Caught Up (Into Darkness, #2) by Navessa Allen Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Lights Out on my blog, now!

In the interconnected sequel to Lights Out, Navessa Allen returns to deliver a mob stalker romcom in this story following Nick "Junior" Trocci and Lauren Marchetti as they reconnect and explore the possibility of second chances. I had mixed feelings after finishing Lights Out, more so with the fact that it was not to the "dark romance" level that I was expecting - going into Caught Up, my expectations were set accordingly and I had a lot of fun reading this book. Nick was an enjoyable mobster that wanted out of that lifestyle, and Lauren is an online sex worker and club member advocating for sex worker rights. With their past hindering a relationship, Nick began following her online to be as close to her as possible.

The plot was a touch all over the place, to be quite honest. Nick was on this internal journey to leave the mob life that his father was insistent he continue, and Lauren was figuring out if she could ever trust Nick again. It felt as though Nick's journey was much more prominent in this book, and while Lauren's own journey was not as intriguing. With Nick's perspective chapters, we see his conflicted feelings as he continues his mobster ways while actively works to remove himself from that activity. He was very focused on bettering himself and getting Lauren to trust him again without blowing up their relationship/friendship like all those years ago.

Lauren's journey with her two roommates was more lighthearted in the sense that I was never truly worried about her safety - in the sense that this is marketed as a stalker romcom, but I would not even consider Nick to be a stalker. There were definite romcom elements to this book, but I still would have loved for this to lean more heavily on the stalker aspect - yes, they knew each other when they were younger, but I felt as though once she found out about Nick, she was not even that fazed by the discovery. Lauren's moral compass is pretty solid and she is a great advocate - her character was easy to like, and she was enjoyable to follow as the story went on, I just wished I was as intrigued by her story as I was with Nick's story.

The side characters definitely made Lauren's journey feel more stable, as well as the presence of Nick's brothers making his own journey have a solid foundation. Honestly, the side characters were the true comedic relief in this installment, and while Lauren and Nick certainly had their moments, it seemed to fall on these secondary characters to lighten the mood. The smut in this book was actually unreal at points, and I will say that Allen has that aspect of her books locked and loaded - no notes from me. My jaw dropped several times, and she wasted no time at all diving right into the smut and romance of this book. Given the fact that Lauren makes online videos as a sex worker, the smut did play a more important role in this book compared to the role it played in Lights Out.

This interconnected series is a fun time that keeps the reader entertained, and yet I seems to always yearn for something more in these stories. It often feels as though conflict is resolved relatively quickly and that there seems to be no true consequences to those that have either wronged the main characters, or if they do reap their punishment, it is not to the extent that I would have expected. If you are looking for a quick, steamy read, the Into Darkness series my very well be your next journey in dark romcoms.

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Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Andrew and Thomas return to school with secrets from one another, a daunting fairytale turned into a haunting reality, and the disappearance of the creative spark that lived within Thomas and his artwork. When they arrive back at Wickwood Academy, everything is out of order - Andrew's twin sister, Dove, is all but warm to him, while Thomas arrives in questionable fashion with a torrid secret. As readers dive deeper in Andrew's perspective, they are exposed to more than they could have imagined. With the forest luring Andrew and Thomas into dangerous territory as they protect themselves and those around them.

Jumping around from high fantasy to romance, I knew I was in desperate need to get back into dark academia - Don't Let the Forest In has been on my TBR shelf for nearly a year as I anticipated its release, and I finally found the time to sit down with it. I have to say, I basically loved everything about this book - we are immediately introduced to Wickwood Academy and the aura is prickly, intense, and full of a deep sense of dread. With Andrew somehow on the outs with both his sister and Thomas, he fights to find out why they are pushing him to the side.

As we see Thomas recount a traumatizing experience while actively working to put an end to the torment that has followed him back to school, we begin to learn more about the horrors that have been haunting him. Without the help of Andrew, I am sure that Thomas would have been left to his own devices to constantly be looking over his shoulder for years to come. Drews was able to create such a sense of being watched throughout this book - I felt as paranoid as Thomas and Andrew as I read their story. Every corner they turned, it was as though they were confronted with the reality of high school bullying or the fantastical horrors of fairytales come to life.

Andrew's personal journey was intriguing and pulled at my heartstrings - you could feel his pain come off the page and his internal struggle as he came to terms with himself felt so raw. His characterization was well-developed and readers are truly able to feel his fears and hesitation to explore the unknown. Both Thomas and Andrew had a lot of feelings to explore throughout the book, and because they are so interconnected with one another, their lives bleed into one another so much you feel as though they are one being sewn together.

For those who loved The Wicker King by K. Ancrum, readers will be thrown into dark academia encompassed by fantasy and the desire for characters to uncover the truth about themselves and what the future has in store.

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Icebreaker (Maple Hills, #1) by Hannah Grace Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I finally caved... after waiting weeks for this to become available on Libby, Icebreaker landed on my shelf and I began the journey to see what has everyone up in arms about on TikTok. Why on Earth does this book take place in California?? It feels as thought it should take place in a colder state, like Colorado. Nevertheless, I continued to read on and ignore that fact. The storyline of this book felt a little stagnant - you would think that the plot would move forward, but then more spicy scenes would get thrown in the middle since the characters wanted to have some stress release. I wish there would have been more development of the story - sure, Anastasia was going through some stuff and she did have some more memorable moments, but my overall feeling after finishing the book felt as though it did not leave a memorable impression.

Nates perspective chapters were honestly the highlight of this book for me - he was funny and made Anastasia realize a lot of things about herself. He was able to help her do some self-reflecting and also come out of her shell. His plot line was basically "I want to sleep with her, now I want to be with her, now I want her to do some self-reflecting." I will say, it did not feel as though he had an actual arc throughout this book, but was more of a supporting character to help Anastasia do the most of the character development.

The smut in this book went from PG-13 to whacky in about three chapters, and all I have to say is that if I was the Uber driver during that scene, I would have charged them through the roof. I genuinely could not believe my eyes, and I have read nearly everything under the sun. It just felt unrealistic, and to be quite honest, not comfortable at all. This book definitely depended a lot on the chemistry between the characters, which felt somewhat conflicting since Anastasia does not want a relationship and is perfectly content with just having a friends with benefits situation with Nathan.

Aaron is such an annoying character, I was so agitated every single time that he showed up. He was horrible to Anastasia, and constantly was digging deeper holes and making situations so much worse with every word that came out of his mouth. His is conceded, self-absorbed, and does not understand that there are consequences to his actions. Aaron's presence throughout this book is solely to make readers want to pull their hair out, while simultaneously making Anastasia realize that he is not the skating partner she thought he was.

The hockey team was present as a surface-level group of side characters, and it would have been great if they were more involved. There were a select few that had a few shining moments, but I would have loved to see them truly form bonds with Anastasia rather than just interact with Nate and do some of his bidding. If you are looking for a quick read that is more for vibes than for plot, then Icebreaker could be for you. I may choose to continue on with this standalone series, but to be quite honest, the writing and development does not show promises of improvement.

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Empire of the Vampire (Empire of the Vampire, #1) by Jay Kristoff ARC Review

This is a spoiler-free review! The version I am reading is an ARC -- any changes made for the final publication are not reflected in this review. Empire of the Vampire is now available to purchase.

I received an advanced copy of Empire of the Vampire so long ago - most likely in 2020 - and have finally gotten around to tackle this beast of a book. To be honest, I have tried to read it twice before, and I always found myself putting it down. I needed to be in the right mood, and after I finally tackled another monster of a book at the end of May, I knew I had to keep the ball rolling and lighten my TBR pile. This book is certainly intimidating and the size of the book had me putting it off for awhile - coming from someone who would finish A Song of Ice and Fire books in a couple of days, that says a lot.

I wanted to love this book, I really did. There was a good momentum going on for a while, and the world-building as it was recounted definitely held my attention - for a while. The concept of this book being told as a story was really intriguing, but I do wish it only took that format for the first half of the book instead of its entirety. While there were moments where we were taken back to present day, it still was short and sparse. Gabriel de León tells the tale as he is imprisoned by vampires, and I will say the banter when we are brought back to present day was a light compared to the constant agony the characters seemed to endure.

The misogyny in the book is actually insane - it felt as though every page turn was giving me a new reason to hate men. Sure, some may say it is for "accuracy" but this is a book about fictional vampires - it was not necessary for it to be so heavily present. It felt exhausting to read, and not complimentary to the quite exquisite writing Kristoff is able to put to the page. After reading A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon only a few weeks before diving into Empire of the Vampire, it was a stark reminder why I am often disappointed by high fantasy written by men - we can never escape the misogyny. After hearing nothing but praises for this book, I was surprised at how much male characters were degrading women.

At the halfway mark I realized this book was losing me at a rapid pace, and if it did not turn itself around in the next one hundred pages, it was going to become a battle to finish this book. I read this book in two sittings, essentially tackling the first half in one continuous read and the second half with just one lunch break before diving back in to cross the finish line. The vampires seemed to love underage girls and there was nothing short of excessive mentioning on how they needed young girls as their little blood bags and sacrifices. It is such a shame because the world truly was intriguing, but I found myself exhausting by the torment specific characters underwent for the sake of either shock value or Kristoff attempting to add more brutalization to the plot.

Timelines were a little all over the place, and with us switching between Gabriel being a teenager to him being thirty-two, I personally felt the transitions were lacking in fluidity and were too harsh to keep the story moving at a smooth pace. You begin to forget about the other timeline entirely until suddenly you are thrown back into it and you sit there confused because you have not revisited it in many chapters. There were times where I nearly fell asleep reading this book, but I was determined to see it through.

The illustrations were stunning - with the copy I was reading there were a few missing since it was an advanced copy, but I can only imagine what the final product looked like and I would not be disappointed. High fantasy is often overwhelming to readers, and with illustrations as details as the ones included in this book, it truly elevated the story being told and immersed the reader. 

At the end of the day, Empire of the Vampire attempts to bring to life a complex story while failing to deliver a character that you want to root for. With how much Gabriel began to annoy me, I was starting to root for the vampires. I would recommend finding a high fantasy series written by a female author if you want to avoid the blatant shock factor brutalization of women or ill-written humor at the sake of vulnerable characters.

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Queen Bee (The Diamonds, #1) by Amalie Howard Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have been trying to expand further into the regency era romance genre - so far, I have just touched the surface with the first three books in the Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn. When I came across Queen Bee on Libby, not only did the cover catch my attention, but the premise of Ela Dalvi seeking revenge against her ex-best friend over a boy truly had me intrigued. Not too often do we see revenge playing a leading factor in historical romances, and with somewhat of a modern feel to Ela's story, I was expecting a Mean Girls vibe to this romance.

Years later, Ela returns to society on a mission - to finally get revenge on her ex-best friend, Poppy, who betrayed her when they were younger over a boy. Now, with a new identity and fueled with rage, Ela - presenting herself as Lyra Whitley - makes her way back into society with a few cards up her sleeve. With the help of some new friends, she embarks on a series of plans to make sure everyone gets what is coming to them.

Coming face to face with the boy who lays at the center of her revenge plot is something Ela was not prepared for - her first love, but also her first betrayal. She knew she would have to face Poppy in order for everything to fall into place, but when Keston appears before her at a ball, she certainly is thrown off her game. I was surprised that no one from Ela's past recognized her - sure, it had been a few years since they all last saw each other, but could she have truly changed that much that she was unrecognizable to those who she used to be closest to?

Poppy had such a nasty personality, and it was evident even when she and Ela were still friends that she had ulterior motives in being friends with her. I liked how the author would switch perspectives between Ela and "Lyra" that included the past and present - it made the path to Ela's revenge plot much easier to understand where she was coming from, and provided some much needed background on the way Poppy treated Ela and what the moment of betrayal was in the past.

There were definitely some moments in this book that has me laughing, but for the most part it was set on Ela's determination to get justice for how Poppy treated her in the past. Keston's presence was a great addition, and readers can tell that even though he did not recognize her form all those years ago, there was an instant connection when they were reunited at that first ball. I do wish Keston had some more character development, as he felt a little two-dimensional to me at times - his background was probably the most interesting thing about him.

If you are looking for a fun book to get you eased in regency romance, this is a great starting point. There were times that I found myself a little bored - while there were romantic aspects to this book, it felt as though it did take the backseat at times and I wish it was expanded on more. Whether you are looking for a touch of romance or a revenge-seeking plot, Queen Bee has a lot in store for its readers.

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The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology, #1) by Holly Black Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters, The Wicked King, The Queen of Nothing, and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories on my blog, now!

Going into this spin-off, I thought that we would be getting the story from Oak's perspective - imagine my surprise when it was Wren that we were following. It certainly made things interesting, and honestly resembled Jude's perspective throughout the original trilogy. I absolutely know that Jude would be proud of how secretive Wren can be, and Cardan so pleased with how cunning Oak has become. Wren has this feral, ferocious behavior that comes from essentially being treated like a wild animal, but she uses it to her advantage and is able to channel that energy into achieving her goals.

The adventure in this book takes a different route compared to the original trilogy, as we see Oak and Wren on a journey together and face a number of obstacles, so much so that it felt like every turn had them encountering a new danger. This really pulled me into a new perspective of the world - sure, we saw our fair share of obstacles that Jude and Cardan experienced, but it truly felt as though as soon as Oak and Wren tackled one monster, three more appeared.

Reading this right after finishing A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon gave me some whiplash, as going from adult high fantasy to young adult fantasy certainly is disorienting - reading about modern day inventions felt foreign to me. I personally have never been a major fan of fantasy books that reference modern things, but it plays well into this world considering they interact between the mortal world and Faerie. There was not a ton of modern items mentioned in this book compared to others, so it was easy to overcome and move on with the fantasy aspect of the world.

The ending low-key had me gagged - I actually audibly gasped. I knew things were starting to take a certain turn, but to actually see it come to fruition was so fun. Holly Black truly utilizes every aspect of Faerie, and with that comes the manipulative tendencies of the characters. Seeing a few betrayals and a number of omissions to characters in order to advance their own agenda, The Stolen Heir maintains reader interest as the story moves forward. I cannot wait to see what is in store for this chaotic duo.

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A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos, #0) by Samantha Shannon Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Priory of the Orange Tree on my blog, here.

Samantha Shannon has done it again - thrown back into the world of The Priory of the Orange Tree, she takes us back to the events leading up to the very rise of the wyrms nearly five centuries before the events of Shannon's first work. A Day of Fallen Night can be read as a prequel standalone, but I highly recommend reading The Priory of the Orange Tree before diving into this installment. I absolutely adored the first work in this interconnected series and have been sitting on this prequel for some time - I decided it was finally the moment to see it through.

Politically complex and emotionally drawing, Shannon is able to bring readers right back into the fold of The Roots of Chaos with four new leading ladies as their tales are told and we are taken on a journey to see just how generations of fearless women would be impacted. Much like its companion, this installment is broken up into parts, marking significant turns in their stories and the eventful merge of their journeys. With chapters designated once again to the North, South, East, and West, readers follow characters as their lives are turned around or they embark on their destinies. Having the background knowledge of what happens nearly five hundred years in the future definitely was an advantage, and I found myself easily sliding back into this world - when I first read The Priory of the Orange Tree, I will admit it was a bit of a struggle to wrap my head around the extensive world-building.

I was never bored with any of the leading characters or their journeys - each was unique and intricate, with supporting characters that truly added to the story without being overbearing or useless. You could see the internal struggles of every character, and when faced with a number of difficult and often life-defining decisions, readers could see it was no easy choice for any character to make. With a number of queens, opposing opinions of wyrms, and mistrust around every corner, Shannon ensures readers will be entertained and on the edge of their seat. Much like Priory, this prequel eases the reader into the story while still maintaining a fast pace right from the first chapter.

Relationships are both establish and slow-building, as characters learn more about themselves and where they come from as the story goes on. I really enjoyed this aspect - while we knew information about certain characters right from the beginning, there were a number of characters that were more of a mystery to readers, and as information slowly became available, we were able to piece together characters' backstories. Watching as the characters moved towards the same destination by the end of the book was fascinating, and with differing opinions on wyrms, we see the characters appreciate them in one chapter and then others determined to end them in the next.

I cannot wait to see what Shannon has in store for readers next, and with a short prequel set two years before the events of The Priory of the Orange Tree being published at the end of 2025, I am sure she will have readers in the palm of her hand. An epic high fantasy filled with political moves, friendships, self-discovery, action, and realizations, The Roots of Chaos series truly is an experience any fantasy reader should embark on.

You can add A Day of Fallen Night on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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