God of Wrath (Legacy of Gods, #3) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of God of Malice and God of Pain on my blog, now! Reader discretion is advised.

Someone needs to lock me up. I kept telling myself that I would not go down this road again and yet I continue to place holds on Libby and wait for weeks to read this series. I genuinely did not know what to expect from this third installment, with the only information I had going into it being that Jeremy was absolutely bonkers. I did not think we would encounter someone crazier than Killian Carson, and yet Jeremy very much came close - the man truly is unhinged in the most jaw-dropping ways possible. I literally would like Jeremy's actions would finally reach their limit, and then the next chapter would have him doing the most unhinged things on the planet.

I am not even ashamed to say that this was definitely the best book so far - I was on the edge considering how much I did not enjoy God of Pain, but this honestly really turned the series around for me. Sure, the plot was still all over the place and this book was basically driven by smut, but that hit the spot for me in this moment and I was living for it. There was not a moment while reading this where my jaw was not literally on the floor. Cecily and Jeremy's relationship was unexpected on Cecily's part, and watching her literally drag this man around was hilarious, we love women in male-dominated fields!

Once again, I absolutely cannot stand the parent perspective chapters in these books - yes, they only last about two or three chapters, but they low-key interrupt the flow of the story for me. Maybe it is because I did not read the other million books Kent has written before the Legacy of Gods series, but it does not add anything to the pairings' stories when I have no clue who these people are. On that note, I do like all of the callbacks from the other books in this series as the book goes on - when I first started this series, I expected the books to move on in time-order. I was surprised to see a majority of events actually overlap throughout the books, and definitely recommend readings these in order to get the full effect.

The smut was off the wall in this book. I literally do not think I have the words to properly express the series of emotions and jaw-dropping moments I experienced while this story progressed. Jeremy Volkov is out of his mind. This book definitely rivals Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton and The Ritual by Shantel Tessier when it comes to the insanity of male leads and the extremes they are willing to go to get the girl. You literally cannot read this book in public. This was a 200% improvement compared to the second installment of this series, and considering Jeremy and Cecily actually had insane chemistry was definitely the driving force. I still think it is absolutely bonkers that these characters act this way but that is the beauty of fiction.

I truly think you have to make it past the first two books in this series to actually get to the good stuff (and deserve a medal at that point) and see some actual plot take place. Cecily was put through the ringer a number of times, both in flashbacks and in current day, not to mention the emotional turmoil Jeremy was suffering through during his perspective chapters. The only good thing that came from his father's chapter was Jeremy actually working through some of his issues instead of taking it out on everyone else or holding a grudge.

Maybe I was a touch harsh on my last review, but this book certainly made up for that - and honestly boosted my overall feelings regarding this series. I was worried that this book would not push me to keep going, but instead I placed my Libby holds for the rest of the series as I was still reading God of Wrath.

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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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Jet (Marked Men, #2) by Jay Crownover Review

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

After reading the first book and watching Marked Men: Rule + Shaw, I knew that I wanted to continue on with this interconnected series - I love a tortured leading man, and Crownover does a pretty decent job in exploring a number of serious topics and issues in this series without glossing over the trauma some of the characters have experienced. The premise of this second installment certainly intrigued me - the fact that Jet and Ayden were roommates is a trope that I have only read a handful of times, and I was excited to see where it would lead these characters.

With Jet being a musician and me still riding the wave of the Stage Dive series by Kylie Scott as I continue with that interconnected series as well, I enjoyed how much emphasis the author put on Jet's commitment to his music career and band. Often with musician-centered romances, the leading man will either abandon his band in favor of his girl, or somehow decide that music is not the life for him. Jet tells Ayden multiple times how important music is to him, and there are so many instances of Ayden realizing that she misjudged Jet's passions or work ethic because she did not understand what went into a successful music career.

Ayden as a character has me wading somewhere in the middle of she is tolerable and that I wanted to knock some sense into her. I understand that she has been through a lot, and considering what is alluded to in her past, I can see why she wanted to have a fresh start and be away from a family that seemed to only take advantage of her. That being said, she can clearly communicate her feelings and frustrations when necessary, so it was somewhat annoying to see her abandon her way of effectively communicating in place of passive aggressive comments and avoiding conflict when it was staring at her in the face.

Jet was a more well-rounded lead compared to Rule, in my opinion. Rule felt more reckless and temperamental compared to Jet, and it was nice to see a male lead that was at least able to regulate his emotions. Sure, both of them have gotten into their fair share of brawls and fist fights, but for different reasons and caused by different circumstances. Jet seems to play the long game whereas Rule acted in the moment, and it is a defining feature that separates their characters and personalities. I enjoyed how much Jet was ready to go to bat for his passions and career, while also recognizing that his actions affect other people - especially when it came to his relationship with Ayden and the complicated feelings that had for one another.

Rule and Shaw make a number of appearances throughout the book, and I would recommend reading this series in order if you do not want to be spoiled for the events of Rule. I enjoyed the callbacks to prior events, and Crownover was able to sprinkle these into Jet without overtaking Ayden and Jet's stories. For this book, we definitely saw more of Jet's support system in place of Ayden's, and while hers was still present, his life and burdens definitely kept the story moving along for me compared to Ayden's plot lines. Sure, Ayden's trials and tribulations were certainly burdensome and taking a toll on her, but I wish it was not mostly thrown into the book over halfway through.

If you are looking for some new adult college romance that tackles a number of issues while still incorporating a solid romance, this series is right up your alley. These books are quick and easy to read - a perfect series to dive into if you are in need of serious drama and fun, messy romance.

 

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The Mistake (Off-Campus, #2) by Elle Kennedy Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Deal (Off-Campus, #1) and The Chase (Briar U, #1) on my blog, now! You do not have to read the Off-Campus series before the Briar U series, but it does include characters and relationships that may be spoiled for you.

With hockey season in full swing, I figured now was as good as time as any to dive back into this series after a few years break. This series is more of a filler read for me than anything else - I am not attached to the characters, and really only think about returning to the series when I need something quick and light to read in between longer reads. That being said, if that is something you are on the hunt for, this series may be just the thing for you.

After a disastrous encounter that leaves Grace and Logan on bad terms during Grace's freshman year, Logan is determined to win her back if it is the last thing he does - no matter the cost. As Grace navigates her sophomore year with Logan seemingly at every corner attempting to woo her and get back in her good graces - no pun intended - she also needs to reevaluate some of her friendships and her own insecurities that come with possibly dating a guy who has ran through half of the female student body.

Logan truly does do a 180 change after he realizes the massive mistake he made with Grace, and while I can appreciate the fact that he took it upon himself to change and try to win her back, he was low-key kind of stalking her around campus. Obviously, this was nowhere near the extent of being crazy obsessed with her, but he certainly made it his mission to be everywhere she was and was not taking no for an answer every time she turned him down. The man is certainly determined, I will give him that.

Ramona is probably one of the most annoying friends I have seen in a book in some time - she is insecure, needy, and just straight up annoying. I understand that she explains some of her actions in the book, but to me, it came across as her somehow ending up blaming Grace for her own insecurities, when she should have been doing some self-reflecting of her own. I am glad that Grace was not willing to forgive her easily and decided that they needed to have some distance, even after being friends for years. This makes some room for Grace to become friends with Hannah and the other guys in Logan's friend group, which are an improvement compared to only having Ramona as a friend.

The plot moves incredibly fast and is full of dual perspective realizations that, to the surprise of no one, Grace and Logan cannot stop thinking about one another. The each have their fair share of moments of jealousy, and the development of their relationship after Logan's error in judgement moved faster than I expected it to - he groveled, but he should have groveled more. I found the focus of their relationship was a little off-center, as Grace kept wanting to take things to the next level when they were still figuring things out, whereas Logan was looking to be a relationship man.

I have to say this book is nothing memorable in my opinion - it is a quick, feel good read that you can read in a couple of hours and forget about. I would have loved to see a more epic form of romance between Grace and Logan, but it read more like they were thrown together and just kept moving after realizing that seeing other people either would not work out or was sabotaged before it could get any further. I express the same sentiment towards The Deal - they are fun books, but nothing I would write home about. I am sure I will probably return to this series when I need a light refresher in the future, but my overall opinion is that the writing could immensely improve, and the characterization needs some serious work.

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Rule (Marked Men, #1) by Jay Crownover Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I will be upfront and say that I did watch Marked Men: Rule + Shaw before reading this book - I wanted to make sure that the story was going to draw me in before embarking on this series. I have been in need a new book-to-movie adaptation to hook my claws into, and I have to say the movie was enjoyable. That being said, after reading the book, there are a number of differences and plot points left out of the movie, which I believe would have made the movie more intriguing.

Shaw and Rule have a complicated history, after knowing each other for years and yet staying away from any real connection, they find themselves in the same city and suddenly thrown together after a drunken night. Now that they have finally crossed the line from family friends to maybe something more, they have to navigate this new dynamic while handling their own personal dramas. They both have complicated family issues, with Shaw's family trying to force her into a life she does not want, and Rule's mother holding everything that happens to her against him.

Rule's brother and friends definitely are the highlight of this book - they care deeply for Shaw and treat her like a little sister, while also keeping Rule in check and defending him against people trying to knock him down. Plus, they are not afraid to throw a punch and send a message when Shaw is basically being harassed by her ex-boyfriend. I really enjoyed their relationships with Rule and Shaw, in addition to Shaw's friends who were just as protective of her. Considering their familial situations, it was nice to see that there were people looking out for Rule and Shaw.

Shaw is put through the ringer in this book - it literally felt like at every turn, she was in a Saw trap with the amount of insanity her ex-boyfriend and parents put her through. This girl was getting thrown around like a rag doll every other chapter, both emotionally and physically. She is a very strong character, and you can see that she puts her needs above what others want her do to satisfy their own agenda. However, she has her moments and there were plenty of times where I was rolling my eyes at her actions.

Rule Archer... the man who changes his hair color every chapter and yet still has hair follicles... where do I begin? He is the classic "bad boy" trope in new adult books, more so for just... being a tattoo artist and getting piercings? I do not understand how this throws him into bad boy territory, but considering when this book came out, it was rebellious. His and Shaw's initial "distain" for each other could be chalked up to childhood differences, but it did give them the tension I was looking for.

I think Shaw sees Rule through her own lens, which causes her to justify every bad decision he makes or thing that comes out of his mouth. She is blinded by her lingering feelings towards him, and somehow does not realize that as her defending him has all of these drastic consequences that directly impact her, yet leave him just as an observer on the sideline.

If you are a fan of Perfect Addiction or Beautiful Disaster - both now adapted for the big screen - this series may be right up your alley. A tortured male lead accompanied by the "perfect" female lead is always a recipe for some mildly toxic romance that I would eat up like my life depended on it.

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

Brutal Heir (Court University, #1) by Eden O'Neill Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

I continue to fall victim to the insane college student romance genre - for about the tenth time this year, I find myself asking "You are in college, who taught you to act like this?" over and over again. Knight is two years older than Greer, and yet he acts like he is five years younger when it comes to maturity levels - he is so hot and cold with her, and then always seems to turn it around on her and acts like it is her fault he is upset. He does a complete 180 halfway through the book, and suddenly cannot live without her. Shocking.

Knight truly is something else... I could not get a true read on this man if my life depended on it. He clearly has experienced a number of traumatic events in his life, but I am not quite sure on how that translates to treating Greer so horribly, and how we are supposed to root for them. Yes, it is a college bully romance, but I felt underwhelmed in any type of redemption he was supposed to receive through this book.

Greer's characterization is probably the highlight of this book - she is very clearly aware of what she wants, and even when Knight causes a number of conflicting emotions for her, she still stays true to who she is. It was great to see her interacting with her mother and stepfather regularly, as it really demonstrated her relationships outside of the one she has with Knight.

Side characters, while sparse, add some humanity to Knight's character - without them, I would still be on the fence about him and his actions. I do wish that Greer had a better support system in addition to her mother and stepfather - it would have been nice to see her form some more solid friendships outside of the ones we did see. Her friends felt more surface level compared to the friends that Knight had surrounding him.

The plot mildly rushed and the side plot was a little underwhelming - while I do like plot with my romance, it needs to be developed that enhances the story. I felt more like we were given information and then the big reveal happened, which was not nearly as shocking as it was made out to be. That being said, the backstories for both Knight and Greer were well conveyed and I enjoyed learning more about them, especially because I was weary of Knight when I started this book.

If you are too intimidated to dive into darker college romances like The Ritual by Shantel Tessier, this is definitely a great gateway to get your foot in the door. The plot and spicy scenes are pretty evenly distributed, and one does not overtake the other.

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God of Malice (Legacy of Gods, #1) by Rina Kent Review

 

This is a spoiler-free review! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

I am reading the original publication before the edits were made to the first three chapters and oh my god... y'all were not lying when you said this was insane. Killian's first appearance put such a bad taste in my mouth, and this is coming from someone who eats up dark romance like they are my daily vitamin. Now I know in the literal book summary he is described as a predator, but in my mind I was thinking more along the lines of lion hunting in the wilderness-type predator, not a literal sexual predator. I literally would have filed a restraining order against Killian so fast - not like it would have ended up doing Glyndon any favors.

Guys... who was going to tell me I was supposed to read an entire series before reading this book? Y'all are fake for not giving me a warning. I was wondering why everyone in the book seemed to know everything about people's parents and siblings, and here I discover there are six other books I need to get my hands on in order for everything else to make sense. I will be completely honest, I only started reading this because I want to read God of Fury... sue me!! That being said, I absolutely could not stand the parent POV chapters - maybe it is because I have not read that series, but it felt unnecessary when it could have been replaced with a Killian perspective chapter to explain his childhood. On that note, his dad is the absolute worst and it was like nails on a chalkboard getting through his perspective.

When Glyndon was running around during the initiation, I swear Brandon was there too... the world may never know. It was fun to match everyone's mask colors with characters - you could tell by the description and pin who it was under the mask. The entire sequence of the initiation was fun and I enjoyed that we were able to experience Killian and Glyndon's perspectives. The little bit of Nikolai and Brandon crumbs that were in this book, I'll take it! The majority of the side characters did not interest me and honestly became a nuisance 

Sometimes during this book, Glyndon would have me so frustrated that I thought I was going to rip the book in half. She has zero survival instincts one minute, and then suddenly is running around like a trained professional the next. Her logic goes out the window a decent amount of times, and I was just baffled that she decided to keep everything that was happening to her a literal secret. It should not have taken her well into the book before she grew a backbone, especially considering her family is high up in ranks when it comes to power. Spice scenes went crazy though and I will admit Rina Kent knows how to write them well.

I probably said the same thing about Shantel Tessier's The Ritual and The Sinner, but my word... Killian, you are in COLLEGE who taught you to act like this?? We get it, you are a psychopath, but literally how in the world did you become this person? In all seriousness, he is a nineteen-year-old acting like he can do no wrong, and is confused on how anyone would see it otherwise. And the way he speaks to Glyndon and everyone else.. where is his decorum? The whole "Doesn't no mean yes sometimes?" had my jaw on the floor... I could not believe this is the man y'all are thirsting over on TikTok.

It was hard to root for Killian and Glyndon's relationship in the beginning - they grew on me throughout the middle of the book, but then it felt as though their relationship was backtracking and the miscommunication drove me insane. Glyndon spent nearly the entire book afraid that Killian was going to attack her in some form and we were supposed to think that was normal?? The random plot twist towards the end of the book was probably the most interesting plot point besides the initiation night, and yet it felt so surreal that I could not believe this was something that people were going crazy over. In the end I did end up wanting them to be together, but I expect them to go through a lot of up and downs in the future.

As far as a dark romance college bully book can go, God of Malice excels in some areas while falls short in others. While I was giggling and kicking my feet at a lot of Killian and Glyndon's interactions, I felt as though Killian's character kept getting pulled back, whereas Glyndon was allowed to grow and develop. The writing is fast paced and allows the reader to speed through the story, which goes well with the timeline as the events take place over a short interval. However, as far as interconnected stand alones go, the set up for the next couple did not spark an interest in me where I found myself desperately needing to get my hands on the second book. I will most likely be seeing this series through, because it is an extensive plot that draws the reader in.

You can add God of Malice on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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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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Play the Part by Ebony Brewer Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Play the Part is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

Once again, Stuff Your Kindle Day has overtaken my TBR pile and blinded me from reading a physical book. Sutton, our leading lady, certainly has some baggage packed far into the back of her mind, and it certainly is brought right back to the surface when her childhood friend, Thorn, shows up out of nowhere, after being believed to be dead for years.

Shantel Tessier has prepared me for dark college romance books, and while Play the Part is nowhere near the depravity that Tessier provides her readers, this book certainly starts out with a little bang and within the first six chapters some scandalous things are happening in a cemetery. If you are looking for a quick and spicy read, this certainly feels like a beginner's guide into dark romance border-lining on the taboo side. Brewer writes a great spicy scene, and she definitely fills this book with a fair share of them.

The pet names were killing me after reaching the halfway mark -- they are fun every once in a while, but when every other sentence ends in "angel," "little one," or "sinner," it begins to feel like overkill. I am genuinely perplexed on how Sutton just hopped on the masked man train and did not even seriously question it -- sure, she jokes about it with him, but if I was her, I would have ripped that mask off so fast to see what he looked like and to find out who he was.

I will admit, a little over halfway through this book, I was begging for something else to happen besides Duncan running around like a stalker or Sutton and Thorn going at it -- everything was starting to feel very repetitive. The mask really started to get old fast, and I did not really understand how Sutton just let him get away with that for as long as she did. For a 24-year-old, the way that Thorn spoke just did not feel organic, and every sentence out of his mouth sounded like he was trying to write an epic poem instead of rekindle a childhood flame.

That being said, Sutton and Thorn's chemistry was basically oozing off the pages and you could tell that Brewer put a lot of thought and energy into making their relationship take form. Both of them have a lot of things to work through, and I appreciated the author's attention to their own traumas and the way she addressed them in their own ways.

If you are looking to dabble in dark college romance, Play the Part may be the introduction you need before diving in. And if you find yourself teetering on the edge of entering the world of taboo romance, Brewer's book is just the tip of the iceberg.

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