miras_booverse's reviews
413 reviews

I'm very sorry that the first book in the series "Gallows Hill" by Katelyn Tyler – "Deceit", did not manage to impress me much.

I really liked the previous book that I had read by the author, although I also realize that it was far from well written. Here, however, everything that was wrong with the writing style and with the building of the characters from the other book, I had a feeling was even worse.

The first 3-4 chapters went very well and it looked like she had seriously upgraded her style, improved it and that this book would be very strong. After these first few chapters, however, we returned to the superficial writing style, which does not delve much into the characters, it just describes the setting in a somewhat boring way, and the story was moving for the plot not for the characters, which, if you know me, already know how big of a problem I have with that. From the very beginning, it is noticeable that the actions of the characters do not have much logic, their reactions in certain situations are not very realistic and this was my first red flag in the book.

Here we have the secret society trope, but when just before “Deceit” I’ve read another book with this trope, which was an absolute masterpiece, it is even more obvious how bad the performance in this book was. It is clear that the author wanted to do something interesting with this, to come up with something fascinating and intricate, but what I actually witnessed was chaotic and not thought through enough.

Things happen too hastily, which makes the story seem not good at all, and the reader does not have the time to take a breath and understand when it’s managed to get to one or another moment. And this affects Skyla's relationship with the men, of course, because no matter how much it can be seen that there is some chemistry between them, it is not enough that we can feel it on the scale in which the author tried to convey it. In general, the relations between them seemed to me not only hasty, but also forced and out of place. Only with one of the characters, her relationship was developing at a good pace and seemed logical. And I don't know if it's because of this or just because I was able to get to know him best of all others in this mess, but I liked him the most.

Unfortunately, I can't say that I connected with any of the characters, no one made me sympathize with them or really feel them, which led to me just not caring about them.

The erotic scenes had some hits, but in general I was not particularly impressed with them.

The big plot twist at the end was interesting, but I think I'm guessing where things are going, or at least I hope so.

And after all this, I will most likely amaze you by telling you that I would read the second book when it comes out, just out of pure curiosity what will happen, because I cannot say that the first one was completely uninteresting to me. It just wasn't what I expected and what I wanted it to be.
~~~
Rating: 4/5⭐

✨~~~This book was provided to me by Katelyn Taylor for my honest opinion.~~~✨ 

I adore Lola King and her books, and "Loving The Liar" is another proof of that!

I’ll start with the fact that it was extremely pleasant for me to return to Stoneview, albeit through different characters and through their eyes to see the well-known and favorite characters from Lola King's others books. I just love how often everyone shows up and how we see for ourselves that they are not stagnant, but continue their lives, achieving success and being happy. Their appearances feel like meetings with old friends - they make you feel coziness, joy and warmth.

And that's just one of the things I like about Lola King's books. Her writing style is another of them. Each time I continue to be amazed at how detailed the author writes, how deeply she delves into the story and how complex and real she develops her characters.

The story is extremely interesting and here I will admit that at the beginning, when I started it, I had a completely wrong idea of which direction it would take, but in no way was I disappointed with its development. The secret society trope is so masterfully done, while at the same time creating a wonderful foundation for a rather convoluted plot and a heavy story for both of the main characters. The dynamics of the book are very good, and although the relationship between Chris and Ella is the main storyline, it is closely related to the whole secret society thing, which immediately provides a second storyline, a clear problem for the characters, a goal to move the plot towards, which in turn makes the book even darker. And you know - the darker a book is, the sweeter it is to read.

✨"Then let the record show Ella Baker will be mine again by the end of this year. Because when you meet a woman like her, believe me, you don't let her go twice."✨

😈Attention!!! A terribly toxic man on the horizon!😈

✨Who knows, maybe after a while, people will get the hint. Stay away from Ella Baker. Don't hurt her. Don't upset her. Don't make her feel uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form.
If there isn't a smile on her face, I want to know why. If there's a tear on her cheek, I want to know who. And if there's a name tattooed on her heart, it has to be mine."✨

From the many dark romances I've read since I discovered this genre, I can honestly say that Chris is the most toxic, manipulative and totally deranged (sometimes out of love, sometimes in general) male character I've come across so far, and this is a surprise for me too, given what I've read. This combination, which makes up the personality of the main male character in the book, can either totally turn you away or absolutely make you fall in love with him. And taking into account Lola King's writing style and the way his presentation is performed, it is much more likely that it will become the latter. However, this does not change the fact that Chris is a manipulative bastard who rises to a whole new level of toxicity. And given that I met him for the first time in “A Game of Hearts” and there he did not give the appearance of such a person, although some of his kinks were hinted at, he certainly turned out to be a hidden lemon, which I don't like how much I liked.

✨"We're everything," he finally says. "We're all that matters. And when things get out of control, I want you to remember that."✨

Their dynamic with Ella just makes your legs shake and makes your heart beat a crazy rhythm. And here I am not talking only about the erotic scenes between them, although you can be sure you’ll not only read, but also feel how hot they are🥵. The two have an extremely toxic relationship, no matter from which angle you look at it, and yet I can't deny how much I liked them as a couple. And their flaws in my eyes only made them even more real. There are a few scenes in the book in which you can predict what will happen as the plot clearly leads to them, but that doesn't make them any less satisfying when they do eventually happen. On the contrary - it enhances the pleasure even more.

✨Mainly, she'll understand there isn't any other ending to her story than the one where I'm her happily ever after.✨

And apart from these moments, from the middle of the book there are several quite shocking moments and big surprises, which I admit caught me off guard and made my mouth hit the ground. I also include the climax here, because it was thanks to it that I was once again left in shock by what was happening.

✨You built a world without me and left me with no choice but to destroy it. We'll build another one. I promise.✨

I liked the denouement very much. It is wonderfully executed without the action being delayed or hasty. And this leads to a wonderful finale for this exciting and interesting story and automatically ranks it among some of the best books I have read this year.

I can't wait for the next book and for the revelation of which couple it will be for.
~~~
Rating: 5/5⭐

✨~~~This book was provided to me by Valentine PR for my honest opinion.~~~✨ 

 I have told you more than once how much I love mafia dark romances and that is why I am pleased to present to you "Broken Crown" by MJ Crouch - the first book in her series "Gilded Empire".

A crazy but fair mafia queen, three men who are ready to do anything for her, a lot of action, mafia war and hot erotic scenes. That's what you can expect from "Broken Crown" by MJ Crouch.

I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I managed to like the story and that the first 4-5 pages do not deceive the reader, and the book is as well written as they show.

The author's style is great. It's deep and detailed, it depicts the setting very well and presents elements from the past of the characters that shaped them as a person at exactly the right moment in the right way, so that everything looks in place, and not just flattened there out of the blue. I am also sincerely impressed by how deeply the author has delved into the mafia world of the characters and how well she develops this storyline, in parallel with the love story and getting to know these four.

And speaking of them, their building is wonderful! The representation of their inner battles and thoughts shows how deep and multi-layered they all are created. Developing them through the book, showing sides that were previously unknown to the rest of their environment, the decision to fight for their desires and at the same time the respect they have for each other, make the characters so real that the reader can easily get to know them and not be able to distinguish them from real people.

✨Maybe it was the way she gave in to him, a sort of submission that she only offered him. Maybe it was the way he knew her body, the way he riled her up so much that I could see it clear as day. Maybe it was the way I could easily picture myself on the other side, boxing her in so all she could see, taste, and smell was us.✨

I really liked how smoothly, but at the same time not too slowly, the relationship between Marie, Dominic and Grayson develops, going in the perfect direction according to the characters themselves, and not according to the situation. Through this, the passion, love and care that the three of them feel for each other is clearly visible. Only Nate was a big question mark for me in the whole equation, but in a mysterious rather than not thought through way, and I'm sure we'll find out more about him in the next books.

✨If soulmates were real, Greyson was Mari's.✨

The dynamics of the book are great. Something is constantly happening that keeps the interest going, even in the moments when the action seems to have died down. Everything is logical and there are no scenes or actions that emerge out of nowhere, which I also really liked.

The climax is very good - tense, with a lot of action, but at the same time it did not lack emotional moments. And for this very reason, I think that the author has done a great job of finding the right balance so as to engage the reader as much as possible and make him wonder what will happen next.

The end is open and it certainly makes me eager to pick up the next book.
~~~
Rating: 5/5⭐

✨~~~This book was provided to me by Grey's Promo for my honest opinion.~~~✨ 

 In the second book, unlike the first, the main emphasis is on getting to know the characters and showing a lot of moments from their past, which were extremely important for turning them into the people who are in the present.

On the other hand, the dynamics are almost at all lost. The action is centered at the beginning of the book, and then a large part of it revolves around the conversations between the characters, in which they tell their stories. I think this could have been much sparser between the pages and not go into such a narrative mode, because there was a moment I was tired of just listening to conversations. The approach here could have been different, but the opportunity has been missed. At least it's good that there were occasional scenes with memories so that there is some balance and the story moves a little. It is only towards the end that there begins to be more dynamic again and more things happen, mainly in the relationship between the four characters, as it develops quite a bit in this book. However, this does not change the fact that the middle of the book, at least in my eyes, had a too much of a filling of information.

✨"How's it look?" I asked with a resigned sigh.
Christian's eyes locked onto mine, intense and unwavering. "Kitten. you look like my future," he said, his voice low and full of promise.✨

The other thing that was also too much for me was Scarlet's ambivalence towards the brothers and what to do. It's understandable that she's confused, given everything that's happened to her, and it's normal to wonder if she's gone crazy to get attached to them, but after a certain point, all these thoughts start to sound like ridiculous, as it is repeated the same thing throughout the whole book, and quite often at that if I might add. It certainly became more irritating than making you get into her situation and sympathize with her.

The ending is certainly quite surprising. I admit that I did not even suspect what would happen and because of this I was extremely interested in how things would develop there and whether the four of them would have a future together.
~~~
Rating: 3/5⭐

✨This book was provided to me by J.E. Cluney for my honest opinion.✨ 

Книгата не успя да ме грабне, историята не ме въвлече и не задържа по никакъв начин вниманието или интереса ми, а стилът на писане не ме впечатли особено.

 With "Look, Don't Touch", Meg Everly marks the beginning of a great trilogy, descending into the dark depths of the traumatic past of the main characters and the consequences it inflicts on their present.

Initially, the book had kind of slow pace for me and was difficult to read, but I attribute this only to the detailed writing style, which pays close attention to both the setting and the inner reflections of both of the main characters, as we have two points of view. The author has done a great job of delving into the depth of the story and by introducing Hayley from the very beginning. It was immediately obvious to me that she approached in a very interesting and different way with the main characters - they are something new and this is what attracted me to them, awakening my curiosity to get to know them.

✨"You know how I said my dragon protects my heart?"
"Yes." He kisses my nose.
"You are my dragon."
"Bet your ass, I am."✨

The story itself is very interesting and it didn't take me long after the initial difficulties to get into its rhythm. After just a few pages, I understood more or less how things were, and the curious interactions between Arlo and Hayley only fueled my desire to keep reading.

✨Heaven, if the damned place exists, will be her. At my feet. By my side. On my bed. In my head. Devouring my heart.✨

The chemistry between these two is undeniable, the passion is visible from afar, and the way they love each other makes your own heart beats faster. I really liked the sincere and clear communication between them and the fact that they were not afraid to talk about their feelings, even when they were afraid of them and the speed at which they were developing.

✨My favourite spot in the world is now your lips. There, my problems don't exist and I am connected to the universe.✨

The climax was a surprise for me, because I didn't expect exactly that, but at the same time, it wasn't something unpredictable that I hadn't thought about. What I liked is that it was really well woven into the story and its presentation was strong and credible.

The denouement really shocked me, but in a good way that make your legs shake for how hot it was.

I really liked the ending. It is as if the story ends, and at the same time there remains a pretty big door open for the sequel in the next book, which I can't wait for. I am very pleasantly impressed.
~~~
Rating: 4.5/5⭐

This book was provided to me by Grey's Promo for my honest opinion.