thesandyreader's reviews
172 reviews

Oh man, I just love a good hockey romance! This was my first book by Leah and I’m pretty sure I need to go back and read the rest of this series now!

This had everything I want in a feel good romance. A pining and hot man who will do anything for love, a sassy woman who is getting her confidence back, found family, and some good hockey. He waited a year and a half to have her after one kiss 🥺 I mean come on, how cute is that?? And gifting her an oven… yes please. Sign me up. 

This is a very controversial book. I got the ARC copy of it and not long after quite a few things came out about quotes of the book and a rough non-apology from Sophie about it. 

With all that in mind, I’m going to keep this brief. 

The book was cute. I enjoy a good romance and a save-the-day vibe. The slow burn was spicy and the teasing was lovely. I enjoyed them all pulling together as a family. 

I do not enjoy unnecessary racist comments in a book and unneeded comments praising Musk as he destroys our government and tries to ruin progress. I also do not appreciate it when authors don’t own up to their mistakes. 

It’s a shame. This is a fun book and would have been an enjoyable 4 star romance. 

Yes yes yes!! Now this is what I expect from Holly! Incredible!

I really enjoyed this book. We get backstory, insight into plots and twists from the previous series that are well described and have an impact on this book, blackmail and backstabbing, redemption, and a dash of honest love. Just perfect. 

The weaving of this story was exceptional - even when I thought I had all the information and was sussing out what was going on, it quickly became clear I was missing things and it all just wasn’t quite lining up. And I loved it. That’s the kind of story I love from Holly - plots on plots on plots, everyone out for a different goal and working in the shadows to get it done. 

Highly recommend if you enjoyed the rest of her books, and definitely read the rest of this series first for full context. 

This was an interesting one. I wish I had read the Cruel Prince and Wicked King series again before reading this.

It felt like in some ways I jumped into the middle of this book. There were a lot of references to battles and plots that I’m sure were in the previous books but I don’t really remember, and I feel they would have fleshed out the story more. Many of the characters referenced seemed to have backstory and history tangled up with each other that wasn’t fully explained here and made it a bit hard to track. 

With that said, my limited memory of the other books did help some, and while I think it would have added a lot of context and understanding to have had that history, the book on its own was still an enjoyable read. Most of the characters seemed a little flat, but not to a point of disinterest, and I really enjoyed Wren. There was some complexity to the plot though it seemed to drag a bit.  Generally, it doesn’t hold up to what I recall the other series being. 

I would recommend this book if you enjoyed and remember the previous books. On its own, I think it loses some of the luster. 

I really wanted to rate this 4, and it might have been if I had read the others recently and remembered the story details. I simply cannot justify 4 stars for a book that should stand on its own, and yet I would not recommend without another series fresh in your mind. I will probably go back and reread the others soon for additional context to this story. 

The joy I felt returning to this world and these characters… so damn excited. 

I feel like we really got a great view of the world of Tirene in this book and I really enjoyed it. I want to learn more about their culture, and I really appreciated the thoughtfulness when describing how the architecture is different to accommodate wings - it’s a thoughtful touch that helped embed me further in the story and picture it more accurately and I appreciate that level of detail throughout the books. 

The story itself was very enjoyable, but admittedly it felt more like context and setting up for the next than the last one. Don’t get me wrong, didn’t want to put it down (bath water got cold) but I was hoping for a bit more action. With that said, that ending really scared the crap out of me and I can’t wait to see what happens next!! 

Lark and Knox have it baaaad for each other and watching the two of them dance around and send lingering looks and stolen touches… 🤌🏻 perfection. The constant tension between them is beautiful and I really enjoyed watching Knox especially open up and begin showing more of his true self to Lark throughout the story. I just love them together. 

And Jasper… I still don’t know what to think about him. He kept my feelings swinging from dislike to maybe softening understanding to wow what an a$$hat and ending the book with thorough pride and respect. What a rollercoaster. 

The dragons are fabulous additions to the book and honestly I’d love to be a dragon caller and meet some of them. 

I’ve officially reached the last book in this series, and the last book in this world. I’m sad it’s over. 

This book was a mix of thoughts for me. I loved the way it threaded everything together. We found out about the prophecy, and the companion series moments all clicked during this book. This one showed a different side of Sera -  the side of her as a ruler and why she will be a great one. Choosing to be unknown and to not have a legacy is such a tough decision, but she made it so easily.  

With that said, I do feel like this book could have been shorter. There were times when I found myself wishing we could just get through the setup and filler and get to the meat of the story. I would put down the book, walk away, and come back to it when I was ready because I didn’t want to not enjoy the book.

Also, on some level I understand the pregnancy and how it facilitates some prophecy things but… I just didn’t love that and the way some of the chapters just became so focused on that rather than the main story thread, drawing it out further. I wish it wasn’t as emphasized in the books. 

The satisfaction though when they all get a plan and people start getting what they deserve… oooh yeah. So amazing. And as someone who read the companion series first, it was just so thrilling to finally get some answers to that and see how it all happened and ties together. 

Highly recommend this book, this series, and this world honestly. 

This book was decent. A fun mystery with the Secret Service, FBI, and a fun rogue granny solving crime. 

This book felt very lighthearted, and while it was predictable I enjoyed reading it. Ethel is a hoot and really carried the book. 

Not bad if you want an easy mystery book. 

A little late to the party here, but the way I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I started this in the airport, almost missed the announcement for my plane because I was so absorbed in it, and then I was ~almost~ upset to see my friends because it meant I couldn’t finish this book 😅. 

Incredible. The writing is beautifully descriptive and I felt like I was really there in the novel. Saeris is my favorite kind of FMC - stabby, badass, take no shiz character who yes wants the man but also refuses to just cave to what he demands. I loved her disbelief at everything she got dragged into and the way she stood up for herself and what was important to her consistently. 

Kingfisher is a wonderfully complex character with a sketchy past and more bonds than should be healthy for one person. While there were times I wanted to smack him upside the head, his grumpy character was endearing as the layers started to peel away and reveal more of him, and honestly Saeris took care of the smacks anyway 😂.

I found the side characters to be hilarious and a good addition to the story - I was invested in them, but didn’t feel like they took away from the plot, and loved how their levels of importance changed throughout. 

The story itself is a classic battle and lovers tale and I enjoyed it. The complexity of the bonds and alchemy made for some interesting twists, and I didn’t expect the fallout of the ending. 

Highly recommend if you’re a fantasy/ romantasy lover! 

Delightfully vicious. That’s the first thing that comes to mind about this book. I received this as an ARC and am excited about the next one. 

It’s cutthroat and harsh and there are betrayals around every chapter and I love it. This is not your typical “FMC discovers powers, battles for survival in a tournament, meets her true love, all tied up in a pretty bow” book. The FMC is gritty and harsh and real. It doesn’t feel like there really is a happy ending for her, and she is certainly not one to go down without shredding the world down with her. The characters are all morally gray at best, black at worst. Everyone is looking out for themselves and willing to do whatever it takes for their own interests, which makes for a delightfully unique read among the “morally gray” but in reality quite light gray characters that are popular now. 

I am so so intrigued by the powers and control shown so far in this series, and interested in this concept of the Under and Upper and who the possible pairing could be for a character this wild - I can’t wait to see how that builds and for us to meet them. 

The book definitely started off a bit complicated. The world context, terms, names, and powers took a bit to wrap my head around and understand as the magic use is quite complex and understanding the political structure and kingdoms with minimal context is difficult. I think it was worth the effort to work through, though I wish I had a map to reference at the end for kingdom locational relationships. 

If you like a rough and gritty fantasy, you’ll love this. There is no redeeming romance here, just fighting for survival and taking what you deserve. Highly recommend. 

What a sad, heart wrenching, and wonderful book. 

I found the story to be a familiar legend with heartbreaking twists - the beautiful girl, trained to seduce the evil king so he can be overthrown. And while I knew the thread of the story, and how that piece would end, I did not foresee all the elements of heartbreak around it. 

The story drew me in. The writing was beautiful and created a strong sense of place. I could feel the breeze and smell all the florals within the palace. 

There’s an unexpected level of humanness in this story. It’s not like most legends where it is a clear good triumphing over evil, but rather one where you see the shades of gray in everyone. I found myself lamenting some deaths and wishing for others unexpected. 

Overall, a wonderful book that I would recommend.