trap level horror before being able to live a life as normal as he could dream. Same thing with Kevin - he has revealed to the world information he has known for years and will now be subject to every journalist's inquiries, stories, and invasions until the novelty wears off. Nicky stands on thin ice with me for a number of reasons, but I consider him lucky that Andrew did not make it his personal mission to send that boy to the hospital for everything he has done and said to Neil over the past three books.

Andrew's commitment to being the diva of the team and yet the most tortured of all is inspiring - he could be getting beaten to a pulp and still have time to read everyone to filth just for his own enjoyment. He truly will wait months or years to carry out revenge plans just to ensure they occur exactly when they will benefit him at the most opportune times. His duality of being incredibly closed off but willing to reveal information to only Neil speaks to his character and how guarded he will be, on and off the court. I could read one hundred books about Neil and Andrew's relationship and never get tired of reading about them. I am simply begging Sakavic to give them some peace in the future because these boys deserves to be left alone for the rest of their lives after everything they have been through.

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The Wolf and the Witch (Witch Walker, #3) by Charissa Weaks Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of The Witch Collector and City of Ruin on my blog, now!

I have such a growing attachment to this series - it is such a great combination of fantasy, romance, and action - I truly speed through these, and the characters make the series even more entertaining the more you get to know them. After the ending of City of Ruin, I have been itching to get back into the series and see how everyone would recover from those events. The alternating perspectives throughout the novella really showcased Weaks' ability to connect multiple stories together without losing the integrity of the project as a whole.

Nephele's development throughout the series is a major highlight for me, and the way he is an absolute animal (literally and figuratively) had me kicking my feet. You can see the clear dimensions of the character, while the author is still able to keep some things a mystery. I absolutely loved seeing how Neri and Nephele interacted throughout this novella, and it was a treat to witness how strong their bond became as their story continued. The way they spoke about one another and to each other... oh I was eating it up and my jaw dropped several times.

The smut in this book... absolutely insane, the author out did herself. There was just enough that it earned the romantasy genre tag, and my goodness, the author knows how to write. The banter is sensational - Neri and Nephele's relationship is so intriguing and is one of the main reasons I have fallen into this series. They completely draw you in and make you entirely invested in their development - their tension is off the charts and you can physically feel their attraction come off the page. Weaks turned up the notch when it came to their more intimate scenes, and if this is only a small glimpse into their relationship, I can only imagine what happens in the next installment.

For fans of The Divine and the Cursed, this series is a must-read. A fantastic fantasy romance series that will pull the reader in and have them longing to see the characters have the endings they deserve. I honestly would have loved if this was longer! As a novella, I understand why the author chose to do so, but I would have read an entire full-length novel about Neri and Nephele. With phenomenal pacing and intriguing plots, the Witch Walker series is the romantasy lover's next read.

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City of Ruin (Witch Walker, #2) by Charissa Weaks Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Witch Collector on my blog, here.

I really enjoyed The Witch Collector, and was excited to dive back into this story. The dynamic that Raina and Alexus formed throughout the first installment is stronger than ever in this book, and I loved seeing how much they relay on one another when it comes to recognizing their limitations. On the other hand, it was great to see how they supported each other when they knew they were capable of much more than they realized - especially, when it comes to Alexus aiding Raina's own development.

Alexus and Raina are giving Rhysand and Feyre a run for their money when it comes to being freaky in a tent when war is on the horizon. Their spicy scenes definitely got kicked up a notch, and they really were going at it like no tomorrow. That being said, at times the smut felt somewhat out of place, even more so when they would be worried about survival one minute and then getting their freak on the next. Meanwhile, Finn is as boring and third-wheeling as ever, basically giving Jeremiah Fisher from The Summer I Turned Pretty a run for his money.

I would have loved to see more action in this installment - at times, it felt as though we were running in circles about the same details over and over again, and then the author would jump to a new scene or switch perspectives. Considering the first book set up a pretty solid foundation of the world and its characters, I was unsatisfied with the plot points that should have had more impact on the story. There was just too many times that the plot was abandoned so that Raina and Alexus could get it on, and while those chapters were great, it became too repetitive.

Alexus, my man... top tier book boyfriend material. Completely obsessed with how he always puts Raina above all else, and even when she hates what she does, he does it because he cares so deeply for her. I loved how much you could visibly see how much he loves her, and how he is constantly making people aware that they are together, even when people do not support their relationship.

The last third of this book really picked up and had me locked in - it felt as though so much was happening and so many truths were being revealed. The ending totally had my jaw on the floor, and I was screaming at my book the second I realized what was going on. I will definitely be continuing on with this series, and I would recommend it to fans of The Divine and the Cursed by J.E. Reed.

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Twisted Love (Twisted, #1) by Ana Huang Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I am making my way through my TBR thanks to Libby now that I finally got another library card, and I am taking full advantage of it. For nearly two years I have been telling myself that I would read this book, and the hold I placed was available about an hour after I placed it. This is advertised as a dark romance, but I did not get that impression at all -- in my experience, I was expecting something more intense, but what I was presented with was a new adult romance scattered with a few clichés. The writing is truly something else -- using the term "itty bitty titty committee" in when writing a book in 2021 should be punishable by jail time.

This...surely cannot be the man y'all have been THIRSTING over?? Alex Volkov sounds insane immediately with his introduction -- he is somehow a boy genius and at the ripe age of twenty-six, he has more money and more business ideas than he knows what to do with. Despite his savvy business skills, I cannot believe that this man is a serious person, and the chapters in his perspective continue to prove my point that he is as feral as they come. Ironically enough, his vibes in the beginning of the story are very much giving Christian Grey from Temu, but at least Christian was a billionaire... At one point he literally stated "biological reactions can be mastered," and I had to take a lap around the room. The things that came out of this man's mouth had me genuinely reflecting on my life choices.

On the other hand, Ava Chen, to me, has never done anything wrong in her life ever, and anyone who even looks at her in the wrong direction is unhinged. Her older brother, Josh, is Alex's best friend, and when Josh heads off for a year of volunteer work, Ava is suddenly next door neighbors with Alex, much to her displeasure. With Ava comes a lot of mystery and a traumatic backstory that is slowly uncovered as the story progresses, and the chapters in her perspective were really interesting and enjoyable. This girl seemed to not catch a break nearly the entire book, and I was just rooting for her to have a happy moment at literally any point.

I saw a lot of people marketing this as a dark romance, but taking into account every dark romance book I have read, this did not even come close to that genre. Sure, there were elements of darker themes, mostly dealing with Alex and Ava's respective pasts, but I would not go as far to say that the overall theme of the book could be considered a dark romance. Unconventional and complicated, sure, but definitely not true dark romance. It was a story of two traumatized people dancing around their feelings for one another for nearly four hundred pages. There were these instances where Alex would suddenly want to make it very apparent that he was into BDSM but then it would not be mentioned for another eighty pages -- it could have been incorporated better into his characterization.

There are some things that Alex did that I would never have forgiven him for, but since this is a work of fiction, everything works out in the end. I do think that Ava and Alex brought out the best of each other, and their relationship allowed each of them to grow in ways that were necessary for the both of them to flourish in their relationship and in their personal lives. I wish Alex was shown to have a larger support system like Ava had, and when he mentioned how lonely he was basically all of the time, it really showed how his isolated life affected him.

Approaching the two-thirds mark is where this book becomes absolutely insane, and I felt as though I was getting whiplash by the amount of information that was revealed, and the events that were taking place. The beginning of the book is relatively mild, so the transition into more of a action-based story threw me for a loop. The final third of the book has you bouncing around with time jumps and so much happens in such a short amount of time. That being said, I low-key had an absolute blast reading this insane book, it certainly was not what I expected, but I had fun and that is what counts at the end of the day.

I had some mixed feelings about this book, going back and forth on how I felt about the overall story, but I think that if you are looking for an entry-level new adult romance with a dash of spice, Twisted Love could be the book for you. The spice scenes are certainly explicit and often enough that once a relationship forms, it takes up a decent amount of page space.

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The Witch Collector (Witch Walker, #1) by Charissa Weaks Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Yet another free iBook that has proven itself to me... love a good fantasy read, and the dynamic between Raina and Alexus was exactly what I was looking for in my next read. The premise reminded me a lot of The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh in the sense of an unexpected bond. I absolutely loved the use of sign language throughout this book, and the author did a great job incorporating Raina's use of signs and her perspective in communicating with others who do not know the language.

A decent amount of this book spends its time with Raina and Alexus riding throughout the forest and hiding away from attackers, while building upon their relationship as they began to get to know one another. There were times where this began to make the story seem to lag, but I was personally so invested in their dynamic that I was able to push through and read through those sections relatively quickly.

The magic and lore in this series seems very interesting -- I only wish that the author spent more time diving into the background of it in order to expand upon its importance. Raina would touch upon the basics as she expanded her abilities, but I felt as though we could have been provided with more information. Especially considering that we really do not start learning about the specifics until we are well into the story -- at least at the halfway mark. That being said, the integration of gods, magic, and tales grabbed my attention and kept me inclined to see this story through.

Side characters provided important discoveries and developments as Raina and Alexus became more acquainted with each other. Nephele, Raina's older sister, was a major plot device for her initial distain of the Witch Collector we grew to love, and the Prince of the East had a similar aura comparable to The Darkling from The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo. The other side characters played some important roles, but I found myself wanting more of the romance in those instances. I definitely believe they added a lot to the story, but they were not drawing my attention as much I had hoped.

As far as world-building goes, this first installment certainly sets up the relationships and introduced readers to the lore of the land. My hope would be that the second book dives much deeper into the magic, as this book did a great job diving into the background of the gods and their intricate involvement with each other. I can see the potential that this series has, and I look forward to continuing on with Alexus and Raina's story.

I would recommend this series to those looking to fill the void that Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor has left, and to readers searching for a gateway entrance to the fantasy genre.

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This is War (Checkmate Duet Series, #1) by Kennedy Fox Review

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

I love a good brother's best friend and roommate romance, and this book checked all of my expected boxes -- they hate each other, bickering all of the time, forced to stay in the same house, and driving each other up a wall at every chance they get. Travis is just a few years older than Viola, but the man acts like a man-child whereas Viola wants nothing more to study and get out of the house as soon as possible. It is basically a match made in heaven.

My man Travis is an absolute animal, and I could not even tell you if that is a good thing or not. When his ego isn't leading him around the office or his house, he is like a cat in heat with a girl in his bed every other night. Meanwhile Viola is doing everything in her power to tame him while she stays at his place, but this lingering childhood resentment is definitely poking a hole in her plan. There is so much unresolved tension between the two of them, I am honestly surprised that no one else even noticed that they definitely did not hate each other the way that everyone thought.

There are so many Harry Potter references in this book, it almost made the story unbearable at points. Understanding that this book came out six years, I will give it a pass, but certainly puts the dating of the story on thin ice for me. I have never been a fan of book, movie, or music references in books because I always feel like the story is stuck in whatever year it was published and does not have a chance to move along with current trends.

For someone who cannot get Viola's name out of his head, Travis sure does love screwing anything with a pulse. In the beginning of the book it was expected and definitely played into his character, but two thirds into the book and nearly nothing has changed except him now thinking about Viola when he is with other girls but not doing anything about it made me start to lose interest in him. He gets insanely possessive of Viola when other guys are around her -- which I actually really enjoyed, because it made his character start to have more personality -- but his constant torment of her in the house went from playful to annoying fairly quick.

The sex scenes were mediocre at best, and at times even just flat out unrealistic. They were fun at first because of the built up tension between Travis and Viola, but when they finally did more, it fell kind of flat. It is definitely on the tamer side of being categorized as erotica, so if you are looking for something fun and quick, this certainly will meet your expectations.

I really enjoyed how Travis and Viola's relationship developed -- the lingering childhood betrayal or miscommunication was always there in the background for the both of them, and of course they both had their own sides to the story. It definitely had that enemies-to-lovers feel as much as a contemporary romance can have, so the bickering if off the charts, but not so over the top that it feels too much.

This series consists of three duets, so you only need to read the first two books in order to wrap up Travis and Viola's story before moving onto Viola's brother, Drew, and her best friend, Courtney. I am intrigued on how the remainder of Travis and Viola's relationship plays out, so I may pick up the second when I have a spare minute in between tackling my TBR pile. I would recommend this to romance readers who are looking to move on from early-college contemporary romance and turn toward new adult college romance with a touch of spice. While we only see a few glimpses of Viola's college life, she is just about graduated.

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Serving the Billionaire (The Silver Cross Club, #1) by Bec Linder Review

This review does not contain spoilers for Serving the Billionaire.

Regan has no money, no job, and what appears to be no prospects -- she's just like Charlotte Lucas from Pride and Prejudice. She had to drop out of college and after quitting her job due to being harassed at work, she is on the hunt for employment, and comes across a cocktail waitress flyer in her local bodega and attends the audition at The Silver Cross Club.

She quickly becomes good at her job, slowly working her way up to a heavier workload, when she is told a regular client wants her to serve at his private party. We are thrown into Regan's encounter with him and his guests, along with the requests Carter Sutton asks of her during his party and for future parties.

Carter is our classic tall and mysterious man who just cannot take his eyes off of Regan. He has a very particular taste, and that definitely comes out later in the story. During their encounters at the club, Carter is very clear to Regan about what he wants and introduces her to a world that she never thought that she would be a part of. There are a few moments where the connections he has with high profile people seem unlikely, but his character is put together and respected by those who know him.

This novella reads pretty well -- it is not littered with clichés and progresses at a decent rate that does not leave you questioning how you got from point A to point B. We are able to see Regan's thought process throughout the story and as she continues to encounter Carter on a more daily basis, and see how they begin to affect one another. They of course have their moments where communication is not very clear between them or that one does not seem to understand the other, but they did only just meet days, if not a couple weeks, prior to their relationship actually starting to become something more.

Serving the Billionaire definitely gives off a very similar tone to the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy -- we are introduced to a twenty-something virgin who just so happens to come across and grab the attention of a billionaire, who has an instant attraction to her. There is a balance of smut, angst, and character/relationship building that allows this to be a quick read that readers can enjoy without cringing as they turn the page.

This novella is available for FREE on iBooks and other ebook platforms.

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Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1) by Leigh Bardugo Review

This review contains some mild spoilers for Ninth House - no major plot or character spoilers are included. A list of trigger warnings can be found here.

You can read my reviews of other publications from Leigh Bardugo here: The Grisha Trilogy, Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, Little Knife, The Tailor, The Witch of Duva, and The Too-Clever Fox.

When I first started reading this book, I was constantly confusing who the main characters were, since they have nicknames or go by their last names. Once I was able to orient myself into the plot after a few chapters, it was a lot easier to follow. Ninth House is very content heavy, so I found myself reading at a slower pace than I am usually reading it -- there is a lot going on all of the time, so I definitely suggest to take your time.

Reading about the trauma that Alex has gone through and comes to encounter, especially the bathroom flashback early on in the book, was heartbreaking. She constantly is trying to tell people what she is going through and what she sees, and it seems that no one will listen and those who do only use it against her or spread it like gossip. I could never imagine sending a child to one of those wilderness rehab programs for "troubled youth" like Alex's mother tried to do.

Darlington and Alex's relationship definitely starts off pretty rocky -- he expects her to do everything perfectly, and she has only been exposed to proper magic for a few weeks. He does not quite understand what she has been through and how she has lived her entire life seeing the Grays and basically being tortured by them for as long as she can remember. Alex is still discovering so much of the world that Darlington has been involved in for so long, but I appreciated the way that Bardugo is able to show the evolution of their relationship as they learn more about one another through flashbacks.

Dawes really is a mystery to Alex in a sense -- she is friendly, then turns cold, then agrees to help Alex but does a poor job of it. One third of the way into the book and I was still on the edge of deciding if I liked Dawes and if she was actually looking out for Alex. She did not let Alex know when Turner showed up at the medical examiner's office, even when Alex explicitly stated that she needed to give her a warning. She definitely grew on me as the book moves forward, and provides a lot of great back and forth with Alex.

I really enjoy seeing Darlington's past before coming to Yale and being a part of Lethe House -- watching him grow up and see his complicated relationship with his parents and his love for his grandfather put it in perspective to me of why he is the way he is. The way we see his development in flashbacks allows us to truly understand his character despite him not being actively present at Yale.

Alex may be spontaneous and make rapid decisions regarding dying and going to the underworld, but she is first and foremost a protector. We see her constantly trying to save and protect others throughout the book, whether they be dead or alive -- she fully embodies "girls protect girls" when it comes into play. Yes, she definitely does some questionable and perhaps unethical things, but she gets the job done at the end of the day. Her development as a character was fantastic, and we see her grow and expand into someone with so much more confidence than she started out with when she came to Yale.

The Bridegroom reminds me of Dorian Gray's portrait for some reason -- every time he shows up in a chapter, it has this haunting energy around him, from the way that he speaks to the way that he insists on particular things. He pops up in the most inconvenient times for Alex, yet also has a way of showing up in just the right moment.

Ninth House deals with a ton of world building and understanding the societies at Yale and what they specifically specialize in. Bardugo does an excellent job with character development and is able to clearly depict each character and the flaws they encompass. I definitely recommend this book to fans of An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, The Wicker King by K. Ancrum, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

You can add Ninth House and Hell Bent on Goodreads now, as well as follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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The Dare by Harley LaRoux Review

This novella review contains mild spoilers for The Dare by Harley LaRoux. The actions depicted in this novella do not represent accurate or safe BDSM encounters — reader discretion is advised.

I honestly don’t even think I have the words to describe this novella to the extent that I need to — TikTok was definitely not lying when everyone said it was something else. I have read my fair share of steamy and taboo books (shoutout to Credence by Penelope Douglas), but this certainly was an experience I was not expecting to go through, especially with how the story progressed. Jessica and Manson have a past, however fleeting it may be, but that certainly does not stop either one of them from engaging in one of the most public and ill-acknowledged erotic relationships that I have seen. For some reason, while everyone at the party was super invested into their Drink or Dare competition, the interest immediately died down just when it was getting interesting.

We’ve got knives, we’ve got humiliation, we’ve got… clowns? I actually laughed out loud when I saw clowns listed in the warnings before the beginning of the story — I was going in blind and this threw me for a loop before I even got to page one. It is very fast-paced once we get to the initial plot point that puts Jessica into the situation that she is in — and doesn't seem to want to get out of. She is getting humiliated in front of dozens of party-goers, and yet she is also the most confident person in the room — besides Manson.

Now when we finally got to the clowns, I literally had to mentally prepare myself for whatever the author had in store for us. Yes, this takes place during a Halloween party with young adults, but I could not help but picture a children's birthday party clown costume when the boys were finally mentioned in the store. Totally not scary and definitely what I did not want to be picturing while reading this novella. Luckily, we move on pretty quickly from the clowns and Jessica's involvement with them, and go straight into...you guessed it — knife play! No worries, there is nothing gory mentioned.

We somehow manage to be going back and forth between Jessica literally being used in a dozen different ways by the hands of Manson to catapulting into Manson's backstory. It adds maybe a little shock to the plot, but if you are reading too fast and skim over the two sentences it takes to reveal that the house that the party is at is actually Manson's house, you won't be missing much.

If you need a quick and steamy read, The Dare is for you. I would definitely recommend this novella to fans of more taboo story-telling, but it's overall pretty mild and any newcomer to the genre would not have an issue with anything mentioned or depicted in the story.

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Praise (Salacious Players Club, #1) by Sara Cate Review

This review contains spoilers for Praise (Salacious Players Club, #1) by Sara Cate. Please read with caution if you have not already read the book.

We are immediately thrown into Emerson's world with the first sentence of the book -- which makes it all the more intriguing, as I went into this read with very little known details about the plot. I was looking for a fun, quick read as I make my way through my TBR pile, and was instantly intrigued by Praise. Emerson, our resident 40-year-old father who definitely does not seem old enough to have an adult son, has particular interests in what he wants in a woman and in the bedroom. Charlie, the now ex-girlfriend of Emerson's son, certainly stumbles into his world hoping to get her security deposit back without a hassle, and ends up in a precarious situation.

I love the immediate connection that Emerson and Charlie have -- not the first time they meet, but rather, when Charlie is hired as his secretary and they visit the club together. They are already forming their own dialogue with each other, and we are thrust right into their blooming dynamic as Emerson continues to show his interest in Charlie and his fascination with the way that she conducts herself in new situations. She has little to no knowledge of what she is getting herself into, even with her rabbit-hole searches she conducted after finding out what Emerson does for a living.

Charlie is over here living the dream with Emerson telling her that she does not have to wear shoes when she comes into the office/his house -- what I would give to be open to take my shoes off at my desk while I"m at work!

Their dynamic is so great to read - it moves quickly, and you're not stuck reading through endless pages waiting for something small to happen. Go big or go home was definitely in the author's mindset, because when Emerson and Charlie start being involved, even with the basics, we are put right into their building relationship. I absolutely loved seeing the dual POVs as they begin to figure out what they want and the opposing sides of Emerson being so experienced and Charlie being so incredibly new to the club and to Emerson's life.

I love the relationship that Garrett has with Charlie -- it's nice to see her interacting with people that are not Emerson or her sister, but it's also good to see her enjoying her life. They give off this big brother-little sister dynamic, full of teasing and joking, and definitely getting on Emerson's nerves.

The way Beau keeps showing up into Charlie's life -- whether he's actually seeking her out or if he is there to see his father -- had me throwing the book across the room. He did not appreciate her in the beginning, and his phone call to her was no better. From the short scenes that he is in, we get this picture of him being this man-child who didn't know what he had and doesn't know how to keep it. The distaste he has for his father's sexual endeavors is now getting placed on Charlie, and yet he continues to want to be in her life but not his father's -- but he'll take his money. He definitely won me over -- maybe just a little bit -- by the end of the book, especially when he finally decides to own up to the mistakes that he has made and they way that he treated his father and Charlie.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Fifty Shades of Grey -- while the age gap is a little more jarring in Praise, both have similar circumstances in a general sense. I definitely enjoyed this read -- it's quick, it's fun, and it's finally nice to see a main character that knows her worth and what she wants.

You can add Praise on Goodreads now, as well as the rest of the series, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.

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