_isabel_'s reviews
1025 reviews

Absolutely freaking gorgeous. Hands down, one of my favourite reads of the year.
I even loved it more than "Salt", and I didn't think that was possible. Fearne Hill, the writer you are! *stands in awe* god, I feel like I've suddenly lost a limb; I never wanted to leave Nico and Éti, and their family and their friends and the small, wonderful island they live on.


Nico and Éti's romance stole my whole freaking heart and soul. It's soft and gorgeous and lovely, heart-wrenching in the best way possible, so gentle and loving and yeah, just perfect. Fearne Hill has a gift: she writes such soft and lovely stories that always feel intense and real (and you'll feel like you've been run over by a truck carrying all these pesky, pesky feels), but they also never feel like too much either. Like she states in her blurbs, she writes with a light touch, but never, ever with a halfhearted or a hurried one. I'm literally soooo in love with Fearne Hill's writing; I can't believe I still haven't devoured the whole of her backlist yet. I think I need to remedy that ASAP.

Anyway, back to "Oyster", this book was a surprise. I knew this was going to be a MF romance ( with a trans female character!!! I freaking couldn't wait *heart eyes*), but it still managed to catch me by surprise with how gentle, how warm, how lovely it was, despite it being quite angsty (mind the TWs!), and how freaking wonderful both Nico and Éti were. I was already intrigued by Nico in "Salt", but here he stole my heart. He's so great, so patient, so good, so supportive. The best partner, the best brother, the best son; and despite the fact that he goes through quite a lot of pain and grief during the duration of this novel, he still managed to stay himself: an unrepentant flirt, a hardworking farmer, a simple man, but a freaking good one. The absolute best.
And Éti! God, where do I start?! She, as well, stole my whole heart. Despite the privileges her career secures her, she's vulnerable and terrified and insecure, but also 100% unapologetically herself. She's brave and good and loud and brash, and so delightfully innocent and loving it made me want to jump into the book and smother her in pillows and blankets. I loved her sooooo, so much, and I loved how she loved football (I refuse to call it soccer, sorry to my US-friends <3) and I loved how dorky and mouthy she was, how she's not a mysterious woman AT ALL (she's a yapper!!!!! My favourite kind of woman <3 i loved that Nico loved that side of her too LOL), and yeah. I only wished we could have had a few chapters from her POV, because I was so desperate to know what went on in her head.

< “What the hell was that for?” “It was the only way I could think of shutting you up.” “Waouh.” Almost bewildered, she rubbed with her fingertips at her thoroughly kissable mouth, then gave a funny, choked laugh. “Grab my face and shut me up again. But for longer this time.” >

Nico and Éti's romance was the best thing ever. Joyful and loving and respectful, but still intense and fraught with fears and insecurities... and the best thing? The way both of them stay true to one another throughout the novel. Their relationship isn't an easy one, but it's packed with so much joy and easy love and deep care, it reads like a gentle breeze on your skin. The most perfect summer read.

< So by the time it came around to collecting the empty plates, sharing the washing up, and then collapsing onto the sofas in the sitting room, Charles beamed at Éti as if he’d found his new bezzie for life, Flor’s eyes darted between both of them like a proud mother hen, and I sat there in a haze of red wine and love for everyone, wondering how the hell I’d got so damned lucky. >

"Oyster" isn't a dark read, but it's an intense one: it tackles quite a few tough themes, from grief and loss to transphobia. But despite that, it never feels too heavy. I admit I did shed quite a few ugly tears at one point: this book is an emotional rollercoaster ride, where joy and grief, fear and love, live side by side, and despite that, it was still an absolute joy to read.

I loved seeing a few old faces (Charles and Flor <3) and I loved getting to know the La Forge family a bit more (

I can't wait to read Max's story! and their Dad's reaction to discovering who Nico's girlfriend is? Iconic, I loved him.

), and I loved the football shenanigans too. Reading this book during the Euros? I'd totally recommend. It hyped me up even more (despite Italy being knocked out *grumbles*). Also, seeing the whole La Forge family bond over football is something sooo relatable too, as I expect it is for any football-loving household: it made me smile.

Anyway, back to Nico and Éti: these two dorks stole my heart, and if I could read 1000 pages more of them being cute and in love, my heart would be satisfied.
Those last few chapters were absolute perfection: I sighed, I cried, I swooned, I laughed, then I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt. I can't wait for "Vine".

TWs/CWs: close family member with cancer, grief, death of a family member, instances of transphobia, misgendering and deadnaming.

Thanks GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review.

"Never Darling" was a pretty cute, heart-warming (and unexpectedly angsty!) novel.
Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes are an absolutely wonderful writing duo, and I always look forward to their works together. They always manage to write such an amazing mixture of romances, from epic fantasy to PNR romances and stories like this one that feel like an old time fairy tale, but with a modern twist.

I found "Never Darling" very original, storytelling wise, packed with a few surprises and shocking twists I never saw coming; and I really adored both leads. Connor was a sweetheart: he deserves everything that's good in the universe; and Mattias was a delight. I loved him so much!
I also loved all the other side characters, from Jessie to Mattias's grandmother, and I loved the small-town, magical vibe of the inn and the town.
And of course, the writing was, as usual, absolutely magnificent.
Unfortunately, I wasn't totally sold on the book as a whole. I won't spoil, but if you've read the blurb, something pretty tragic and horrible happens early on, and while I was expecting something to happen, I WAS NOT expecting what happened to happen. The story took a pretty dark turn early on, and that, plus the year leaps between the different chapter sections (one of the things I despise the most in romances is time leaps *grr), made me feel quite a bit upset for most of the book.

So yeah; while I do love angst and drama in my romances, I think I probably wasn't in the mood for it this time (or maybe, I just wasn't expecting it: I definitely should have looked at the trigger warnings a lot harder than I did, so this is entirely my fault!)

The last few chapters have a definite happier mood, and I enjoyed the last section so much more: maybe because I knew a HEA was on its way.

So yes, all in all, although I can't say I loved this novel wholeheartedly, I still enjoyed reading it, and I was definitely hooked from the start. The atmosphere was magical and old timey, and its two leads wholly adorable. And the ending? So damn sweet.


TWs/CWs: just in case

child disappearance/kidnapping, death of a close family member, aging/illness of a close family member, grief, brief instances of misgendering

Thank you Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes for the ARC. This is my honest review. 

I adored this. Highly entertaining, absolutely enjoyable, packed with feels and enough emotional rollercoasters to last me a month. 

I don't always read M/F romances because I have a tricky relationship with seeing my body represented on page. But romances with great rep are the exception to that rule: a Latinx, fat protagonist? Who loves and respects herself, but still manages to be vulnerable and insecure and relatable? Who's also a librarian? SIGN ME UP.
I adored Marcela. She was the absolute best, and although I kinda wanted her to come clean with Theo from the start, I absolutely cheered for her, and her HEA, from the very first page to the last.
And THEO. God, what a freaking delicious morsel of a man. He made me swoon so freaking hard. How does one find a person like him?!!!! Somebody tell me.
I also LOVED their relationship and dynamic so so much. A hint of fake dating (and friends with benefits!), plus a whole lot of unexpected chemistry, attraction and feels. I loved how their relationship felt realistic and relatable, but also goddamn dreaming and swoony at the same time. 


Their relationship was fraught with misunderstandings and insecurities at times though: I was on the edge of my seat in those moments, and let me tell you, I wanted to knock some sense into Marcela's head more than once. I still adored seeing everything unfold on page.
I mostly wanted to run over that weasel Ben though. I despised him with my whole heart. He was HORRIBLE, and I can't believe Marcela spent all these years pining for him. Alice I can believe, but BEN? Ugh. What a horrid little man. On the other hand, I loved all the other side characters and I'm absolutely looking forward to seeing a few of these faces again. 

All in all, "Best Next Fling" was a hoot of a book, wholly heartfelt and swoony, fun and enjoyable. The perfect feel-good summer read!


<b> I received an arc from Netgalley. This is my honest review. </b>

Super cute!
A smidge angsty, very, very hot, and just, highly enjoyable. I adored both MCs, although I wanted to knock some sense into Sebastian more than once.

I'm excited to jump into book two.

 "Sanctuary" was an absolute joy of a book to read. I ADORED it so damn much, start to finish. I laughed, I swooned, I sighed, I grinned like an idiot, and I never wanted to leave Paris and Brett and their wonderful, wondrous, absolutely lovely found family of mad bird worshippers.
I've read several of these two authors's books, but I have the feeling that this series might become one of my favourites of theirs: the world-building was simple, but absolutely enchanting; I felt like I was actually there, and let me tell you, if a place like Nemeda existed, I'd definitely move there, no questions asked; please take me. I adored how all the clans worked together, I adored the political landscape and all the political scheming, and I adored the magical surprises Nemeda had in store for us (and for Paris!)

The two main characters, Paris and Brett, stole my heart. They're lovely and generous and wonderful, and they both have so many endearing, hidden complexities, vulnerabilities and flaws that left me reeling.
I also adored the side characters so damn much. I'm seriously obsessed by a couple of them: Killian, Minerva? Helena, Hector? The whole of the Hawk's clan and Orestes?
Gah, I loved them.

Hector and Killian though? I'M ALREADY OBSESSED OH GOD. I can't wait to read their romance. Also, if Helena and Minerva don't get a story I might kill somebody and/or myself (jk, BUT I WOULD DIE FOR THEM, I'm that obsessed with the small crumbs Sam and W.M. have given us *gimme gimme*)

Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes's writing just works for me; every single one of their stories has been an absolute joy to read, and I seriously cannot wait to read the second installment.
I'm sooooooo curious to read book two and to get to know its protagonists better.

Thanks Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes for the ARC. This is my honest review. 

 Freaking lovely.
Tavia Lark, the writer you are!
"Bound to the Wild Fae" was literal joy in book form.
Now, THIS is how you write a lighthearted, funny, heartwarming romance without sacrificing emotional depth, feelings and character development. I know I've said this every single time I've reviewed a Tavia Lark book, but she's seriously one of the best fantasy writers out there.
Her books feel like they were made for me, and her latest gem is no exception.
I had the time of my life: Yarrow and Folly stole my heart and soul, and I never wanted to leave them and I never wanted to leave Elladar, despite the monstrous plants, the sneaky fae and the evil shapeshifters. The world-building was so vivid! I'm seriously hoping we'll be back in this world ASAP, because there's so much more left to explore; and there are quite a few interesting side characters that have "MAIN CHARACTER" stamped on their forehead.

Yarrow and Folly are both fabulous protagonists. Yarrow stole my heart, with his wit, his flirty and hilarious self-confidence and I also adored seeing his more secret, vulnerable sides too; and Folly was a delight. He's an anxious mess, but he's also brave and good and the sweetest man ever. Their relationship stole my soul, and their chemistry and dynamic were top-notch, truly, no notes, just absolutely *chef's kissing sounds* delicious.

I think I might have underlined half of their interactions. Plus, the steam was STEAMING. Gah, I don't know how Tavia Lark does it, but *fans herself* I desperately need more of this.

< “Fucking spirits,” Yarrow breathes, staring down at him with something dangerously close to adoration. “I want to…” Folly lifts his chin, baring his throat in surrender. “What do you want to do?” Yarrow leans down. His hair spills over Folly’s shoulder, and his words hook into Folly’s soul. “I want to tie you up and fuck you for hours.” >

There's nothing I love more than a touch-starved, anxious mess of a person finding their very adoring, very "I've no pride, I just want to worship you", soulmate. Bonus points if said soulmate is A HUNK (and Yarrow is definitely that; plus, he has horns, and a whole lot of stamina. He had me kicking my feet and twirling my hair the whole time *sighs*)

I enjoyed this book so so so so much. The plot was an absolute delight: pesky curses and forced proximity, dangerous magical forests and sentient trees, scheming faes, quests and a whole lot of secret reveals. I seriously never wanted it to end.
But, oh god, that ending was beautiful. Absolutely, 100% satisfying, and I'm already looking forward to re-reading this.
I can't wait for Tavia's next masterpiece! 

 What a delight!!!!
This second book in the "Love in Portsmouth" (it's a complete standalone though!) was a gorgeous, angst-fueled, so-steamy-it-will-melt-your-pants-off, gem of a romance. I adored it so damn much.

The writing was gorgeous, the setting and the atmosphere were both so vivid you'll feel like you're there with Kit and Andrew and their messy, messy household. And the characters? Absolutely unforgettable. "Once a Gentleman" is packed with everything I usually look for in a romance: a (kinda one-sided) enemies-to-lovers romance, with a great deal of misunderstandings and delicious drama and lots of (kinda one-sided) hate sex that slowly turns into sweet, sweetly yearning (but still HOT, HOT, HOT) love-making; push-and-pull, opposites-attract (with a responsible, put-together but bitter secretary and his messy rake of an employer) and a whole lot of pining and disastrous attempts at winning the other's heart. I loved it so damn much.

Kit and Andrew are both unforgettable protagonists: both of them are messy, flawed (REALLY flawed, realistically flawed) and I couldn't count the sheer amount of mistakes, misunderstandings or snap judgements both of them were guilty of; I wanted to bash their heads together, and then make them kiss themselves senseless. I had the time of my life.
I loved Kit, but Andrew was my favourite: he's a mess; he's an idiot; he doesn't think before he speaks, AND he's a golden-retriever turned rake. Yes, your honour, he's my son!!!

< Andrew had desired Hewlett. He’d respected him. Now, he admired the man, and that—well, it was a bloody disaster, was what it was. He reached for the coffeepot again, this time determined to conquer both it and his headache. He had a great deal of brooding to do, and a secretary to either avoid or follow about like a puppy, he wasn’t yet sure which. >

Although, to be fair, out of them all, Samuel, the murderous, efficient footman, was my favourite. Ruthlessly competent, amoral but loyal, snarky: I adored him, and I can't tell you how many times I cackled out loud because of him. The ridiculously fun subplot about the messy, lazy household was beyond iconic.

Back to Kit and Andrew. Their romance stole my whole heart, and although I kinda wish those last chapters had had a bit more of a resolution (or, I don't know, maybe a smidge of hurt/comfort?! The endless possibilities....), I enjoyed the hell out of this book, start to finish.

I'm looking forward to diving into the rest of Eliot's backlist: I still have quite a few romances to devour of hers, and I'm absolutely certain they'll be as iconic as this one. 

 This was really cute!

"The Wolf's (Un)Lucky Fae" is a standalone story in this multi-author series packed with magic, fae and lucky coins; I'm looking forward to so many of these!
This one's blurb in particular had me so damn excited: I was sure I was going to love it... but yeah, although I did enjoy it (especially the first half!), I wasn't totally invested it, unfortunately.

First things first, the good.
"The Wolf's (Un)Lucky Fae" is a light-hearted, magical romance between a protective, sweet as sugar werewolf and a skittish, prickly fae with a hidden marshmellow heart: I loved seeing them get their much-awaited HEA. Their were cute and soft together.
I loved the side characters to bits, and I'm already looking forward to reading more books by this author. I haven't read the previous novels that are part of this same universe: for those who like me have started here, don't worry, you won't be lost. The world-building is fairly easy to grasp, and although there are a lot of side-characters that appear that have previously been featured in this universe, they have minor roles, and again, everything is easy to follow. I appreciated this quite a lot actually! I was worried I'd be lost, but Michele Notaro managed to make this novel feel like a true standalone: the character cameos aren't overwhelming, and Remi and Bel's romance remains the focus of the story from start to finish.
The world-building is intriguing; and I really liked the plot/premise in general too. No spoilers, but it had that Ella Enchanted feel to it y'know? *nods in approval*

Unfortunately, like I said, I wasn't totally sold on this book. There were a few plot/world-building holes that left me feeling a bit confused, like, the reason why the fae are treated so horribly and why nobody has done anything to remedy that; I'm hoping it will be addressed in the second book though.
I also kiiiinda got bored in the second half; I started skimming and that is never a good idea *sighs* I don't know; light-hearted books are fine, but I think I need them to have a smidge more substance and grit?
Also, I liked the two MCs, I did; but after a bit, they felt a smidge too easy-going, too perfect; they weren't enough to keep my interest. I like my MCs flawed and messy, and while Bel's definitely more my kind of protagonist (skittish, afraid, vulnerable, unsure? GIMME), Remi was just too perfect and too sweet for my liking.

Other than that, I did enjoy this, and I'm absolutely looking forward to reading about certain someones HEAs in the sequels.
Any reader who's looking for something sweet (with a smidge of plot related angst!), heartwarming and light-hearted will definitely enjoy this. And I'm sure any die-hard Michele Notaro fan will love it too!
I, for one, am so excited to read a few more of the stories in this series; I'm especially looking forward to Tavia Lark and Eliot Grayson's installments.

Thanks GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review. 

Absolutely wonderful conclusion to Mat and Ren's story. Their final novella was ridiculously lovely, heartwarming and funny, packed with love, a smidge of angst, found family vibes and the right amount of kinky spice.
I loved seeing Mat step into his role of King Consort: it was a treat; he never loses his bratty, pig-headed attitude, but seeing how far he's come from the scared prisoner of the first book was absolutely priceless.
I'm going to miss being in his head.
Ren was as entertaining and flirty as ever, but he also shows a much more romantic and thoughtfully serious side to him here that I really appreciated.

I'm going to miss these two idiots quite a lot; and I'm going to miss the whole gang as well: from Starling and Parvan to Jiron and Luis and El; even some of the newest entries managed to carve a place inside my heart.
Also, some moments nearly brought tears to my eyes: what a wonderful conclusion to this series.

P.S.: I'd absolutely kill/sell my soul (or some non vital organs) for El's story, and his own shot at happiness. It would be soooooo cool to be in his head; he's such a badass and I think he'd really shine as a protagonist *please, please, please 

Very, very enjoyable. I inhaled "Like a Gentleman" is just a few hours: it was fun, quick, spicy, a smidge angsty, and a whole lot of heartwarming. Plus, that epilogue was absolutely wonderful *heart eyes*

Not my favourite Eliot Grayson, but I spent a few enjoyable hours with this story.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading Andrew's story.