_isabel_'s reviews
1030 reviews

I really, really adored this third installment.
I think I might have preferred book two overall (Cyril and Enzo own my soul), but this was another very solid, highly enjoyable, absolutely freaking delicious gem from Eliot Grayson.
No surprises there: she's one of my favourite authors, and I already knew that only her writing could get my out of the horrific book hangover I had going on.

Lucian and Benedict's story had me on the edge of my seat, giggling and blushing right until the end. I adored them, and I adored the premise of their romance: "I-love-to-hate-you-but-I-secretly-want-to-jump-your-bones", kinda one-sided, rivals-to-lovers; a delicious, forbidden stepbrothers dynamic; a whole lot of pining and yearning plus a very, very, very juicy "I'll help you if you help me" (*winks*) pretend sex-hate (THEY SECRETLY ADORE EACH OTHER); and a whole lot of secrets, misunderstandings, political scheming and protectiveness/possessiveness. Everything I love in a romance, and then some more.
Lucian was a fabulous protagonist, a prickly, icy, competent mess of a man, and I adored being in his head. And Benedict was his perfect counterpart: an unrepentant flirt with a heart of gold, and so protective of Lucian you'll spend the whole novel swooning. Trust me, I did.

I loved their romance, and I adored the plot to absolute bits: it was fascinating and gripping, and I adored following it. The twists and discoveries kept on coming! I had guessed a couple of things, but others left shocked. So kudos for that!
I loved the side characters, and I'm really excited to see what comes next.
I keep hoping Eliot will give us Leander's story (from "The Captive's Curse") as a Surprise/Secret Dawn Mage, but I think the next one will be about a certain side character that appears here. I'm still excited, but Eliot, if you're reading this: I'd sell my soul for Leander's story okay?
The world-building is SO fascinating, and I never want to leave this universe: it scratches an itch that I rarely manage to, and I'm really, really looking forward to the next installment.

TWs/CWs: murder and murder attempts, violence, dub-con, attempted sexual assault/violence, kidnapping, abusive parent, death of a parent (past).


Many thanks to GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review. 

Hey, how do I rate this 6 stars?
No, scratch that, this book deserves at least 10 stars. AT LEAST.

I don’t know where to start, you guys.
This book has WRECKED me, body and soul: I managed to inhale nearly 500 pages in just over 24 hours, no sleep to be had at all, and then I proceeded to re-read it all over again (and yeah, again, no sleep whatsoever: my brain has been officially taken over by Jean and Jeremy).
I’m not sure how I’m meant to wait for book three, except by re-reading it again (and again; and also by re-reading the previous book and the AFTG trilogy just for good measure) and by crying over how perfect this freaking sequel is. I think it might be my favourite Nora novel EVER (or at least, it’s on the same level of “The King’s Men”).

I fell in love with Jean and Jeremy all over again in “The Golden Raven”: I didn’t think it was possible to love them more than I already did, but yeah. I’m so obsessed with them it’s not even funny anymore: somebody PLEASE SEDATE ME.
This book begins soon after the events of book one (let me refresh your memory: we'd just left Neil causing havoc in LA and Jean breaking my heart all over again --> Friends.) and it’s a whole goddamn ride from start to finish. An emotional, gut-punching, soul-wrecking one at that, packed with revelations, shocking twists and surprises, heart-breaking discoveries and surprisingly (but actually not; this is Nora we’ll talking about) quite a lot of healing too (at least, for our Jean; Jeremy’s another story BUT WE’LL GET TO THAT). 

The Trojans (yes; every single one of them) stole the scene right from the start. When I started TSC, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to love a team as much as I do the Foxes, but I shouldn’t have doubted Nora. TGR confirms what I already knew: I’d die for every single one of the Trojans. They’re the absolute best. From Jeremy and Jean (but we’ll get there) to Laila and Cat (I’ll talk about them in a bit) and Cody (they’re my favourite, I think <3) and Ananya and Xavier and Patrick, and all of the newer teammates we get to meet properly (I’D LAY MY LIFE DOWN FOR DEREK AND DERRICK?????? I LOVE THEM). They brought so much light and so much joy, and I’ve never cackled this much in my life whilst reading. Nora’s writing has always been hilarious (when it’s not being heart-wrenching, of course) but she surpassed herself here. 
Laila and Cat stole the show EVEN MORE here: I didn’t think it was possible to love them more, but I DID. Cat’s an icon (I LOVE HER AND JEAN’S BOND SO MUCH) and Laila? What a delight Laila was here. She’s always been a bit more of a mystery then Cat, but we get so much Laila content here! She’s so clever and steadfast, and

seeing her suffer so much because of what happens to their house left me in so much pain.

Also: Laila and Jeremy’s bond? I cried. Big, fat, ugly tears. My babies. 
Of course, I also LOVED seeing some old faces too. No spoilers, but you’re in for a treat (and also, quite possibly, you’ll need to bill Nora for extra therapy sessions, because WHEW). The twists kept on coming, guys!

OKAY, ONE "LITTLE" SPOILER: THE RAVEN/FOXES RE-MATCH? ANDREW QUITTING SMOKING BECAUSE HE WASN’T FAST ENOUGH TO SAVE NEIL FROM BEING INJURED IN THE GAME? I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY BED HYPERVENTILATING, I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE NORA WENT THERE.

Also:

Andrew’s unparalleled gaydar? I HOLLERED.

And yeah, Jean and Jeremy. 
They were the beating heart of this book: their slow-burn romance (yes, ‘cause it’s gonna be jerejean guys!!!!!!!!!!) had me gnawing on my fingers, squealing in my pillow, blushing and also screaming because I cannot deal with how PERFECT they are for one another. 
Again, I can’t delve to deep because SPOILERS, but oh my god. They make me seriously unwell. The parallels, the chin grabs, the gentle touches, the “look at me” and “you are my partner”? The fact that they’re so down bad for one another they cannot bear to look at each other too long? The jealousy and the protectiveness? UGH MY HEART.

I’ll be thinking about the fireworks and the hotel scene FOREVER AND EVER. Also: protective Jean? I NEED MORE OF THAT. I need him to body slam the whole of Jeremy’s family and all of his hook-ups ASAP.

Individually, they both went through a lot. 
I think, I THINK, Jean’s slowly starting to realize that what he went through at the Nest was monstrous: he’s slowly starting to heal and slowly starting to trust that the Trojans are his family, and that they would lay down their lives for him, no questions asked. Seeing him blossom throughout the book was a joy (okay, yes; of course, there were setbacks and we’re still missing a book). He obviously still broke my heart to bits (

the Rhemann scene? “Fathers”? UGH I SOBBED

), but I think he’s finally starting to see what he’s worth, at last. That what he deserves, what he wants (*wink wink*) IS valid. 
Also, I’ve never had more goosebumps from an Exy match in the whole 10 years I’ve been a fan of this series. It was glorious. I can’t wait for more Exy in the upcoming book.

And Jeremy. 
Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy.
I don’t know where to start. I’ve wanted a Jeremy backstory since the very first time we got to be in his head, all sunny and smiley and avoidant. I got my wish, BUT AT WHAT COST? I don’t want to spoil too much, and I’ll tag them when I do, but god. My heart.
SOME MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD --> 
His chapters filled me with so much dread and anguish. He’s such a complex character, and obviously his life doesn’t touch Neil or Jean’s levels of crazy mafia shenanigans, but god. He’s so lonely and so stuck and so desperately needs somebody to whisk him away from his godawful family. He reminded me so much of Neil in the AFTG trilogy at times, in the sense that both of them are practiced liars and both of them have no way out. Jean’s chapters in a way were easier to stomach. 

Also FUCK: Mathilda hiding his passport, his social security card AND his birth certificate? EVIL. Bryson and Warren (I’m not sure who’s worse; they all deserve to burn in hell though)? EVIL. All their homophobia and racism? The constant financial abuse? The fact that they have the gall to blame Jeremy for Noah’s death? DESPICABLE. No wonder Jeremy has so many bad coping mechanisms: the pills and cocaine at the time were bad enough, but the fact that he continues to disregard his safety with his reckless sleep schedule AND by hooking up with dickheads who only hurt him and humiliate him and insult him? Ugh. It breaks my heart that he thinks he doesn’t deserve better.

Okay, that’s enough Jeremy Knox for one review: I could go on and on and on though. He’s officially my top favourite AFTG character alongside Neil, and I can’t thank Nora enough for giving him the backstory and the character presence he so deserves. I adore him to absolute bits.

I loved reading this book so, so, so much. It gave me so much joy I really, desperately needed, and I cannot wait to get my grabby, greedy hands on book three. I’m so glad Nora decided to come back and give Jean his story and his (hopefully upcoming) happy ending. I’m glad she decided to keep writing, despite how toxic this fandom can (very often) be. I’m just so grateful we’re getting Jean and Jeremy’s story. 
Also,

I’M SO HAPPY NORA INCLUDED ANOTHER THEA SCENE DESPITE WHAT A MASSIVE BITCH PEOPLE WERE TO HER, THE AUTHOR, ABOUT IT. I’m a Thea defender now till death do me part from her iconic, harsh, rude, powerful self. She’s my number one girl and SHE IS Kevin’s soulmate, okay? OKAY.

TWs/CWs:

rape (past), extreme violence and torture (includes waterboarding) (past), abusive parents, death of a sibling, grief, suicide (on page, minor characters; past), suicide ideation and attempts (past), drug addiction, alcohol addiction, blackmailing attempt, non-con rough sex, financial abuse, emotional abuse by parents, homophobia and slurs, police brutality/abuse of power, racism and islamophobia, transphobia (mentioned), death, injury, instances of violence, disordered eating, arson, slut-shaming, sex/hook-ups as a means of self-harm (probably?), self-harm (past; briefly attempted on page).

------------

Pre-reading:

I WOULD SELL MY SOUL FOR THIS BOOK 


update: THREE BOOKS YES YES YES!!!!!!!! This has made my year 😭 (p.s. we better get the Jeremy Knox trauma backstory pls!!!!! 👋🏻🩷)

 Very cute, very steamy, with just the right amount of drama and angst to make it even more entertaining.
I've had this little novella on my Kindle for AGES, and since I've loved every single one of M.A. Grant other romances (albeit, all MM!), I decided to give this one a go.
I adored Zeke, but I loved Vivian even more. She was a delightful protagonist: flirty and confident, but also pretty much realistic too. I wanted to jump into the book to cheer her on.
The steam was very, very good: I hardly ever read MF 'cause I've got a weird thing about seeing my body parts represented on page (I think it's because I use romance to evade maybe? Don't ask lol), except when I know there's diversity rep involved OR if I trust the author and the premise sounds appealing enough.
I'm glad I read it; the romance could have probably benefited from a bit more development, and I wasn't hugely satisfied with how the stalker plot was handled, but all in all, I spent a good few hours engrossed in a fun read, so I can't complain.
Also, I need more M.A. Grant writing ASAP!


TWs/CWs: stalking, intimidation, threats of violence, arson, injury, torture and captivity (past), PTSD. 

DNF at 26%.

Yep, no, unfortunately this is not for me. I was really interested in the premise but it's not working *sighs*
So annoying.

4.5

What a delight, WHAT A DELIGHT.
I spent the whole time I was reading this GRINNING like a fool. "A Den Mate for Dylan" is such a lovely, romantic story. It's my second book by Emory Winters, and let me tell you: I think I'm ready to sell my own soul just to get my hands on the sequel ASAP.
(Also, if in the meantime, I manage to get my hands on the sequel to "The Northern Shifters" series, I won't complain either...... *grabby hands*)

This book had it all: a fated mates romance that will make any fan of the good ol' slow-burn happy, a forbidden(ish) brother's best-friend pairing, a whole lot of pining (SO MUCH PINING) and yearning and loving from afar (I nearly sobbed my eyes out!), delicious, delightful omegaverse dynamics (nesting? knotting? heats and ruts? possessiveness? YOU GOT IT), two protagonists that stole my heart and a small-town setting that will make you want to leave the big city ASAP. Also, did I mention a cast of side characters that I immediately fell in love with?

I really, really adored it. Surprisingly enough, while I usually don't love romances that start off with chapters in the past, I adored it here: it really showed how much Dylan had been yearning and suffering, and my heart really broke for him. Also, it made the fated mates aspect of Dylan and Axel's romance so much better: I'm not keen on instalove, so it was so SO refreshing to see an actual build-up to a fated mates/omegaverse pairing.

I adored both protagonists sooooo much: Dylan was such a hoot. Wickedly sassy and funny, absolutely not afraid to speak his mind and take charge of his life, with a huge heart and an even bigger praise kink (lol, no okay maybe not! I wish that aspect had been expanded a bit, actually). I loved Axel too: he's a bit obtuse at times, but he's also such a giant sweetheart, and I loved seeing his more vulnerable moments on page too. They were such cutie pies together too <3 honestly, they game me tooth ache with how much love and care and affection was going on, and I wouldn't want it any other way. This book was the MOST perfect palate cleanser <3

I LOVED THE SIDE CHARACTERS. I'm seriously FERAL over Cooper (

I WANT HIS AND PATRICK'S ROMANCE NOW. EMORY, I WILL SELL YOU MY SOUL (AND SOME NON-VITAL ORGANS) FOR IT, I SWEAR. Alpha/alpha pairings is SUCH an underrated, delicious pairing, and I cannot wait to read what the author has planned for it *happy dance*

) and I loved Adam too.
I can't wait to read whichever book comes next from Emory Winters. I'm so glad she decided to write an omegaverse series! Her first foray into it was *chef's kiss* perfection, and I'm excited for what comes next.


TWs/CWs: death of a parent (off page), social drinking; + the MCs are with other people before the main plot timeline (no cheating).

Many thanks to the author for the ARC. This is my honest opinion. 

Well this was pretty enjoyable!
Mind you, I adored "Face Blind", book one in this series, quite a lot more, but I was still glad to get Scratch/Si's story and read about his past a bit more. Him finally getting his hard-won HEA was absolutely priceless.
Si and Zig were great protagonists. None of them shine quite as much as Corin, but they were still pretty lovable. Si's gentleness and patience made me fall in love with him, whereas Zig managed to win me over throughout the book, and I was 100% team Zig by the end of it. I wanted to jump into the book and hug him too!
Their romance was pretty cute as well. Second-chance is one of my favourite tropes, and I was so glad to see them reach their HEA: they totally deserved it.

On the other hand, I think something was slightly missing for me: maybe it was their dynamic at times? Zig kept hiding things to protect Si because he felt undeserving of his affection, whereas Si had a bit of a tendency to keep things to himself without giving Zig the chance to explain. It bugged me at times, and made the reading experience slightly stressful and frustrating.
Also, too much Adam being a dickhead and not enough Corin. NOT NEARLY ENOUGH CORIN *stomps feet* WELL, okay that aside, this was a pretty enjoyable read.
I adored getting to meet Kai a bit better too: who do I have to bribe to get JL Merrow to write a story about them next?! They deserve a story and HEA SO MUCH, because I feel like they have a ton of potential. Plus, that mysterious past? Gimme, gimme, gimme.

Anyway, I'm glad I read this book, despite not loving it as much as book one.
JL Merrow's writing and humour is unparalleled as usual, truly excellent, and the Glastonbury setting, the small-town atmosphere, the quirky side characters, made the experience even more enjoyable. I'm looking forward to what comes next.

TWs/CWs: abusive parent, homophobia.

Many thanks to GRR for the ARC. This is my honest opinion. 

What a gem, WHAT A GEM.
My favourite of these by far: it made me swoon and cry and laugh, and it made my heart ache and rejoice. I couldn't stop reading.
I had HIGH expectations for this book, but thankfully they were not disappointed. I knew I was going to love "Empty Net" as soon as I read the first few pages. It's got everything I love in a sports romance, and then some more: two extremely lovable, realistic and relatable protagonists, a fabulous found family of teammates, a romance that had me on squealing, a whole lot of sports with a whole lot of heart AND so many angsty feelings I had to resist the urge to cry my eyes out? NOW, that is what I call an emotional roller coaster. Another one of these thank you!

Laurent and Isaac stole my heart. Ugh, they're my sons. I loved them so so so so much. Isaac was absolutely great: a snarky, vaguely assholish goalie with aggressive tendencies and a heart that's so kind and gentle and patient you'll want to jump into the book to hug him. Or swoon.
And Laurent! God, that man broke my heart to smithereens. He's gone through HELL, and has the scars (both physical and mental) to show for it and a mean, angry mask he takes out whenever he's feeling vulnerable or scared or unsure. His arc in this book was a thing of beauty. I was so, so proud of him, and his quiet bravery, his love for Isaac, his unexpectedly dry humour, his mean, grumpy (but hilarious) demeanor, all of that made me love him even more.
I adored their romance SO MUCH. No notes, just chef kissing all around. I was obsessed with their dynamic from the very start, and I kept on grinning and swooning and giggling til the end.

I love it when a sports romance manages to deal with heavier topics without loosing that spark of joy that comes with satisfying HEA. A romance with actual substance, a realistic emotional arc, like this one. Don't get me wrong, I love meaningless fluff once in a while, but they don't hit as well and I'll take crying my eyes out and feeling like my heart is being stomped on any day. ANY DAY.
I must applaud Avon Gale for it.
Although, if I had ONE small niggle,

I was a bit disappointed with the way Laurent's ED was dealt with. Not because it wasn't handled well, it was; but because I felt like we were missing a good chunk of that story. Isaac notices it off page, and the consequences of it are mostly off page, and I was sorry that it didn't have that much page time, that's all. Funnily enough, ED is usually one of those topics that kinda trigger me, but the way it was handled it didn't... but still; I was missing a better development of that part of the story.

. The other parts of Laurent's past and abuse were handled very well though; it was gut-wrenching, of course, so absolutely unfair you'll want to jump into the book to murder his father, but well done. As for the recovery aspects of his story too.

Anyway, I wholly recommend this book. I think you can skip book one and two quite easily (they'll alright, but nothing to talk about), but I wholly recommend book three and four, and reading them in order too. I think I'll end up reading book five too, so fingers crossed it manages to win me over like this one.

TWs/CWs: extreme physical, emotional abuse by a parent, eating disorder and vomiting, mental health struggles with self-loathing, sex work out of necessity (past), homophobia, slurs, talk of conversion camps, injury, a brief instance of bullying. 

What a lovely short story! A great introduction to Isaac's character POV. I cannot wait to dive into book four 👀 I'm so intrigued!

I loved this!!
By far my favourite one of the series, for now (I have high hopes for book four though).
Misha and Max absolutely STOLE my heart.
I loved them both to freaking bits: Misha was such a delightful grump, and the way the reader slowly uncovers his past and his hidden vulnerabilities and hurts was *chef's kiss* he broke my heart with his self-loathing and I wanted to jump into the book to smother him in blankets.
And Max! That man was sunshine personified and I LOVED HIM. He's so sweet and gentle and kind and hilarious, and I adored being in his head.
Their romance was equally delightful. They had me on the edge of my seat, and although their arc wasn't particularly angsty nor drama packed (actually, it was fairly straight-forward and their dynamic pretty much light-hearted), it still felt emotionally charged and realistic and substantial. I loved them.

I also LOVED the team dynamics, and I adored the side characters. The other teams we saw in the previous two books didn't manage to capture much, but I loved the Spitfires to absolute bits. I loved Isaac and Misha's bond too <3 so cute.

I cannot wait to dive into book four. I have HIGH expectations, and I hope I won't be disappointed.

TWs/CWs: homophobia, sex work (past), abusive parents, sexual harassment of side character. 

 I enjoyed the hell out of this novel!
Christina Nolte's debut was a delight. It hooked me IMMEDIATELY, and I seriously could not stop reading: I had to force myself to stop because otherwise I'd have spent half of the night reading.
Anyway, I still managed to devour it in two sittings.

"Mirror, Mirror" is precisely what I look for in a contemporary romance: two fabulous, well-rounded leads, a cast of side characters that feel as real as the protagonists, a smidge of spice, a whole lot of heart and a whole lot of emotionally packed angst. I adored it!
The writing could have probably gone through an additional round of edits, but since this is a debut I'll gladly close an eye to it. It's still impressive, and it managed to keep me hooked from the very start.
I adored both protagonists to absolute bits. Yes okay, Arrick was my favourite (because I love prickly, wounded grumps who hide their heart and vulnerabilities behind an icy exterior: sue me), but Evan was a delight too. Their romance stole my heart: as usual, the build-up to their first, chemistry-fueled kiss was my favourite part of the novel, but I was squealing right until the end.

I also loved that there's a subplot going on too: the one thing that always makes become fed up with the contemporary genre is the lack of plot. I love romance and erotica for the sake of it, like any other romance fan, but I'll get tired of that kind of stuff quite quickly. "Mirror, Mirror" IS mostly romance build-up, but there's also an underlying plot connected to Arrick, his past and the school he starts working at, and I seriously cannot tell you how excited I am to read the next installment.
This book finishes with a decent HFN, but there's quite a lot of story left to tell, I think, and I cannot wait for Christina Nolte to deliver it to our greedy, grabby hands. ESPECIALLY after those last chapters. Ugh, my heart <3

Anyway, I wholly, wholly recommend.

TWs/CWs: physical, emotional abuse by a parent (past and on page), death of a parent (past), death of a close friend (on page), toxic relationship with an ex.

Many thanks to GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review.