Tag Archives: romantasy

Romantasy – Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken #alexandrabracken #immortalrose #netgalley

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the cover for Immortal Rose, but it is the author that made me request a copy of the book from NetGalley. It’s eye catching…and I do love a good fantasy. It’s a long book, but if I love a book, I want it to keep on going. BUT, I have grown to hate cliffhangers, unless I already have the books necessary to finish the series. I read so many books, it will get lost in the shuffle.

Viola Lockwood is a fantastic character. She’s strong and has morals that make her a trustworthy person. She is the last of a family of member of the Rosebourne family. Her being a fairy has given her the gift that enables her to infuse a perfume with magic. Of course, if something can be used for good, it can also be used for bad.

Hugh Thornton is the person responsible for her being imprisoned, because she is the only person who can help, when the kingdom is left vulnerable to a coup. Their attraction to each other builds as the danger heightens. The romance is slow burning.

I have read some of Alexandra Bracken’s work, so I felt confident that Immortal Rose wouldn’t let me down. The writing flows smoothly and the depth and detail of Viola and Hugh’s world bring the story to life. It’s not always easy to know who to love/hate, but I do love when a character struggles to redeem themselves. All in all, I can highly recommend Immortal Rose, but BEWARE, I knock off a star when there is a cliffhanger. I didn’t know it was going to be a duology. Would that have made a difference? It’s hard to say, because I love Alexandra’s writing style so much, I grab whatever I see.

 

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From Alexandra Bracken, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lore, comes a stunningly original adult fantasy. Set in a sumptuous world ruled by magical perfume, this achingly romantic, slow-burn love story will shatter your heart and leave you breathless.

Members of the ancient House Rosebourne have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion.

When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy.

Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers.

As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them—especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.

But a terrible truth lurks in the heart notes of their kingdom—and while every bargain has a cost, Immortal Rose may demand more than Hugh and Viola can ever pay.

This deluxe limited hardcover edition features beautiful stenciled edges and illustrated endpapers —available on the first printing only!

  • Genre: Enemies To Lovers, Fae, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance
  • 489 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published August 18, 2026
  • Series: Immortal Rose Duology #1

ABOUT ALEXANDRA BRACKEN (from Amazon)

Alexandra Bracken is the #1 New York Times and internationally best-selling author of The Darkest Minds series and Lore. Born and raised in Arizona, she moved east to study English and History at The College of William & Mary in Virginia. Her work has been adapted for feature film and is available across the world in more than twenty languages.

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MINDBENDING – Daggermouth by H M Wolfe #hmwolfe #daggermouth

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dystopia; enemies to lovers romance; forced arranged political marriage; presidents son;assassin
dystopia; enemies to lovers romance; forced arranged political marriage; presidents son;assassin

 

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I LOVE the cover and the title for Daggermouth made me curious. Daggermouth has so many elements that speak to me: enemies to lovers, fantasy romance, apocalyptic and dystopian adventure that knocked my socks off. I got so much more than I bargained for and will, for sure, have my eye on H M Wolfe in the future.

Of course, we have the corrupt elite. I would be disappointed otherwise. I love the have and have nots, the forbidden romance, the danger at every turn. As I turned the pages, I became more lost in the story. The characters, well, Shadera Kael makes for an outstanding female protagonist. She’s raised to be an assassin. That is all she is good for, but….she can’t even do that right, which drives her into the arms of a man she hates with all the passion she possesses. Of course, it’s an enemies to lovers romance, so somehow Shadera Kael and Greyson Serel will find their way.

The ending BLEW ME AWAY. I WANT MORE, PLEASE!!!!!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching.

The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.

The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.

Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling.

Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.

Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dark Romance, Dystopian, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Romantasy
  • 516 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published December 5, 2025 by Scarlett Press
  • Series: The Heart, Book I

ABOUT H M WOLFE

H. M. Wolfe writes with her heart wide open, chasing the thrill of chaos and the sting of heartbreak on every page. Based in Central Florida, she shares her days with her husband and three loyal dogs—her writing partners and adventure crew through every twist of her literary journey.

Wolfe crafts stories where romance tangles with fantasy and unforgettable characters drive the action, inviting readers to disappear into worlds brimming with magic and meaning. She’s fiercely passionate about mental health advocacy and the messy, powerful work of self-discovery, believing deeply that everyone deserves to see themselves represented in the stories they love.

As you turn the final page of her books, Wolfe hopes you’ll find a new kind of strength—ready to take on the world and own your story like the warrior she knows you are.

Website

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$30 GC – Bound Beauty by Jennifer Silverwood @xpressotours #jennifersilverwood #boundbeauty

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Bound Beauty
Jennifer Silverwood
(A Wylder Tale, #3)
Publication date: July 14th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Forgotten gods haunt her steps, and the cursed prince she left behind isn’t done fighting for her soul.

Vynasha is bound to the prince of Bitterhelm. Even if she were to die, her spirit will remain trapped with him in the castle forever. But she won’t give in to Grendel without a fight. With the aid of an oracle, a witchling, and the wolf that claims her heart, Vynasha plans to claim her power as the curse breaker.

Ceddrych guards their nephew secretly while fighting to keep the feral beasts roaming their borders at bay. But the monsters are closing in, and the madness he has struggled with drives him to one desperate, unforgivable act.

A war is about to begin between the forgotten people of Wylderland and the cruel might of Bitterhelm. Beings of prophecy and legend unite in the epic third chapter of the Wylder Tales Series, a romantic gothic re-telling of Beauty and the Beast.

WYLDER TALES is a series of romantic dark fairy tales, set in the past of the wider Borderlands Saga, and includes:
•slow burn romantasy
•forced proximity
•enemies to lovers
•found family
•magical bonds
•wicked witches
•burly beasts
•morally gray characters

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

IN A FORBIDEN DREAM IN WYLDERLAND…

The journey seemed to take far longer than she remembered, and part of her feared the passage of time here compared to the world her body remained behind. Ceddrych had told her countless tales of the dangers of magick, of what happened when one dwelled too long in enchanted dreams.

Here the palace looked less like a ruin wrought from rampage. Candles gave off an unnatural silver glow and the hovering lights that had been trailing Vynasha seemed to thicken and gather as she lifted a hand to push open the doors to the throne room. They cracked open before her hand could touch the intricately carved wood.

Snow filtered in through the broken ceiling and rose vines curled over every surface, crawling up the obsidian columns and steps to the throne. Surrounding the steps, the shadow-spirits of beasts of every size and shape lounged and paced. Their forms flickered about the edges, and their eyes glowed brightly, turning to fix upon Vynasha as she slowly entered the hall.

Upon the throne, the thorned vines had dug into a hunched over man. His blood gleamed luminous violet, the same shade as hers was now.

With every step she took, the full wreck of his downfall became increasingly apparent. The shadow beasts at her back pressed closer, urging her forward. Vynasha clenched her fists and refused to climb the steps to face him.

“Grendel.” Her voice echoed like a plucked lute string through the cavernous hall.

Grendel shuddered and then raised his head and looked at her with dead violet eyes. “Vynasha.” The crack in his voice echoed clearly to her ears. His eyes widened when she remained, and his vine-wrapped hands clawed at the arms of his throne. “You have come at last.”

Her feet began to move of their own accord. She barely caught herself in time. She could not, would not go to him, and certainly never pity him. “What happened here? Why are my roses taking over like this?”

“Can you not guess, Vynasha” Grendel leaned forward, ignoring the press of the rose crowning his dark hair. “Vynasha, you have no idea how your absence has undone me. It has been pure torture to sense you but never able to touch you.”

“Good.” Vynasha took a single involuntary step up the stairs leading to his throne. His violet eyes flared wide with apprehension as she growled, “You and your monsters have made our lives a living hell, Grendel. It’s only fair I repay your bloody kindness.”

Grendel’s lips parted and his gaze took in the full measure of her with all the subtlety of a starving man. “Yet you are here,” he said, a new clarity brightening his violet gaze. His hands flexed against the arms of his throne. “You are truly here, and that means the spell has been broken.”

Vynasha flinched at his sudden smile and found herself unable to take a step back. Her feet drove her forward once more, and this time she had no power over herself to stop. “What are you doing to me?”

Grendel’s hand twitched and then she was flung forward. He groaned as he caught her, the thorns digging deeper into his flesh. She cried out as the same thorns cut her palms as she braced herself against his chest. “I have you, at last, I have you,” he said, eyes bright with unshed tears.

He was mad. No, she was mad. For the instant her hands found his flesh, a roaring wave of need assaulted her. She could rage at him and claim this was his need she felt, not her own. But this compulsion was familiar, forbidden and something she had fought desperately to forget in the past three moons.

“Grendel, let me go” she pleaded as she leaned into him, the pain of his thorns forgotten as he pulled her into his lap and began to press his lips over every part of her he could reach.

“How could I give you up my beauty, my love, my queen?”

She couldn’t breathe. The scent of roses, of life and death, of him were overwhelming. A part of her was starving, had been starving for months, she realized wish sickening clarity. “I hate you,” she sobbed as she tilted her chin and gave him further access to her neck. “If you pull me back here again, I will find a way to kill you, I swear it.”

“You cannot kill me without killing yourself, love,” he said with a laugh.

“Then we both die.” She shook her head but could not help tracing her nose along his neck, to draw in more of his heady scent.

“Vynasha,” he cried as her lips pressed to his pulse. “Please, Vynasha!”

But he was no longer tangible beneath her hands, the thorns no longer piercing them both. The painful aching need to mold herself to him faded just as she did, her hands disappearing before her eyes.

“Vynasha!” He cried with an agony she felt as her spirit was ripped free from Grendel’s nightmare. And the world around her dimmed, consumed by a cloud of inky ashes.

Author Bio:

Jennifer Silverwood lives in the middle of an enchanted forest surrounded by cursed books, nosy spirits, and mischievous goblins she calls her children. After beginning several nonsensical degrees, she found her calling helping other authors bring their books to life. Jennifer is the author of two fairy tale fantasy series: the Borderlands Saga and Wylder Tales. Because she wasn’t satisfied writing in one genre, she also invites you to explore uncharted space with the Heaven’s Edge Novellas—and dare to fall in love again with the standalone romance titles Stay and She Walks in Moonlight.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok


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5 Star Review – A Shadow In The Ember by Jennifer L Armentrout @JLArmentrout #blueboxpress #ashadowintheember

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A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

In this whacked out world we live in, I can sure use a break, an escape, and I can think of no better way than to enter a fantasy world. A world of riveting, engrossing Flesh And Fire in A Shadow In The Ember by Jennifer L Armentrout. I spent two unforgettable days in Seraphena’s world, an enemies to lovers, spicy fantasy romance.

Serephena is a Princess, but she isn’t treated like one. Her life is not her own. She is the Chosen. A Consort. An assassin. A weapon. In her own eyes she considers herself a monster, willing to sacrifice herself to save others. Of course there is a prophecy, but who knows what kind of games the gods are playing.

She is promised to the Primal of Death, Ash if you are close to him. When he denied her, Serephena thought all was lost. She had been touched by Life and Death. She is reckless, but mighty with the Shadowblade she always carries. She is fearless and I love their lively banter.

I will warn you. Make sure you have plenty of time before you crack open A Shadow In The Ember, because, if you are like me, once you start you won’t want to stop. Sure, some things are predictable, but there is plenty of fresh and original twists and turns.

My thanks go out to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for the opportunity to review A Shadow In The Ember by Jennifer L Armentrout.

 

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.   

However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot. 

Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.

  • Genre: Enemires To Lovers, Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy Romance, New Adult, Romantasy, Spicy
  • 647 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published October 19, 2021 by Blue Box Press
  • Series: Flesh & Fire #1, Blood & Ash #4

ABOUT JENNIFER L ARMENTROUT

Hey Guys! Please note: I don’t send out ARCs for review. If you’re interested in reviewing a book of mine before release date, please contact the appropriate publisher. I also do NOT check my Goodreads email.

To email me, please use the below addy.
jenniferlarmentrout@live.com

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.

Website

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – Original Sinner by Kait Ballenger @kait_ballenger

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Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OMG!!!!!! I am blown away by Original Sinner by Kait Ballenger. Think Lucifer, the TV series, meets Fifty Shades Of Gray. I love everything about Original Sinner, from the fabulous cover to the last word read. Once I began reading, I couldn’t stop. The seven deadly sins are running wild in New York City and Lucifer reigns supreme. They’re waiting for God to make an appearance, for Lucifer to receive redemption. Charlotte had run from her abusive religious father and the man she was given to. Through a series of stumbles she becomes Lucifer’s fake fiancee. BUT, once Lucifer has her, he will face heaven and earth and everything in between to keep her. They don’t hide who they are. In the days of social media, it wouldn’t work anyway. The paparazzi have them in their sights. Sexual tension runs throughout and when they do have sex it’s sizzling hot with plenty of dominating and submissive kink.

There are all kinds of triggers for some people, so check it out good before reading. It doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I revel in their delicious wickedness and debauchery. I want more. Lots more. I love, love, love it!!!!! So, I’m moving on to the sequel in the Original Sinners series, Wicked Believer.

I bought my copy of Original Sinner and it was worth every penny of it!!!!!!!!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Seven deadly—and ultrarich—sins rule NYC, and though she came here to escape her past, one woman’s true path to freedom might be the devil’s bonds in this scorching hot romantasy from Kait Ballenger.

The seven deadly sins keep high profiles in the Big Lust runs brothels, Sloth’s a media streamer…you get the picture. Pride, though, he’s more mysterious. You might know him as Lucifer—temptation irresistibly embodied. The paparazzi are dying for some burning-hot gossip. So when someone publishes my scathing but private rant about him, they eat it up. And now my job is on the line. After all, he is my boss.

With his vicious siblings vying for his power, Lucifer needs to distract the press, so he reframes my tirade as a lovers’ spat, demanding I play the devil’s fiancée. I need to be a good girl, smile for the cameras, nothing more.

But cocky and cruel as he is, his darkness awakens something wicked in me. Sexy and in control, he might just be the cure—an extra dose of sin to heal me from a lifetime of shame and subservience.

And I like it.

  • Genre: Angels and Demons, Dark Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural
  • 346 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published March 25, 2025 by Montlake
  • Series: Original Sinners

ABOUT KAIT BALLENGER

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    Kait Ballenger is an award-winning author of dark romantasy and paranormal romance. She is obsessed with tales of morally gray, sometimes villainous heroes and can’t resist a spicy redemption arc. When Kait’s not busy writing kinky paranormal fantasy, she can usually be found with her nose buried in someone else’s naughty books. She lives in Florida’s Bible Belt with her husband and two adorable sons—and will gladly use that belt to whip you.

    For news on future releases, exclusive bonus scenes, and NSFW character art, sign up for Kait’s newsletter: https://bit.ly/3t7zXLA

    You can also find Kait on TikTok @kaitballenger or Instagram @kait.ballenger

    MY KAIT BALLENGER REVIEWS

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