laurreads's reviews
186 reviews

Same day, same series! I continue to read this series for the girls, and I’m not disappointed! Honestly, this book is a retelling of the first book from Rourke’s point of view. A lot of the other reviews mention that it is repetitive, and that’s true! However, I love getting the other MCs point of view, so this was fun. Again, if you liked the first one, just go ahead and check this one out, too.

MGMF 2 had improvements! It was written much better than the first one, and it gave us so much insight into Rourke. Yes, scenes are repeated, but they’re repeated through him, so you get to learn why he said what he said, how he felt, and how he internally reacted to everything. I mainly loved knowing what he was thinking about and being able to understand that he wasn’t brusque because he’s rude; rather, he’s nervous!

There were also some downsides in this one. Since it’s a retelling, the setting and premise’s original novelty wore off a little bit. Some of the dialogue was slightly changed from MGMF 1 to MGMF 2. I’m sure I only noticed because I read MGMF 1 this morning (1-3:30 AM), but I noticed nonetheless. Also, I know Rourke is a big minotaur and Violet’s a regular human, but I got tired of hearing how small she is! I just need numbers on their heights. Is she 4’10? Or is she 5’5 and he’s huge, so she seems small? Also, the author really couldn’t describe Violet’s voice as anything other than “birdlike.” I think the “birdlike chirp of [Violet’s] voice” is mentioned once per chapter. There really wasn’t any deviance from that, and it would have been nice to see literally any other descriptions.

Overall, this is like a 3 for me. It was just a fun time that was totally fine for the most part. Check the author’s website for TW/CWs!! I don’t know if it’s because my anxiety meds are working finally or what, but I have no qualms about writing these reviews lol.

3.5 ⭐️ CHECK TWs!

This was interesting for sure. Roberts doesn’t over-rely on any phrases, descriptions, or actions. The sex scenes were fun (and detailed, so fair warning). This is a popular monster romance for very clear reasons. I liked the characters, and Roberts actually had my heart twisting with Sol. Sol is just a big softy, trying his best to help his wife, a survivor that he respects and truly cares for. Briar is struggling to recover and just needs a safe space to process her feelings, however she sees fit.

I had a few gripes. This book is a little insta-lovey, and I think it could have been longer. 179 pages (on kindle app on phone) is SO short for a book like this. It took me 2.5 hours to read, but I wish it was just a little longer. The ending was particularly rushed. Also, the speed at which Briar recovers from [spoiler??] is sort of unbelievable. I wish that there was more gentle exploration of her feelings rather than Roberts’ idea of Briar “horny-ing” her way through recovery. I had another note, but it has left my mind. I’ll update if/when I remember what it was! :)

Overall, I recommend this if you’re looking for a quick read with decent to good spice. However, if you have ANY qualms about reading about the trigger warnings, do NOT read this. I am at a point in my recovery journey that I can work through it, but we are likely not the same! That said, I think I will check out the next one.

This was recommended to me as a follow-up to Bride by Ali Hazelwood & further foray into published Omegaverse works. Also, my fave creator Heather McLarry read this, so I wanted to give it a try!

I liked this a lot! I love dual POV books so much. There's something special about reading the thoughts of stoic men as they realize their defenses are being worn away. For the most part, I enjoyed their banter, and despite my original nerves, I didn't think Mackenzie was annoying. She was realistically sassy and fun, and she acted her age, I think.

The Fake Mate is HEAVY on the spice. Once it starts, it doesn't stop. It's well-written, but there are a few overused terms. If you aren't wicked into spice or maybe you don't love wolf-related romance, this definitely won't be for you. Also, there is a pivotal scene missing that is merely alluded to in the epilogue! I felt cheated, honestly.

If you're looking for something fun, easy, and a little different, try this! The hospital setting is interesting, and some medical terms are used. Check TWs, especially if you are triggered by anything medical- or body-related! :)

i have conflicting feelings about this book, but overall, i liked the main characters, their story (95% of it), and the general vibe. despite some very millennial phrases/ideas, i thought rhapsodic was fairly well written for the type of book it is (see: monster romance). also, i like the layout with each chapter having a past & present section so you get to see the relationship play out.

my main beef is the [presumed] age gap. we never get an age on the bargainer, but callie is 15, just about to turn 16, when they meet. i think the story would have worked if she was 18 going on 19. hell, 17 going on 18 could have worked! but i can’t understand why thalassa went with 15-16 in the past sections. i assume the bargainer is at LEAST in his 20s in the past sections. i don’t think he’s a scumbag, but i do think that thalassa wrote in more flirtation from him than necessary. it made me uncomfortable, and i docked a full star and a half just for that.

otherwise, the other half star dock is for the pace of the book. i loved getting to see callie & the bargainer, and i think their stories were well paced! however, the mystery sub-plot (and it /is/ just a subplot) was too slow and too fast. i would say the last 70 pages try to wrap up this plot, and it still wasn’t completed. obviously this is a series, so i assume the other books explore the mystery, but we truly spent such little time following that plot in this book.

if you go into this book completely honest with yourself & understanding that you are going to have some conflict with it, this is a good book. if you read ACOTAR & could get over the age gaps there, then you can make it through this. but! if you go into this thinking it’ll be great classic literature that will radically alter your life, you will be disappointed. i read it in one night (nearly 400 pages in 4 hours), so do with that what you will. :)

I read this book for the first time in 2022. I completed the entire series within a week. I just updated my rating, and I'd like to discuss why. ACOTAR was fun, and it got me back into reading after I graduated college and left two jobs that were taking my brain and time from me. I can now look back and see that there were problems with this book. Both ACOMAF and ACOWAR were better than ACOTAR, but you obviously cannot skip ACOTAR. I think ACOTAR is good because it's double enemies-to-lovers in a fantasy world with a powerful character (despite her inability to read). I look back on this series and think that I'm glad I read them. I still tell people I love this series, and I still have love for the girl who needed this story two years ago. However, I don't think you should go into this series expecting it to be life-changing or world-altering. It is a fun time where you don't have to think too much.

If you want it, here is my overall ranking of SJM series:
1. Throne of Glass
2. ACOTAR
3. Crescent City