gnomepatronus's reviews
312 reviews

That Darn Kess!! (If you know you know. If not, go check out the authors TikTok after reading the book)

⭐️Overall 5/5

🌶️ Spice 0/5

🫑 RomCom Spice 0/5

🖤Dark 1/5  

        

“When I become the monster I will inevitably be, it will be of my own making.”

This is a prequel to Prince of Darkness and gives insight to what makes the cousins from the NightCourt who they are. From youth to age of where they are in Prince of Darkness Amber really puts these two through the wringer and takes your heart with it. The author does recommend you reading Prince of Darkness first, and if you are the type of reader who needs to have a connection with a character before reading and knowing their past then 109%, you will need to read Prince of Darkness first. I personally do wish I would have read the prequel first. This gives the reason on why they act the way they did in Prince of Darkness and gives you insight on why their actions are so different, But either way, read this before or after, this is a NEED TO READ. You can feel the layers in the scenes that are just ready to unfold. Nods to things you know will be important in books to come. This really helps set up not only a better understanding of the characters backstory, but a few nuggets of unresolved items you know will be unfolded soon.

⭐️Overall 5/5

🌶️ Spice 0/5

🫑 RomCom Spice 0/5

🖤Dark 1/5  

        

“When I become the monster I will inevitably be, it will be of my own making.”

This is a prequel to Prince of Darkness and gives insight to what makes the cousins from the NightCourt who they are. From youth to age of where they are in Prince of Darkness Amber really puts these two through the wringer and takes your heart with it. The author does recommend you reading Prince of Darkness first, and if you are the type of reader who needs to have a connection with a character before reading and knowing their past then 109%, you will need to read Prince of Darkness first. I personally do wish I would have read the prequel first. This gives the reason on why they act the way they did in Prince of Darkness and gives you insight on why their actions are so different, But either way, read this before or after, this is a NEED TO READ. You can feel the layers in the scenes that are just ready to unfold. Nods to things you know will be important in books to come. This really helps set up not only a better understanding of the characters backstory, but a few nuggets of unresolved items you know will be unfolded soon.

⭐️Overall 5/5

🌶️ Spice 3.5/5

🖤Dark 3/5

“I guess karma just needed a little push”

This book, THIS BOOK!!! I would say why choose, but she did not choose. I would say vibes like the movie SAW, but she is an innocent who had a horrible day, not even wrong place wrong time. But everything worked so well in this book. The secret identity, the games that were played and how each game ended left you waiting in for the next one to start and which game would be played. This Novella hits all the spots if you love dark and twisty romance. (check triggers) I will be keeping a close eye for when the rest of this series is out. (I am writing this review directly after reading the book, I went in blind and will now be searching if there are any books out that align with this novella. Yes it is THAT good!)

⭐️Overall 5/5

🎧Narration 5/5

🌶️ Spice 5/5

🖤Dark 3/5

“I was still healing from the other wounds she had given me, I wasn’t prepared to have more holes put in my body by my stabby little woman.”

A dark romance where an assassin falls first. He is a monster, he doesn’t try to be anything other than that, he claims what is his and don’t you dare try to think he won’t get what he wants. The book jumps into the action grabbing you and keeps you holding your breath chapter after chapter. The spice is SO good, and there are SO many good troupes! If you like dark romance, a true bad guy, a female that is strong then this is the book for you. (While this book doesn’t seem very dark to me, make sure you check the triggers if you are not a dark romance person or has triggers)

You may have read books where you think the man will burn the entire world, but Hunter is a man of action and not just words. We get to see the destruction!! 

The narration was so well done. Joe Arden is a fan favorite, and his narration in this book was AMAZING!! I am now on a mission to find more books with his voice diction of Kingston (you will love that guy a well).  I am not as familiar with Zara Hampton-Brown but she is now on a short list of finding more books. The acting was well done and really felt like you were there in the story and not being read to. The production choices of how it was sliced together and pacing was perfect.

While this book is part of a duet, they can be read as standalone. I received an ALC for an honest review.

⭐️Overall 5/5

🎧Narration 5/5

🌶️ Spice 5/5

🖤Dark 5/5

The tone of the book is set by the first scene. This is not a story of the villain burning the world down for her, but the villain burning her down in secret from the world. 

If you have any triggers, CHECK them, again, this is not your normal dark romance. Shelby is put through the wringer, humiliated, and broken. You get the story from her point of view and the events that lead her to that point and beyond. 

There are twists that I didn’t see coming, and parts that made my heart ache for Shelby. I wanted to reach through the book and help her! I wanted to stop reading so many times but couldn’t! 

The narration was well done. The style of southern accent for Shelby fits with personality and traits of the character. The emotional turmoil was portrayed exceptionally well so you knew how Shelby was feeling during the phrase before the “description” was given. 

And then there was the MMC, I do NOT want to admit how well this was narrated! I do not want to like anything about this character, but there were moments…and then me thinking about the one…ugh! I am sure if I eye read this book I would have made them all sound like greasy, long mustache 70s villains!

I did NOT anticipate enjoying this book as much as I did. 71 pages of solid, quick, hard, easy, fast and hilarious story. Strange-Yes. But even more strange is there really is not that many triggers. (Compared to most books I read). This quick read is 100% woth the read!

⭐️Overall 4/5

🎧Narration 4/5

🌶️ Spice 1/5

🖤Dark 1/5

“because sometimes strength isn’t swords and steel and fire, as we are so often made to believe. Sometimes it’s found in quiet, gentle places.”

I have strong mixed feelings on this book. The layer of fantasy feels very unnecessary unneeded until the very end. The entire feel of the book gave me very much World War II vibes, and the fantasy elements that were thrown in, felt forced. With the title stating Divine Rivals, I assumed the book would be rivals to lovers. But in all reality, it was very much a hidden Insta love story to me.

I initially thought this book was a three star and barely hanging on as a three star read, but the last chapter and epilogue finally tied in the rest of the story elements. It is definitely worth keep reading if you enjoy a low fantasy. Easy read. 

The narration was well done. While I prefer to listen to my book at 2.25, the female narrator was more enjoyable to me at a slower speed. Both narrators did a great job of balancing storytelling with emotions. At no point in the story did it feel over acted or forced. 

So once I slowed the book down and got to the end, I enjoyed it.

⭐️Overall 3.5/5

🎧Narration 4/5

🌶️ Spice 1.75ish/5

🖤Dark 0/5

“I would choose you again. Without thought. Without hesitation. Every time.”

This story is an easy read.

While it was part of a series, you do not need to read any of the prior to understand what is going on. 

The FMC left her town for a fresh start, just to find out that fresh start wouldn’t be as easy as she thought. Is it ever as easy to leave your troubles behind? But, will Flynn believe her, and will he trust her? 

The Narration by Connor Crias was amazing. The cadence, tone and inflection really brought the story to life. His “female” voice was a good balance without feeling too unnatural. My only wish was more of the story narrated in his voice.

This was my first book narrated by CJ Bloom,  and I was thankful for the tone of the voice sounding like an adult and not a barely 18 year old. 

The sound quality did have an hollowness to it. (I was provided an ALC and listened through BookFunnel; this may have been the reason)

The story had a good start, the middle felt rushed and then ended strong with a good lead in to the next book. 

⭐️Overall 5/5

🌶️Spice 1.5/5 (more tension then spice)

🖤Dark 0/5 (Rom-Com all the way)

Super cute story. Girl with a past she is running away from by never settling down has a last minute change of plans. BUT, she isn’t going to a small town, she is going to Chicago to crash with her cousin till it is time for her to trace around the world. 

She gets roped into helping out her cousins friends band, who of course has a sexy lead singer. But, nothing can come out of it, right? She is leaving soon, he is focused on his career….they are just “friends”

4 star overall
4 star narration 
2 peppers

The reimagining of Anastasia was done extremely well. The factual information about the Romanovs and the fantasy were woven so well together that when a fantasy element was brough it, it did not pull you from the storyline. This is not the typical fantasy, or historical fiction, or romance, but all merged into all the bright, dark, and emotional moments that come Ansatasia’s way. 
 I did go into the book thinking there would be more spice due to being written by Sophie Lark.