Star-crossed lovers at its finest! However, very little interaction between the love pair.
The villains felt flat.
The narrative style again was again top of "once upon a time".
I expected so much more from the epilogue- after all Jacks and Evangeline have been through!

Very interesting worldbuilding and love story though at this point there isn't real romance - hopefully yet to come! Very dark, misogynistic setting. Be aware of trigger warnings! I liked the dark atmosphere, the ominous feeling and mystery. The hidden identity was early obvious but it was nice to catch up on all the hints.

The cute, innocent cover is deceiving.
I love the trope spice coach and it was well done.
Unfortunately this felt like smutt plus minimum plot. Some spicy scenes felt even so rushed, I didn't understand the point of it besides the frequency. Some scenes lacked sensuality and emotions.
I also think that it was a missed opportunity that the MMC hasn't figured out what he wants.

Books of March I don't regret reading a second

A little different contemporary romance!
The story was so amusing and made me feel good, despite a little level of angst and the heroine's self-doubts.
There's a delightful plot, intense chemistry and the show instead of tell made the romance so much more enjoyable.

The hype is warranted. Some tropes are familiar but they were well executed. Although, there is some potential for more worldbuilding. I loved the characters and the narrative style. Kai is a swoon-worthy book boyfriend. The author has a way with words that made me smile and sigh contently. I highlighted so many passages. The chemistry is amazing and the teasing is so amusing. The cruel king was unfortunately displayed one-dimensional.

This series was very fun to read, especially this one was a bit more wicked than the others due to the characters' nature. Sometimes the spicy scenes felt a bit weird but it's difficult to come up with something original and they were.

A nice, charming Cinderella retale.

Though Benedict didn't act like Prince Charming when he was basically coercing Sophie. This topic was unfortunately quickly dealt with.

Besides that, the author's writing style was as always very charming and full of wit. Again, I was delighted by Lady Violet's schemes and Lady Whistleton's reports. All in all an entertaining and delightful read.

The second epilogue brought the fourth star for this book.

Charming small town atmosphere, comical moments, nice level of angst without unnecessary drama by a third party, raw characters, slow burn romance, delicious spice, swoon-worthy love declarations backed up with actions, a nice 'third break up' act without a real break up.
The reasons to recommend this book are endless.
This was the first book I've read by the author but surely will not be the last.

This book was like a Bollywood movie but with open door scenes. Kareena's perspective was hilarious, the humor was witty. The chemistry between her and Prem was intense. Their flirting was sometimes a bit cheesy but that is typical Bollywood style.
Some phrases were a bit odd but that may relate to the cultural background. Wished for a bit more character depth and less offensive communication combined with tough love. Loved the conflict disolving.

I am so disappointed on all levels: not original story elements, badly executed tropes, predictable plot twists, bland love interest and cartoonish antagonists. The action and fighting scenes were good but they do not warrant the hype. Worst: The "Oh My God" phrase in the bedroom is so overused and here was nothing original about it. I have read so much better romantasies.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling meets Fae with a twist.

This captivated me until the last page. It was the first book I've read by the author and it surely won't be the last.

I enjoyed the writing style very much. The pace was appropriate, alternating between fast and slow when needed. The mystery over the curse was held up high until the showdown. There was a medium level of angst. It was thrilling. And this was just the start.

It started a bit slow. Also I was a bit thrown off because of switching between timelines.

It's been a long time since I've read a story which includes a Faustian bargain. Here it was executed very well.

The last twist in the story was not so surprising but it was beautifully done. I ached for Henry. The emotions at the end were so raw.

I totally understand the praising critiques. I'm glad a friend recommended this book to me.

An action-packed high fantasy tale with a unique worldbuilding and complex characters!
The story is told smoothly from multiple POVs with Terah as our heroine at the center who has not only to grow into her new role to represent the Stone God but also to navigate the godly affairs. The showdown at the end of the book was suspenseful and thrilling.

A spicy beauty and the beast retelling with a twist!Gaslamp romance!
The author's writing is very charming and transfers into another world, full of magic, different conventions and beliefs.
The tension and the banter between the love pair again was so amusing. Both characters showed their sharp mind and sass in the dialogues and actions.

Amusing, charming, though it also had a bit darker themes than the next book.
Cute romance with surprisingly good miscommunication trope.
The secondary protagonists as her mother Violet and the mysterious column writer were also shining here.
Trigger warning: reverse dubious consent. Was a surprise for me.
I liked how Simon dealt with his past and found closure in the second epilogue very much. The book wouldn't be as good without it.

I loved Tatum's sass and how she did not accept any bullshit. Rafaels's POV was also insightful and changed the perspective on him.

The focus on the story was on the characters and the romance. And their romance was wild and spicy. The third break up act was surprisingly decent.

I wished for a bit more details on the worldbuilding and hope more to come in the next books.

What delicious nonsense. It was very entertaining to read. I often had to laugh though I don't think that it was the intention of the author. So many lines made me cringe. You have to be in a very good mood and have a good sense of humour to enjoy this beside the smexy times or be very aware of the expectations before you read.
This is a lot of smutt with cheesy lines but so fun to read when you're in the mood and open-minded.

Das Buch war überragend spannend. Hinzu kommt das detektivische Element: Zoeys Magie zeigte sich als der plötzliche Tods eines Mitschülers eintrat. Rund um die mysteriösen Umstände des tragischen Vorfalls beginnt Zoey mithilfe von neuen, nicht erwarteten Freunden Informationen zu sammeln. Das Foreshadowing wurde von der Autorin gut eingesetzt. Der Plot-Twist im dritten Akt war nicht ganz überraschend. Das Ende des Buches macht Lust auf mehr.

What an amazing reverse Robin Hood retelling! The focus was on the romance, it's definitely a kissing book and I loved it! I enjoyed the writing style very much.
This book was very amusing, mostly caused by the teasing between the main characters Robin and the sheriff Noah. I enjoyed their interactions very much. Their romance was a nice slow burn and Robin's attitude was so fun to read. I also adored the sheriff's goodness and integrity.

First virtual discussion in Jenni G Pierson's realm of dreams book club this Sunday. Book Club can be found as a group on Facebook.

The book started with a gruesome break up from the FMC's perspective and I was immediately invested.
In this case the build up leading to marriage of convenience was nicely done and somehow a tad more realistic for this genre.
There wasn't really a lot of fake dating between the love pair which was a bit disappointing.
The comedy aspect was not really there.
The epilogue felt more like the deserved HEA.

Book challenge in book club. The whole picture didn't fit. Books in the first line:
The Serpent of the Wings and Night
The Hanging City
Come, Butterfly

Who is interested can join the Book Club Jenni G Pierson's Realm of Dreams on Facebook.

This book made me smile so much.
I loved the dynamics between the main characters so much. Their competitive nature, their playfulness and creativity to get back at her ex/his rival made them so likeable and amusing. I was surprised by the character depth and especially Rory's character arc in the best way.
Their chemistry was off the charts. Yes, there was insta-attraction but the slow to medium burn romance was very nicely done.

The plot had great similarities to the Devil wears Prada but this here had rather a very cynical bite.

I appreciated that the FMC's background as a first generation migrant and her conflict on identity were discussed. It's awesome that body hair was addressed.

What I didn't enjoy so much is the name dropping.

I also appreciated that the characters are granted with many layers.

The monologues were a bit long, the pace too slow.

Loved the main characters and their surrounding friends. Their loyalty and banter was sweet and amusing.

Sometimes the pace was very slow and nothing substantial happened. I appreciated the slow burn romance, the details in training and strategy in battles and the character growth.

Still the romantic feelings lack a basis (I'd prefer show over tell). The epilogue was very nice.

Downtown Abbey meets rom-com.
I was so pleasantly surprised!

I was delighted by the banter, the antics and the chemistry between the main characters. The dialogues and monologues were witty and so charmingly written. I didn't expect the characters to have so much depth and to experience also growth through the story.

It seems I fell for a new addiction

I am so disappointed. I do not understand the hype. I didn't expect best prosa but the storytelling wasn't above a mediocre wattpad story. The worldbuilding was minimum. The FMCs acted most stupidly and that did not reconcile with their background. Besides, there is only bullying and hate-lust, no way to be confused with romance. To sum it up, this book was not for me and I will not continue the series.

The reason I very much enjoyed this book is the intense antagonism and banter between the main characters. That was just amazing.
Warning: A lot of smexy times with kinks.
The crime factor was promising but unfortunately only a side element.
I wished for a bit more strategic foreshadowing.
I loved that the acrobatic profession played such a major role in this book.
This was the first book I read by this author but it won't be the last.

The book is oozing black Biritish humour and sarcasm. I loved how the FMC has confronted her prejudices over Cal and has finally found the courage to stand up for herself. Also the female solidarity and true friendships in this book were lovely. That's why the book reminded me a bit of the movie "The other woman" though I have to say this book has much more depth and offers much better humour shown in the dialogues and not only slapstick.

At first I was intrigued by the meet cute and communication trope in the bedroom. The story lost its shine due too much sexy times and the narrative style. While the seemless dual POV and no unnecessary third break up act was a plus, too much information was too early revealed. The book did not evoke much emotion. I couldn't connect with the main characters. That's why the book dragged. I made breaks while reading other books to finish this one.

For me this was a perfect, quick standalone romantasy. I am very glad that for once the FMC is attempting to betray the love interest.

I enjoyed the author's writing and storytelling as usual. The story is action-driven, the characters have sufficient depth and grow, the slow burn romance made my heart squeeze, there was a perfect amount of spice and the scenes were sensually written.

How much the storytelling of the author had evolved during the series. It's amazing.

I loved so much about this book. What did it say about me that I was cheering when Slade unleashed his fury to avenge Auren? I read it with so much glee.

The Ice Queen's character arc was a risk the author took - I doubted that she was redeemable. She is a very twisted character. I loved reading about her transformation and the unexpected romance.

The first instalment in the standalone series was an amazing read. The author's writing is very charming, entertaining and she displays the characters very relatable.

The storytelling was smooth and the third break up act was nicely done. What a deliciously spicy book.

This book addressed also severe acne from the FMC's perspective and I think the matter was relatively realistically presented. My heart ached for Clara.

Usually novellas are disappointing but this was very cute. I enjoyed the author's writing style. It would have even been better if his POV would have been left out at the beginning, so his secret pining would not have been that obvious.

I was intrigued because it is supposed to be a dark retelling of the beauty and the beast. The storytelling is just not for me. While I love dual POVs, important information is too early revealed and it's boring to wait until the other character catches up.

I almost cancelled reading in the first quarter because the insta-attraction came out too strong.
For once, the big drama was not at the end of the book but was rather in the middle of the book, followed by character development and wooing. I appreciated that first the character had to work on himself before getting into a relationship.

This was a lot darker than the last two books because of the dealt addiction.
I struggled in the beginning to relate to Cal because he was stuck with his bad habits and self-destructive behaviour. As the story continued, he evolved too and with him the atmosphere in the book: It became lighter and more fun, showing that the addiction does not define him if he chooses to fight for a better life.
There were so many passages worthy to recite!

I enjoyed this book so much!
The bickering and tension between Declan and Iris was insane. Also the banter with his brother Cal. There were so many scenes which made me smile. This book was very fun.

The romance was perfect: There was so much tension, a bit angst, the flirting was amazing. And the words from different languages which cannot be translated with precision? What a lovely touch!

This book shows how the author's storytelling skills evolved. More POV's are included, yet they seamlessly aligned in the narrative and created more tension. Madinia's POV was such a surprise, she may become my favourite character because of her rough edges and blunt speech. I especially enjoyed Prisca's and the queen's scheming.
This book had two cliffhangers! Those were only subtly foreshadowed and nicely delivered.

I love characters with sufficient depth and layers and this book definitely delivered. Loved the additional POV's from Lorian's past and the Queen. Prisca's hero complex was a bit exhausting but she is still a very likeable and complex character.
Also more details on the worldbuilding were revealed.
The romance got also a bit of an angst factor.
What a beautiful twist at the end, only subtly foreshadowed.

The beginning was very catchy and I was intrigued by the worldbuilding though I still crave for some more details.
The banter between the love interest was nice and entertaining though still could have been more for my taste.
The side characters were very likeable and the friendships provided fun.
I could predict the major twist at the end of the book but it was nicely revealed, this bei enjoyable to read.

I'm thankful there was no annoying third break up act. The romance was very cute. The plot was a bit too predictable because of the linear storytelling but I was skimming a bit. A nice palate cleanser.

The chemistry and the banter was amazing. This was slow burn at its finest and the transition from enemies to friends to lovers was executed very well. There was a lot of tough love in this book but love nonetheless. The positive reviews are not exaggerated.

And this is the reason I fell in love with the genre "mafia light" ?

Maybe a bit exaggerated but what a sweet book boyfriend. Loved that the FMC saved herself.

The start was catchy and the pace was adequate. The banter and tension was good and the trope enemies to friends to lovers was executed well. The main characters had sufficient depth. I enjoyed especially Ruth's character growth.
What is missing for a 5* review: The end felt a bit unsatisfactory. I missed an epilogue.
There were some linguistical/grammatical errors or typos.
I'll definitely try also the other books by the author.

It started a bit slow but after the first 20% I lost track of time, I was reading so fast. There's not only swoon-worthy romance but also so much love for books and poetry. And some life changing advice :) what a great book!

Voluntary review for free ARC!
Adventurous, emotional read, likable main characters with sufficient depth.
However the development from enemies to lovers fell flat due to the fast pace. Wished for more details on world building, explanations on the magical system and mate bond.
All in all it was an entertaining, quick read by a talented Indie author which I would recommend for mature readers who enjoy an adventurous romantasy.