book_lover_irl's reviews
437 reviews

Emotional, heart wrench!ng, sad, ultimately hopeful. The author did a fantastic job of sharing what it is like to be inside the head of someone with mental health challenges. The internal dialogue and outward actions of the main character were spot on and helped capture the dysfunctional side of living with bipolar. I really related to this story as a survivor of a suicide attempt and as a parent of two children with bipolar diagnoses. Overall wonderful and good read for someone trying to understand what it’s like to live with mental health issues.

POSSIBLE SPOILER COMING UP re: my concern with the novel

At one point in the novel, the MC decides to stop taking their medication. The MC does not tell anyone they are stopping their meds, and does not consult their doctor or parents about their decision. 

I am very upset that the author failed show the realistic fallout (both emotional and cognitive) of being unmedicated. The novel showed the MC managed their internal thoughts and emotions better when she took her meds, but did not show the reverse when she stopped taking her meds. There are real-life consequences when someone stops taking their mental health meds without proper medical guidance. Since mental health meds balance your brain chemistry, your behavior and thinking patterns can revert back to their un-medicated ways within a couple days (or less). 

It was irresponsible of the author to fail to show the mental health consequences of being unmedicated without the guidance of a medical professional. That is NOT the way it works in real life. Folks with bipolar are notorious for feeling better while on their meds and then decided to stop taking their meds because they start to feel better. However, it is a catch 22. They feel better because they are medicated, so because they feel better, they want to stop taking meds. However, as soon as they stop taking the meds, they become dysregulated again. Sometimes they fail to realize the entire reason they feel better is because of the meds. There can be very serious side effects and awful episodes of depression and mania without stabilizing meds.

 

Solid and enjoyable read. Not overly enthralling or surprising. Slow burn, spicy at the end. 

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

POV: Multi

HEA: Yes

Cliffhanger: No

Tropes: 

Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL
Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
StoryGraph: Book.Lover.IRL

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book 

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book 

⭐️⭐️ Meh…  bored or annoyed 

⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it 

 

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting 

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing h0t 

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking 

🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary 

🌶️ Does weak f0replay count? 

This was my first stalker trope and it’s just not my cup of tea. I find it creepy, disgusting and manipulative— not at all romantic or swoon worthy. The writing style and pace of the book are fine. I just can’t get over my icky feelings about the plot. If you like stalker tropes, you will probably enjoy this book. DNF for me. 

SUMMARY:
When Dad died, he made me the leader of the Italian Mafia. That position was unheard of for a woman until me. Ryder, Dex, Gage, and Holden are my team, my closest friends. Then Leo waltzes into my life, turning it upside down, along with everyone in it. With a new guy in my life, four guys vying for my affection, a past flame that refuses to be blown out, and threats lurking in every corner; I have to fight like hell to come out of the fire alive and still leading the Italian Mafia.

REVIEW:
Oy vi! Book two continues to be the spiciest and darkest novel I have read to date... and I’ve read a few (on my 63rd book of 2024 with 4 months still left.)

Riches to Riches by Ames Mills is a dark, reverse harem / polyamorous / why choose story with one kick ass FMC and 6 amazing MMCs. It includes M/M content, as well as almost any variation you can imagine for s3xy encounters and s3xual tropes. Definitely check the tr!gger warnings. It includes some extremely sensitive topics.

Book two had more plot than book one and included lots of angst and amazing spice. To be fair, book one was 85% spice and 15% plot (basically just an audio p0rno), so it would've been hard to top that much sm*t. If the author wanted to continue the story in a meaningful way, they had to step back from the spice and focus at least a teensy bit more on the plot and they did, which was welcomed with open arms.

Ada Sinclair and Patrick Zeller were back as the narrators and they did a great job. Sinclair ensured Alessa (Les) was multi-dimensional with her own demons, feelings, and vulnerabilities. It was a relief that Alessa was portrayed with depth. Zeller had a particularly hard task before him since he needed to give each of the 6 male MCs a distinct voice, cadence or accent so the listener knew which man was talking, especially in group situations where multiple MMCs would talk. Zeller nailed it and greatly enhanced the listening experience through his expertise.

A couple quick pet peeves -- I was exasperated by the number of times the FMC cried in book 2. She is supposed to be a big-time mafia princess and kick a$$. The sheer number of times she cried seemed excessive and happened all.the.time at the drop of a hat. It was also irritating how frequently someone’s “lips popped off” other folk's body parts. 

Aside from those slight irritations, if you love angst and spice, including lots of M/M and M/M/M/M, then you will enjoy this book. Reminder to check the tr!gger warnings!

Stars: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Multi (dual narration)
HEA: Have to read next novel to figure out ending
Cliffhanger: Yes
Tropes: Check tr!gger warnings

Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL
Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
StoryGraph: Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh…  bored or annoyed
⭐️Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing h0t
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired miss!onary vibes
🌶️ Does weak f0replay count

s3xual content, s3xual ass@ult, k!dnapping, vi0lence, g0re, v0yeurism, an@l, double penetrat!on, F/MMMMM, M/M, organized crime, alcohol, death, medical tr@uma

SUMMARY:
When Dad died, he made me the leader of the Italian Mafia. That position was unheard of for a woman until me. Ryder, Dex, Gage, and Holden are my team, my closest friends. Then Leo waltzes into my life, turning it upside down, along with everyone in it.

With a new guy in my life, four guys vying for my affection, a past flame that refuses to be blown out, and threats lurking in every corner; I have to fight like hell to come out of the fire alive and still leading the Italian Mafia.

REVIEW:
WHOA! This was by far the spiciest and darkest novel I have read to date... and I’ve read a few (on my 62nd book of 2024 and counting.)

Riches to Riches by Ames Mills is a dark, reverse harem / polyamorous / why choose story with one kick ass FMC and 6 amazing MMCs. It includes M/M content, as well as almost any variation you can imagine for s3xy encounters and s3xual tropes. Definitely check the tr!gger warnings. It includes some extremely sensitive topics.

It’s hard to say much about the story without spoilers. However, I can summarize the entire novel up by saying that it is basically a p0rn audiobook with a very loose plot. The spice starts  almost immediately and just doesn’t stop. The sm*t just keeps smutt!ng and smutt!ng and smutt!ng some more. Did I mention NONSTOP? Finally at the end of the novel, the plot comes in heavy and finishes with a major cliffhanger (which makes sense since Riches to Riches is a duet.)

Ada Sinclair and Patrick Zeller were great narrators. Sinclair ensured Alessa (Les) was multi-dimensional and sounded like a bada$$ FMC but also had her own demons, feelings, and vulnerabilities. It was a relief that Alessa was portrayed with depth. Zeller had a particularly hard task before him since he needed to give each of the 6 male MCs a distinct voice, cadence or accent so the listener knew which man was talking, especially in group situations where multiple MMCs would talk. Zeller nailed it and greatly enhanced the listening experience through his expertise.

That cliffhanger... you gotta read book one for the cliffhanger. I want to know if you are as excited to jimp straight into book two as I am!

Stars: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Multi (dual narration)
HEA: Have to read next novel to figure out ending
Cliffhanger: Yes
Tropes: Check tr!gger warnings

Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL
Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
StoryGraph: Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh…  bored or annoyed
⭐️Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing h0t
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired miss!onary vibes
🌶️ Does weak f0replay count

s3xual content, s3xual ass@ult, k!dnapping, vi0lence, g0re, v0yeurism, an@l, double penetrat!on, F/MMMMM, M/M, organized crime, alcohol, death, medical tr@uma

Dark, Twisted, Unexpected

Poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks ends up at an elite, private boarding school unofficially run by three wealthy, privileged boys with menacing reputations.

I was in a reading rut and looking for some to shock me out of it. Pretty Little Savage by Lucy Smoke delivered 110% and didn’t disappoint. It is a slow burn, bully romance with disturbing undertones that keeps you guessing. It ends on a cliffhanger and I CANNOT WAIT to pick up the next book as soon as I am done writing this review.

Avalon is a h@rd as nails, kick@ss, take no sh*t girl with a lot of cr@ppy life experiences. She doesn’t use those traumas as a crutch and instead uses them as armor to guard her feelings and teach herself how to be more bad@ss. 

I strongly encourage you to check the tr!gger warnings. As mentioned before this is a bully romance, emphasis on bully.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Dual
HEA: It’s complicated. No.
Cliffhanger: Yes
Tropes: Bully romance, enemies to lovers, poor girl / rich boy

Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL
Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
StoryGraph: Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh…  bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it. Most likely DNF

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing h0t
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired miss!onary
🌶️ Does weak f0replay count? 

Great classic. Short and easy to read. Should be on everyone’s list. 

I was a little confused by a few brief parts since I started the series at book two. I plan to now go back and read book one. This is my first book by this Lani Lynn Vale. I enjoyed it and plan to read more. The spice was quite tame compared to what I frequently read. 

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: Dual
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Tropes: Brothers best friend, ex-military, MC

Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL
StoryGraph: Book.Lover.IRL
Goodreads: Book Lover IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh…  bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing h0t
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired miss!onary
🌶️ Does weak f0replay count?

Very short story. Zero character development. Creepy Stockholm insta-love that made no sense and was 110% unbelievable. Predictable. Kept waiting for it to improve…. Should’ve been DNF.