oknazareth's reviews
897 reviews

I liked West and Jasper’s story. 
West had to leave his life, his hockey career and dreams to take care of his 6 siblings. 
Jasper survived violent bullying and became a successful math professor. 
They should not make sense together, but they are perfect for each other. They had so much to overcome, and we get to read their struggles and how they healed the wounds from their past. Together they were better and it was lovely.

 The author said this was "the book of her heart," and you can clearly see it when you read it. Crafted so carefully to make you love all the characters, and to make you doubt of them all as well.
A Taste of Gold and Iron was sweet when a lot of romantasy books are furious, and slow in a way that made sense to the book. No instalove here, but not quite enemies to lovers either.

Set in a world that sounds similar to the Middle East, Kadou's big sister is the Sultan making him the prince of the most prosperous nation. They made perfect gold coins and managed to maintain economic stability when all other countries where struggling.
The whole plot centers around the threat to the nation’s currency, where someone is messing with the coin composition, threatening the trust they have amongst all other countries. It can be a catastrophe and Kadou is trying to fix it.

I loved Kadou. He's the prince of my dreams. Battling with generalized anxiety disorder and not knowing how to handle it. His struggles are portrayed authentically, making him relatable. Showcasing how to be afraid doesn't mean to be a coward. Second guessing himself every step of the way, but so good and so brave that made me want to protect him at all costs. But it's ok because he has his protectors.

Evemer has been promoted to the highest rank of the guard, assigned to serve and protect the careless/negligent prince. Evemer, initially antagonistic, grows to reveal a deeper loyalty as he protects Kadou.

I loved him to pieces, too.

Their story stole my heart, made me giggle and swoon. The story had me doubting everyone even though I had it figured out since the beginning. I'm glad I read this book.

I find it difficult to give this a full five stars because:
1. I don't think this book can be considered fantasy (unless having two moons and being able to touch-taste metals count?).
2. The antagonists were not well developed, simplistic and very easy to defeat.
3. I would have liked more worldbuilding, everything happens in the same city, but there is ample mentions of other places we could have explored.
4. While the stakes are high, the resolution feels somewhat predictable.

I still think it was a great story. Kadou's struggles with anxiety resonated with me personally. His journey reminded me of the importance of seeking support and building your self-worth. The loveable characters and positive representation make it a great read, one that I really enjoyed. 

Drarry fic with the amnesia trope, which I love. 
In this story, Harry lost all his memories 4 months ago, no healer has been able to help and he has 2 months to recover them. Once he reaches the 6th month, it is unlikely that his memories will return. 
Enter mind healer Draco. He is the best of the field, of course, but he will have to do a legilimency therapy on Harry. 
It was easy to read, each chapter is one therapy session. Then the memories are back, will Harry return to be the Harry from the past, will he continue to be the Harry from the last 2 months, or will Draco meet a new Harry that combines the two? 
I liked it and I will remember this fic by how the Earl Grey tea smells.