Cute, steamy, sweeet; the perfect kink awakening and coming of age story wrapped in one. I'm usually not the biggest fan of new adult/university set stories because I've pretty much outgrown that phase of my life, but Marina Vivancos could write a shopping list and I'd binge read it (and re-read it) asap.
Joaquin and Ezra's story was damned lovely, and I adored seeing their relationship progress. The kink aspects were sooooo well done, and I loved seeing the communication-and-trust-is-key side of a D/s relationship that's usually so overlooked in many contemporary romances where the kink is just chucked in there for steam points. Also, I loved that both of them were so aware of how much they still had to learn about their relationship! Gimme all the imperfect, work-in-progress romances.
The writing was a smidge too flowery at times, and some chapters could have probably been skipped altogether, but all in all, I adored this, and I'm excited to read book two. This is the year I'll finally read Marina's entire backlist, I know it
"Prince of Agony" might be my favourite Tavia Lark romance to date. I loved it with my whole damn heart and soul.
I've been (im)patiently waiting for Kazia's book since the very first time he appears on page as a cruel, chaotic, spoiled prince with a wall around his heart a mile wide and a thousand different masks. We all knew he was hiding something, probably something painful, but let me tell you, my heart was not ready. Prince of agony, indeed. And Lucien! He's been one of my favourites since Whisper and Julien's book, and I was sooooooo looking forward to getting to know him better. And my expectations were not only met, they were surpassed. I think I say this every time I review one of Tavia's books, but her writing and her characters are MADE for me: everything she writes is a dream come true, and every new book of hers leaves me even more in awe. Her latest release is absolute perfection: it's entertaining and ridiculously easy to inhale, it's fun and subtly snarky, it's steamy and sweet and lovely and romantic, and it also captures your heart and then crushes it into smithereens. I cherished every single second I got to spend inside Kazia and Lucien's head: I never wanted to leave.
Their romance left me breathless and swooning: their dynamic was literal perfection, and seeing them start to slowly care for each other, protecting each other in such small but meaningful ways, despite them being on opposites sides of a war (and despite Lucien's captivity in Draskora) was such a treat, a joy to witness. Slow burn deliciousness with a side of enemies to lovers and reluctant attraction, the snarky sunshine/grumpy brat pairing of my dreams, with the sunshine being a meddling protector type and the grump being the touch-starved, tightly wound type. Both of them are SUCH chaos gremlins though: they literally thrive on being menaces, and can't follow a plan to save their lives. I loved them.
< “How exactly did you plan on doing this without me?” “I was just going to blow things up,” Lucien admits. Kazia shrugs. “I was just going to make Lucien blow things up.” >
This quote is so ✨them✨
Lucien and Kazia are WONDERFUL protagonists. Maybe my favourite of Tavia Lark's to date. They both have hidden wounds and secret hurts, and seeing them slowly build a relationship between them, from distrust and reluctance to helpless attraction and affection, the sheer need to take care of one another, to be their own two-person army against the whole world, was absolutely wonderful. I may have developed a HUGE crush on Lucien: I loved him before to be fair, but now I'd literally jump from a window if he said so. Fierce and snarky and chaotic, attentive and careful and far more insightful than I (and Kazia) gave him credit for. He's absolutely wonderful, and I adored him so much. And Kazia! God, that man is a walking contradiction: he's ruthless and cruel, but out of necessity. He's petty incarnate, but he's also touch-starved and so damned innocent and sweet at times, and seeing his walls come crumbling down from Lucien's persistent, yet careful, brand of care was beyond satisfying and it made me nearly tear up. The build-up to their relationship and their HEA was absolutely brilliant, and I already can't wait to re-read their story.
< “Marek’s a softy, though, based on how he treats his husband. Just act cute and ask for help, and he’ll crack.” Cuddling his rat, Kazia gives a confused frown. “I don’t know how to act cute.” Lucien grins. “You’re always cute, brat. It’ll be easy.” >
*SWOONS*
The plot is complex and compelling, the world-building simple yet unforgettable and mesmerizing, and the writing was so damned gorgeous, and it made me feel like I was there with them both, and all the other unforgettable side characters. It was so lovely to see some well-known characters again, and to meet new ones too: Tezurit deserves a special mention. She's as sassy and chaotic as her bonded rider.
I can't believe this series is done, I'll miss this world so much. The ending was perfect though, and I'm so satisfied with how everything turned out. I'm so excited for the next Tavia Lark masterpiece, but in the meantime, I might have to read her books once or two dozen times.
Not as funny and iconic as Brad's story arc, but these books and the author's writing are ridiculously enjoyable and once again, I devoured this installment. Devon and Costantine's romance is great: a smidge of push and pull, a smidge of rejected mate trope (now that's my jammmm), a fair bit of steam, and a lot of heart. Devon's a lovely protagonist, and a highly relatable one at that, and Costantine, despite me wanting to hit him his head with a blunt object or two, is delicious. I'm still expecting a good ol' grovel though. I can't believe the next one will be the last though! I'm not ready to say goodbye to this world.
Claire Cullen's omegaverse romances are always sweet and heartwarming, despite the somewhat darkish themes that are always present in some way. I so wish the omegaverse aspects were developed in a much more coherent omegaverse-y way (apart from the alpha/omega designations and the mpreg, there's nothing else, and that's a shame!), but all in all, this was cute. I adored the first half of the novel (forced proximity, survival, falling for each other through adversities? Yes please!), but the second half was a smidge boring, so I skimmed a lot. But yeah, all in all, very cute and it put a smile on my face. I'm looking forward to the second novel
What a ride! This second installment is so much better than the first one: I wasn't sure I was going to finish off this series, but now I'm pretty sure I have to. The last few chapters were non-stop betrayals and cliffhangers, and I HAVE to know what happens next.
I found "A Whisper and a Breath" much more coherent from a world-building and character-building point of view than the first one, and I adored the writing here (despite some word use that I found a tad anachronistic in the high fantasy setting this series has). So all in all, I'm very happy with how some of things that made me dislike the first book were handled!
Mat and Ren are both infuriating main characters, but I still loved them and I adored their dynamic. Both of them have their share of trauma and vulnerabilities, and it was satisfying to see their relationship progress more, and to see them finally let go of their fears to try and give what they have together a go. Their relationship has a decidedly slow-burn vibe to it, and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to scream out loud at the constant interruptions (be it, Ren's pesky guards or his family, or The Plot™), but I'm sure it will make their HEA even more sweeter (WHEN they manage to get to it *sobs*)
I adored the side characters: I'd die for every single one of Ren's guards, and Starling owns my soul. I AM ANGRY at the sheer unfairness of some of the author's choices though ((view spoiler)), but on the other hand, maybe I got used to all those lovely romance standalones where everyone is happy and whole by the end. Also, I don't think this book should have been *that* long: despite loving most of it, I ended up skimming by the end because of how long it took to get to the point (impatient much?) and because of the anxiety those last few chapters gave me. I was planning on jumping into book three right away, but I'll give myself a few weeks to recover from that rollercoaster ending.
All in all, despite some niggles, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author has in store for Mat and Ren.
"At First Spite" was absolutely LOVELY. Sweet, romantic and funny, but also a punch to the gut in book form, a rollercoaster ride of emotions and complicated, contradictory feelings: I literally spent a few chapters near the middle just weeping out of sheer relatableness.
I immediately preordered this book the second I saw the gorgeous cover, and the absolutely fascinating blurb, despite not reading MF much these days. I admit, I might have been expecting something different based on those alone: more spite, more pettiness, more enemies-to-lovers and in general, for the book to have more of a I-hate-you-but-I'm-crazy-about-you vibe. BUT, after starting this, I realized I didn't need any of that, and that Olivia Dade had written something more complicated, and more human, than a straightforward hate-to-love dynamic: misunderstandings, assumptions, fear, anxiety, misguided love and protection, every single contradictory emotion you can think of, colour Athena and Matthew's dynamic from the very start, and the reader feels the whole range of it from start to finish, screaming, weeping, sighing and swooning alongside them. They've never really hated each other, but both of them feel that very human desire to defend their squishy core, and their beloved lot, from each other, even at the cost of being mean and petty and rude. The initial dislike evolves though, because both Athena and Matthew are marvellous, selfless, interesting human beings, and FANTASTIC protagonists, and they inevitably become friends, and then, despite it all, something more. And let me tell you! What an explosive, interesting, chemistry-fueled, teeth-rottingly sweet, panty-melting, swoon-inducing romantic dynamic they had. They made the best couple ever.
< “Athena, sweetheart . . .” Boosting herself to her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his chin. “Yes?” How would a man of vast experience say this? “Lift your skirt,” he said, low and quiet. “Please.” >
I loved them both individually too, so damned much. I've had the best of luck recently with relatable protagonists, and Athena with her mental health struggles, the lack of self-worth and her job-related issues, and Matthew with his anxieties, his loneliness and the terror of losing the people he loves, were both profoundly relatable protagonists: I literally spent entire chapters weeping because I felt SEEN. So I must applaud Olivia Dade for the way she managed to handle such complex, REAL protagonists, and the complex, REAL dynamic they had.
Some of the writing at times was a smidge too flowery for my tastes, and third-act breakups are my Villain Origin Story™, but groveling always makes me a happy gal, so all in all, they didn't spoil my enjoyment. I adored this novel so much; I want to find a Matthew (where do I find a Matthew? *stomps feet*); I adored all side characters to BITS (small town romances and the close-knit community vibes give me SO much joy). I can't wait to discover the next protagonists of this series, but in the meantime I might have to read more of Olivia Dade's backlist.
CWs/TWs: depression, grief/death of a family member.
DELIGHTFUL. I obviously devoured this: even if it were a longer story, I would have still inhaled it start to finish. If there's one thing I love, it's this (kinda) rejected mate trope and ALLLLLLL the pining from afar, and ALLLLL (I hope) future groveling. I loved that Costantine and Devon's story had this kind of slow-burn start: hopefully Costantine will get his head out of his ass in the next installment, but I'm a sucker for this kind of relationship angst and I can't wait to see him make it up to Devon for his behaviour. I loved Devon: he's very, very different from Brad, and I appreciated it. I can't wait to see him blossom in his new pack.
I loved the side characters soooo much: I want Melody to marry me, and I want Daniel to marry me aswell. They're so fun, and so cute and I loved how sweet they were to Devon. I also LOVED seeing Brad and Raul again, and I'm so damned excited for book two. I think this second arc will have a very different vibe from Brad's one, and I'm all for it.
I'm soooooo devastated Brad and Raul's story is over *cries* This final installment was as wild and entertaining and heartfelt as I hoped. Out of these, it was my least favourite: last books are rarely my favourite, because the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to characters I've come to adore is the worst! And also because it was slightly less funny, and more romantic/cheesy/loving, which are things I usually like, but I was missing Brad's brand of frat bro humour and wild, iconic, stupid behavior: I guess that's what growing up does to you eh? Anyway, I still loved it and I cannot believe I managed to finish these five books in the span of FIVE DAYS: I know they're short, but I was convinced my brain couldn't manage binge-reading anymore. So yes, I've got to applaud L.C. Davis for writing books that feel like crack: I'm obsessed with this world-building and I'm going to miss Brad and his pack like a lung. I know there's Devon's story now, so I guess the end won't be as traumatic as I feared, especially considering how much I'm looking forward to reading about him and Costantine, but it will be tough regardless. I loved these books so damn much.
Another gem. As usual, I might have highlighted half of the book. I'm already preemptively bracing myself because I KNOW that the book hangover will be a real bitch to deal with once I've finished off all the available books. I just hope it won't send me in another slump.
If I had the brain power to do a ranking, this one would probably be my least favourite of the series so far: maybe I should have adapted my rating accordingly, but these books have given me so much joy and laughter, and I don't care about being objective. I'm obsessed with this series, and I'm obsessed with this world-building and all the amazing (and ridiculous) characters: Brad's still my fav, but I can't wait to get to know Devon better, Raul's still a dreamboat, and Reese and the rest of the frat bros are iconic, silly, respectful kings. I loved that this one was a bit more plot heavy, slightly more high stakes than the rest, but it managed to remain light-hearted and fun and FUNNY. I seriously can't wait to see what will happen nex
I adooooooored this. I'm loving this series so damned much; I'm now happy I've waited this long to start it bccause not having the next installment straight away would have made go crazy. Lighthearted, funny, steamy, original, iconic characters: I'm obsessed. I loved going back to the "real" world: I adored getting to know Devon a bit more, and finally meeting all of Brad's frat bros was as hilarious as I expected. I already know the next installment will be as crazy as this one, and I can't wait to see more of Brad's world collide with the book world. Also, I'm loving the plot development: Constantine sounds like such an interesting villain, and I'm already excited to see what will happen with Devon too.
ALSO, Raul and Brad's romance is *chef's kiss* I love their dynamic to bits, and the steam was STEAMIN' in this installment. The praise kink? Brad finally (albeit reluctantly) accepting his omega status and his sexuality? You go, king!
PS: I don't think I've said this before, but THESE COVERS ARE GORGEOUS. I think this one is my favourite.