Tuesday, August 30, 2022

{Review} The Kraken's Sacrifice (Deal With A Demon #2) by Katee Robert


Page count: 172 
Publisher: Katee Robert 
Published on: October 11, 2022 
Genres: Adult romance, paranormal 
Format: eARC provided by KR through Patreon  

✨ Rating: 5 stars
 

Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, monster romance 

Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶 

 

TW/CW: Abuse/neglect (mental/emotional, parent to child, historical), spousal death (historical, non-graphic, off-page), explicit sex, vomit (non-graphic), pregnancy termination, incidental injuries for magical purposes, grief, body shaming (historical, referenced briefly) 

 

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Goodreads synopsis: 

 

Catalina only made her deal with the demon because she had nowhere else to go. The world has kicked her every chance it got, so she’s all too happy to leave the realm she knows behind. What’s the worst that could happen? 
 
She doesn’t anticipate being auctioned away to a kraken. 
 
Thane is cold and distant…but he’s not unkind. Isolated as they are, Catalina finds herself seeking his company again and again. And when she finally agrees to uphold her portion of the bargain? 
 
That’s when things get really interesting. 
 
But she only gave the demon seven years, and when the time is up, she’ll have no choice but to leave behind the kraken who’s stolen her heart and return to the world that doesn’t want her. 

 

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Hello, my sweet peaches,

I didn’t think that I would love this sort of romance, but now I can’t get enough of them. Katee Robert has the key to my heart. She just writes romance so well and I’ve been absolutely obsessed with her work – especially this summer.
In April, my book club voted to read Katee Robert’s The Dragon’s Bride, the first book in the Deal with a Demon series, and we all loved it. It was such a fun read and we desperately wanted more.
The best thing about KR’s monster romances is that she takes an imposing creature and humanizes them. In The Kraken’s Sacrifice, Thane was the perfect mixture of sexy, soft, and grumpy. I loved his grumpy exterior. He was absolutely delightful. Once you get through his emotional walls, he shines. I adore him and he was a beautifully complex hero for this story.
Speaking of complexity – Catalina! What a firecracker. She is the sunshine half of the grumpy/sunshine trope and she also had an incredibly complex series of growth throughout the story. I was absolutely obsessed with her. Low key, I’m already planning on rereading during the release week (and it releases two days before my 25th bday, so that’s just fate).
In this book, Catalina is attempting to cope with the intense amounts of abuse she’s faced throughout her life. Thane is trying to cope with the loss of his husband. Together, their characters provide exactly what each needs to move on with their lives and be the best versions of themselves. I’m not saying that Thane has to just drop his husband, but he’s learning to live again. He’s learning to love and be vulnerable again. I found it to be beautiful.
I think what I loved the most about this book was that they weren’t together because they loved to sleep together. Their intimacy allowed them to be more vulnerable with each other, but it wasn’t what the book was based around. Rather, they had to learn to trust each other and to be friends before they allowed themselves to be their truest selves with one another. I also really loved that they won’t be having babies and that they don’t feel like their little family won’t be complete without adding another little person to the mix. KR’s representation was excellent and I loved how she handled the in-world pregnancy termination. I’m so glad she included that part.
This is definitely on my list of favorite books of 2022. I’m so eager for the next addition to the series and you’ll definitely see more reviews for KR’s other books.
Until then, happy reading!


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Wednesday, July 20, 2022

{Review} Wicked Beauty (Dark Olympus #3) by Katee Robert

 

Page count: 400
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published on: June 7, 2022
Genres: Adult romance, mythology retelling, LGBT+
Format: eARC provided by publisher + NetGalley

CW: violence, attempted kidnapping, misogyny, manipulation, verbal abuse

✨ RATING: 3.5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

She was the face that launched a thousand ships,
The fierce beauty at the heart of Olympus,
And she was never ours to claim.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that's as sinful as it is sweet.*

In Olympus, you either have the power to rule...or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city's inner circle. Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.

Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize...or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way.

Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can't keep her hands off—Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?

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Hey, all! I'm back with another review!

I really liked this one, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite.

I wanna start out saying that I love that KR has been able to publish these books. I’m absolutely obsessed with it all. I love the diversity and the retelling aspects of it all. However, this one kinda fell flat in some aspects — at least for me. I know that this book really did it for so many readers and that’s just beautiful. I love that.

I really loved these characters, or rather, I loved what they could be. I really wanted more from these three though. They had a bit of growth, but I just didn’t think the pacing helped them at all. Their relationship was so insta-lovey and it just came together too quickly for me. I didn’t think they had a legitimate emotional connection. It seemed to hinge on their sexual connections.

I wasn’t a fan of this plot either. I don’t think the arena setting or the way everything panned out was as solid as it could have been. Granted, we actually had a pretty great plot! I just don’t think it was executed as well as it could have been? I don’t think that made any sense. I liked that the Ares position was determined by a Hunger Games-esque set of trials, but I didn’t think they were thought out well or executed very well. Especially the last trial.

I guess I think KR’s romance is superb and she writes it so well, but her action scenes need work.

The romance in this lacked spark, but their sexual chemistry was delightful. I love how their three parts of one whole heart. Their dynamic was absolutely lovely and their sexy scenes were hotttt, but the pacing for their trust in one another was too fast. I wish it had been drawn out.

Also! This one didn’t really follow a myth. It borrowed names and took elements from characters’ personalities and roles, but what was that combo? I was really surprised when Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen were paired together. It really should have been Briseis. I would honestly have liked a triad of Helen, Paris, and Menelaos. But also I really don’t want any more of KR’s Paris. What a scumbag!

Paris. What a douche. KR’s portrayal of an abusive, narcissistic, and manipulative man was SPOT ON. Wow. Trigger warning for manipulation, verbal abuse, and emotional pain from said abuse.

This book had so many great elements, but an equal amount of elements that didn’t quite work for me. I can’t wait to read more from KR. She’s quickly becoming a favorite author. Her books are my (not even slightly) guilty pleasure.

Happy reading!




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Thursday, July 7, 2022

{Review} A Lady For A Duke by Alexis Hall

Page count: 480
Publisher: Forever
Published on: May 24, 2022
Genres: Historical romance
Format: paperback - personally purchased

CW: violence (historical and such), attempted kidnapping, misogyny, transphobia, biphobia, lesbophobia, PTSD flashbacks, conversations pertaining to PTSD, ableism, and dead-naming

Rep: lesbian rep, trans rep, gay rep, questioning rep

✨ RATING: 3 stars









Goodreads synopsis:

A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Manda Collins!

When Viola Caroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.

Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.

As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.


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Hey, all!

Welcome back to another review! It's been a minute. Sorry!

I had the pleasure of reading this with my book club. We had a lovely conversation about it. If you're interested in joining, email me or DM me on Instagram!

For me, this book was just okay. I'm actually quite disappointed because the last two Alexis Hall books that I've read have just not scratched the itch for me. Perhaps it's because I wasn't in the mood for historical fiction. Perhaps it was the list of reasons I'll flesh out...now:
I really felt like my main issue was the pacing. It wasn't until I hit the 100ish page mark that I was fully invested. I started this book fully prepared to enjoy and read it lickedy split. However, it was just slow and the characters barely grabbed me. There was so much happening, but I really think that it could have been 100-150 pages shorter. It was really random when the pacing would lag. There wasn't a reason for it other than unnecessary additions to the story.

However, once the romance was established, I was absolutely SWOONING! It was too cute. Gracewood and Viola were so lovely. Gracewood said the most beautiful things and Viola was so articulate in her feelings. Once they got over the communication hump, it was so nice. I love them so much.

I do genuinely think that this is worth reading. I think my issues with the pacing are valid, but I know that so many others adore a more drawn out love story.

Combined with the swoon worthy moments, the representation, and the delightful writing style. I think this is worth a read.

Happy reading!
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Thursday, June 30, 2022

Top 7 Reads from 2014-2021

 

Hey, guys!

I know that I went live on my Instagram to celebrate 7 years of this blog and 7 years on #bookstagram, but I ended up getting hella sick the next day. I had planned to write up this post to share with you guys, but it just wasn't in the cards. Naturally, I forgot to even post this blog post once I had finished writing it. So here we are. Posting months late. 

I'm going to be quick and easy with this post, but if you'd like to watch the live show from Tuesday, it's live on my Instagram page! It was the night before I started to turn for the worse. I've had a few people agree that I had already looked pretty sick when I was live that night, but that was months ago and I'm fine now. I still haven't had COVID, which is a miracle in itself. 

{click here to watch}

2014 Favorites

  1. Alanna the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
  2. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
  3. East by Edith Pattou
  4. Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
  5. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
  6. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
  7. Love Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

2015 Favorites

2016 Favorites

  1. A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J. Maas
  2. The Crown by Kiera Cass
  3. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
  4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
  5. The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
  6. The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan
  7. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

2017 Favorites

2018 Favorites

  1. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
  2. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
  3. House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  4. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
  5. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
  6. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
  7. King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
I know I've been hella bad at keeping up with this blog, but I'll post soon with some life updates and some of my recent favorite books. Surprisingly, I've already read nearly 100 books this year. I'm just as surprised as you are. I'll dive into that in my next blog post. Thanks for your patience with me. The last two years have been a journey and honestly, with the recent U.S. news, it's getting worse. If you know, you know. 

Liv
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Sunday, February 6, 2022

January 2022 Reading Wrap-Up

 


Happy Saturday, all! 

This week a snowstorm rolled into my area and Alex and I were snowed in for basically an entire week. Since I squish in my 40 hours of work into Monday through Thursday, my normal three-day weekend turned into five. I can't say I'm mad about it. Did I catch up on the bookish work that I had to do? Absolutely not. We absolutely vibed and I read quite a lot... I also nostalgia-watched Phineas and Ferb. What a time. 

In January, I managed to read 15 books. I'm very pleased with it all. It's honestly quite graphic novel-heavy, but I really loved what I read. I also did the thing where I kept mood reading, starting books on whims, and not finishing anything I had previously started. I currently have seven books marked as 'currently reading' on Goodreads, if that says anything about my fickle reading moods.

One of the main reasons I think I read so much this month is the readathon I hosted with my friends. Essentially, I had three of my friends come over, sleep over all with the goal to read as much as we possibly could. It was magical and so much fun. We are definitely doing it again. If you're interested in seeing some sort of content for our 24 Hour Read-a-Thons, let me know in the comments! Until then, I'll be casually posting those nights on my stories via Instagram.


Anyway! Here’s my January reading wrap-up!

✨ Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse- 5 stars
✨ Oh My Gods! by Stephanie Cooke, Insha Fitzpatrick, and Juliana Moon - 3 stars
✨ BL Metamorphosis volume 5 - 4.5 stars
✨ Throne of Glass (TOG #1) by Sarah J. Maas - 4.5 stars
✨ The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec - 4.5 stars
✨ Bound to the Battle God (Aspect and Anchor #1) by Ruby Dixon - 3 stars
✨ Electric Idol (Dark Olympus #2) by Katee Robert- 5 stars
✨ Saga volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - 5 stars
✨ ExtraOrdinary (Villians #1.5) by V.E. Schwab- 4 stars
✨ Saga volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - 4 stars
✨ Saga volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - 4 stars
✨ Saga volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - 4 stars
✨ Saga volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - 5 stars
✨ Saga volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples - 4 stars
✨ Fangs by Sarah Anderson- 5 stars

Number of Pages Read: 3,520
Number of Books Read: 15
Average Rating: 4.4 stars

I really enjoyed what I read in January. I'm very pleased with what I decided to pick up as well. As a bonus, here's what I'm currently reading!


Sworn to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon 
35% in

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
reread & I'm 60% through

Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
38% in

All You Want by SenLinYu
TikTok sold me on this one. I'm 30% in. 


What did you read in January and what are you currently reading?

Happy reading!
Olivia

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