Belladonna (Belladonna, #1) by Adalyn Grace Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

The prologue really drew me into this story - I had heard mixed reviews of this series, and I had it on my TBR list for quite some time, so I was pleasantly surprised to be drawn right into Signa's journey. The banter that Death and Signa have right off the bat was so enjoyable, and as a long-time lover of enemies-to-lovers, I had high hopes for their relationship progression throughout this book. I have been yearning for a good grumpy male lead, and while Death does make his appearances worth while, I wish he had more scenes.

Sylas and Signa were a great little detective pair, and the tension between them throughout the book on top of the tension between Death and Signa was so fun to read - you could see the inner struggle that Signa was battling as she spent more time with each of them. Sylas is essentially the grumpiest man in the nicest room on the train, and his reactions to everything that Signa does in this story really added a layer of enjoyment. That being said, I loved the way that Death spoke to Signa, and the way he was always trying to make her figure out things on her own.

I was becoming very torn between who I liked more for Signa - Death or Sylas - but in the wise words of Katherine Pierce - "It's okay to love them both" - so I did. The pacing of the plot was slow for about two thirds of the book, and finally took off and was filled with a decent amount of action and discovery in its last third. The masquerade scene was truly chef's kiss - I loved every single minute of it, and it had such a great energy surrounding it, truly drawing the reader in.

The side characters - Blythe, Percy, Marjorie, Elijah, etc - certainly aided Signa's story, and the author was able to create an intimate circle of people surrounding the leading lady. I do wish some characters became more fleshed out as the plot progressed, but the select few that did receive that special attention were definitely worth it in the end. However, they were not the reason that I was invested in the story, and I found myself reading at a faster pace when their side plots took precedence over Signa's development.

The overall mystery of the story was certainly enthralling, and if the book was about one hundred pages longer, I think there could have been more development. A decent amount of twists seemed more obvious than they should have been, and it took a bit of the suspense out of reading when I could see what was going to happen chapters before it was revealed.

I love gothic romance, and with the added mystery aspect, I thought this was a fun read that could be a great entry way into the genre as you build yourself up. The setting of the story - at least what I was able to imagine in my head based off of the author's descriptions - was stunning, and truly gave that eerie feeling as murders need to be solved. The story has certainly intrigued me, and I will definitely try to revisit this series in the future.

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Moonlit Thorns (Midnight Manor, #1) by P. Rayne Review

This review contains mild spoilers for Moonlit Thorns - no major plot points are revealed!

I love a dark romance Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I have to say that I had the time of my life reading this book. An older, billionaire romance with a bunch of spice is right up my alley, and even though I have read my fair share of these type of retellings, it never gets old. When Anabelle's father passes away and her family's estate is slipping through their fingers, she finds herself employed and housed at a manor occupied by the Voss billionaire brothers. Asher Voss, the 36-year-old billionaire with a cold side has somehow ended up with Anabelle at his fingertips, and her curiosity is about to lead her down a path she may not be ready for.

Anabelle's ex-boyfriend literally coming up to her and telling -- not asking -- her that they are going to get married actually had me laughing out loud. This man is living in the land of delusion, and I was glad to see that she did not put up with it one bit. That being said, she traded him in for a 36-year-old man that is set on tormenting a 22-year-old girl for giggles and because he was low-key bored, which I have to say, not Asher's best moment. I fear Anabelle has a curse on her, because she somehow finds herself in danger or in trouble nearly ever chapter.

The entire contract agreement that Asher presents to Anabelle is literally so insane - taking her phone for a year, only paying her minimum wage, and only letting her leave on Saturday nights - at least she had the good sense to read over every page before signing it. She basically becomes an indentured servant to Asher, and he does not even give her a decent uniform - he has her wearing what I can only picture as clogs, for crying out loud.

Dual POV in romance books are my gold standard, and I was so glad to see that this was held up -- it is always so fun to watch the perspective change when the female lead thinks the male lead hates her, and then we see that he is utterly obsessed with her. I was cackling when he put in one of her AirPods and started listening to her audiobook because girl, same. Watching Anabelle literally walk into danger was infuriating at times - I wanted to reach into the book and shake her to warn her about the red flags she was ignoring.

Asher's' brothers are giving off major bad vibes when they are first introduced - maybe not all of them, but the breakfast scene had my skin crawling a bit, and I was glad Asher stepped in. Preston, and even the sheriff that Anabelle used to date, are certainly no better, and yet you become glad that Asher is there so at least someone is trying to protect her, even if he does have ulterior motives. Not entirely sure why Anabelle is suddenly okay with basically becoming Asher's sex bot in his house when she clearly has stronger feelings towards him. Like girl, he is paying you minimum wage and now instead of his maid, you are his secretary/assistant - I need you to stand up.

Anabelle is thrown into a pretty horrible situation, and someone literally pulls the line "Maybe she consented?" Boy, she was drugged and unconscious, let us use our big brain cells and think logically - she obviously did not. She honestly has to deal with a lot in this book, and this is far from the first time that she is found in a dangerous situation. As the story goes on, we reach more "action" scenes towards the end, and it reminded me so much of plot points from Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James.

I had a blast reading this book - I was literally doing laps around my room at every chapter, and the story moves at a great pace to keep you completely enthralled with the characters. I do wish Anabelle stuck up for herself more often, and that Asher could tone it down a bit when he treated her rudely in the beginning, but overall it was a fun read and I will definitely be returning to this series.

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Silent Deception by Cathie Dunn Review

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

I was looking for something short and maybe not-so-sweet when I came across this novella, and it was the perfect choice to help me get out of a reading slump. Minnie Goodridge has inherited a haunted manor, and comes across the charming presence of Gideon Drake upon her arrival to fix up the home that no person seems keen to enter. I usually tend to stay away from historical romance, but on occasion when combined with a touch of ghosts, I will be sucked in.

This novella brushes upon a budding romance between Minnie and Gideon as she makes the manor her home while digging into the dreadful past that seems to haunt the estate. Unknowingly tied to Gideon, she attempts to unmask the truth of a relative while he does the same, but he is immediately intrigued by Minnie's presence in his life.

Silent Deception offers the beginning of a romance that brushes the surface of what the future has in store for Minnie and Gideon. I loved the atmosphere that the author created, it truly felt hauntingly eerie as the story progressed, and reminded me so much of Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn in that regard.

Both main characters had a decent amount of character development, considering this novella clocks in at just under eighty pages. I found myself wishing this was a full-length novel, and I really wanted to get more into the story and the romance. The plot moved along at a great pace that allows readers to essentially finish in one sitting, making you want to never stop reading until the end. The relationship between Minnie and Gideon feels very natural, especially for the time period, and I loved the way they slowly began to get to know one another.

If you are looking for a gateway into historical romance with just a dash of mystery, this novella is certainly an excellent step in that direction. On a separate note, I think this is the third book I have read with this girl on the cover -- they never seem to disappoint!

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

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