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bellebookcorner's reviews
1251 reviews

Heart of Shadows: A Slow Burn Steamy Dark Epic Romantasy by Meg Cowley

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
Heart of Shadows is a great start for fantasy series! 
 
It was a bit slow at first since the author would like to introduce the key players, the epic world building with elves, dragons, dwarfs as well as the state of the kingdoms.  
I really like the writing style, it’s easy to read so the plot flow smoothly and keep me interested as the story progresses to the main conflict. 
 
I love the characters here, especially the outcast gang member that Harper (FMC) found herself into which welcome her like a family would. 
There’s a little bit of a love triangle in here, but it’s still not clear who it’s gonna be the ultimate love interest at the moment. I kinda like both of them but at the end I’m rooting for Dimitri cause he's giving me bad boy vibes~ 
 
The last few chapters is quite intriguing, some unasnwered questions left me wondering... 
Guess I’ll have to wait next year to find out his true motive and character in the next book! 
 
Overall, this is a well-written fantasy romance with fascinating world building, loveable characters and intriguing storyline! 
I’m really looking forward to read the next book in this series soon! 
 
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and the author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
 
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Full list of trigger warnings can be found on the author’s website. 
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The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I love the unique world building of this story with the mirror people added with a prophecy to solved, it really capture my interest at the beginning. 
However, there’s so many aspects in this book that I wish for more. 
 
I couldn’t really understand some of Ying’s actions which really frustrated me most of the time then there’s the whole miscommunication with the love interest, Zhang Lin. 
I’m also not a huge fan of how the romance started for both main characters. 
 
There are some parts that sometimes took me out of the story especially when they ‘cursed’ in modern language which can be weird considering this was a historical fantasy book. 
I also have so many questions for the plot, like how some things came to be. A few events happen so fast with no explanation which left me wondering why. 
 
I had such high expectations at first cause this book had such a high potential to be a great one – the premise sounds promising, the cover looks great, it also had a fascinating world building as well. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work out for me. 
I would’ve liked it better if there’s more room for explanation and character growth, maybe making this like a duology.  
 
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
An Ember of Chaos by Amber Lynn Natusch

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adventurous challenging funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a captivating sequel to An Echo of Fire! 
This book has everything – exciting adventure, epic battle and show of power as well as swoony and spicy romance! 
 
An Ember of Chaos starts right after the ending of the 1st book with Ariel trying to find out the truth to her identity. Followed by Hemming and Shayfer, they journeyed back to Ariel’s home land to find out the truth where the answer lies at a secret island… 
 
The plot is interesting to follow and I love that we get to know more of Ariel’s past as well as exploring new areas and meeting new characters. 
The easy writing style and short chapters had my eyes glued to my kindle the whole time, this book was so hard to put down! 
 
I absolutely adore the trio main characters – Ariel, Hemming and Shayfer. Their bantering (mostly between Hemming and Shayfer) is delightful to read which really liven up the story. I love the strong friendship bond they have, they always stand up and protect each other. 
As for the romance, there’s no doubt about the chemistry between Ariel and Hemming. Both of them are truly made for each other! 
 
The last few chapters are very intense and action-packed, twist after twist was thrown which had me at the edge of my seat! 
When I thought everything was over and everyone was happy, that little epilogue said otherwise….. 
 
Overall, this is a great addition to the series that comes with lots of twists and great action scenes. 
Highly enjoyable, entertaining and recommended for fantasy romance who craved adventure and love dragons! 
I’m really looking forward to read the next book in this series! 
 
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and the author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
 
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Fantasy violence 
Gilded Wicked Mirrors by Hazel St. Lewis

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
A wonderful combination of fantasy, romance and intriguing murder mystery! 
 
The magic system with the mirror and deadly bargains really captivate me from the start. 
Added with a murder mystery to solved where our main characters are forced to work together to uncover the truth behind the murders… 
 
I absolutely enjoy seeing the delightful flirty banter between our main characters – Emrys and Quinn. I love the tension between the two of them, although I have to admit it got me a little bit frustrated with how long they play this game of pull and push!! 
I can’t wait to see what happens next after that huge cliff-hanger at the end…. 
 
I love most parts of this story, however the last few chapters were slightly confusing for me. So many things happened and it all happened too quickly. The ending left me with some unanswered questions which I’m hoping will be answered in the next book. 
 
Overall, this was a pretty good read. I find the magic system to be unique and it also has wonderful characters. 
I’m looking forward to read the next book in this series in 2025! 
 
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and the author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
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Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

If you’re looking for a YA mystery with a heist, dark lies and secrets worth killing for then this one might be for you! 
 
The first 20% of the story is a bit slow since the author wants to introduce the key players to the readers and how they’re going to be connected to one another. 
However, things will get a lot more interesting once the mystery starts with a sound of gun shot in a middle of a party… 
 
This story is told in dual POV from the main characters – Liam and Kat. 
At times, Liam appears too innocent to be involved in a heist, while Kat is the complete opposite of him - she’s reckless but also highly intelligent in a life or death situation. 
But, that’s what makes them both interesting main characters for this story and despite how different they are and haven’t seen each other in years, they clicked and treat each other like family instantly. 
 
The last few chapters are quite intense as the puzzle pieces started to come together, twist upon twist are thrown which can be quite overwhelming so I have to read it slowly to understand all of it. 
But, I have to admit the last twist manage to surprise me real good! 
 
Overall, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining mystery read with a satisfying ending. 
This is not the first time I read a book by this author and won’t be the last, I’m looking forward to read more books in the future. 
 
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
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The Last Party by A.R. Torre

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Two words for this story, dark and twisted! 
As the story had some events and topics that might be sensitive to some readers, I suggest checking out the trigger warnings before diving into this one. 
 
Short chapters and easy-to-read writing style had me hooked into the story pretty fast right from the start. 
I also like a couple of quotes from other people’s point of view about the Wultz family and the Folcram Party incident which gives some insight for the readers about what’s going on. 
 
The main character, Perla is not a likeable character and you’ll get what I mean if you read this story. I didn’t mind it and I keep on reading because I was interested in the mystery and how’s every puzzle pieces scattered throughout the story will be connected. 
 
I have to say I figured out the big reveal pretty early on like around 30-40% of the story but I’m still able to enjoy reading this story and see how everything unfolds in the end. 
 
Overall, it’s a very thrilling, dark and twisted psychological thriller.  
It was such a page turner, my eyes are glued to my kindle…. 
This is not my first read by this author and won’t be the last either, I’m definitely looking forward to read more books by this author in the future! 
 
I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!
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The Arsenic Eater's Wife by Tonya Mitchell

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I got the audio version of this story, I do like how the narrator is able to voice out the emotion that the characters are feeling which makes this reading experience more unique.
However, there are times when the narrator’s voice is too small to be heard and with the accent it can be quite difficult for me to grasp what the narrator is saying.

As for the plot itself, I enjoyed the first part of the story more compare to the second part, where the timeline goes back and forth between the trial and the past events leading to the day where Constance was captured as a suspect for murdering her own husband.
I’m curious about the truth to the murder mystery, which is part of the reason why I kept on listening until the very end.

However, I find most parts from the second part of the story a bit dragging. The last few chapters are quite odd following Constance’s actions for finding the answers. I felt slightly disappointed with the answer to the mystery.

Overall, it’s still quite an enjoyable book. I enjoy listening to the narrator and a couple of red herrings thrown in this story manage to hold my interest until the very end.
 
I also found out from other reviews that this story was inspired by a true event, sadly it wasn’t mentioned on the audio version. I would’ve liked to know more about that.

I received an advanced audio book for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: self-harm, suicide attempt, animal death, drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, brief mention of child abuse
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Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses by Katrina Emmel

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

If you’re looking for a heart-warming adorable romance then I recommend picking this one up!! 
 
I absolutely love the writing style, it describes the beautiful setting of this book perfectly! 
I’m not a huge fan of being out in the wild for days but through this story is one of the exception that made wished I could be on that Oregon Trail Excursion! 
 
Riley’s character is actually pretty relatable. I could totally relate to her as I would not be happy either if I have to go on that trail excursion after my life had just undergone massive change. 
I really enjoy seeing how Riley started to grew fonder towards Nebraska - the people and its nature thorughout this story. 
Not to mention, a handsome and sweet cowboy is there as a tour guide, life may not as bad as Riley thinks….. 
 
Overall, this is highly enjoyable and entertaining. My eyes are glued to my kindle, it’s such a page turner! 
I bet teenagers would love a story with a mix of adventure, nature and also a dash of romance! 
I’m really looking forward to read the next book by this author in the future! 
 
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
Iron Rose by Abigail O'Bryan

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A compelling retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale. It’s so different than the beauty and the beast retelling stories I had read before. 
The world building was intriguing, although I kinda wished there’s more information to some of the things mentioned throughout the story.  
 
The first half-part of the story is a little bit slow as the author introduced the world building and the characters, but the pace picked up right after Lydia met the Beast and things get a lot more interesting.... 
 
Lydia is unlike the ‘Belle’ we know from the original tale. I admire her character and I really like seeing her character grow throughout the story. 
I also enjoy reading those chapters from the Beasts’s POV as we get to know more about his background story. 
 
The last few chapters where the rebellion finally take a stand to face the Crimson are very with swords drawn and arrows flying all over the city. 
Suffice to say, I feel satisfied with how everything got wrapped up in the end. 
 
Overall, for a debut novel this was a pretty good read. I really enjoy my time reading Lydia and the Beast’s story. 
I will definitely look out for more books by this author in the future. 
 
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and the author for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
 
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: hunger Games level violence/gore. 
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Illusion of Stars by Sarah Marie Page

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

“You are beautiful capable enough.” 
 
Illusions of Stars is a very emotional book, the author did a great job in conveying the emotions that the characters are feeling especially about Isabel’s grief over losing one of her best friends. 
 
I really like the world building and the magic system, I found it very interesting. It was a bit hard to understand at first but it got easier once the story progresses. 
 
I really like the sweet and tender moment of Isabel and Erik starts opening up to each other and find that they’re not so different after all. The moment where they said ‘I see you..’ that’s one of my favorite! 
HOWEVER, I still felt like something was missing – there’s no spark between Isabel and Erik which prevented me from shipping them 100% together.. 
 
As much as I like this story, some parts of the book felt like it dragged on with repeated descriptions of a couple things throughout the story. 
I also felt that the storyline has too many sub-plot to follow that could deviate from the main plot which confused me and sometimes pull me out of the story. 
 
Nevertheless, this book was still an enjoyable and fun read to me! 
The ending was unexpected seeing how Isabel broke through and became a completely new person, I can’t wait to find out what happens next! 
 
I received an advanced review copy for free from through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Massive thank you to the author and publisher!
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