hookedbythatbook's reviews
3204 reviews

This book was pure delight from the first chaotic encounter between Arthur and Lydia, all the way through their amusing escapades, to that heart-wrenching ending. 

A misunderstanding about letters brought her to his doorstep and what ensued was a madcap race all over the country to find Arthur's brother and get to the bottom of Davis' actions. Arthur and Lydia were both so endearing and a little bit lost and I just wanted to hug them all the time. They were so good for each other, on top of all the superb banter and electric chemistry. Lydia discovered her adventurous side and Arthur had a heck of a time keeping up. 

The clever and witty writing drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed this glorious adventure. I can highly recommend this if you like steamy historical romance with comedy and weighty feelings in equal measure. This book is part of a series but stands well on its own. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

As usual, the writing drew me in and even through the more technical details of the investigation, I was very invested. The best parts were every time Cora reminded everyone that she was a librarian and knew things. Cora ended up being a very valuable part of solving the mystery and I liked that. The ways she helped to ground Phin (along with his dog Sodapop) and help him feel like it's possible to have a normal life were so touching. Cora and Phin connected right away and fell into a close relationship that later developed into more, but I can't say that they had super strong chemistry. The truth of the story unfurled slowly, but at just the right pace. Even though this book is part of a much bigger series, it stands well on its own. I can highly recommend this entire series if you like romantic suspense.

I quite enjoyed listening to this in the car while driving all over the place. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. I think many of us can relate to Amy and her desperate desire to be in control of as much as possible. Brody was her exact opposite and it was clear that he had a calming influence on her and brought her playful side out. I enjoyed their banter, their chemistry, and the hilarious ways Brody tried to bring her out of her own head to just have fun in the moment. I can recommend this if you like a steamy, light-hearted romance.

The premise was very fascinating, centered around a curse and the Loch Ness monster. I did not see that coming. It felt like we were kept in the dark for a long time regarding the details surrounding the curse and how Keyanna's family, and specifically her father, fit into the narrative. But, boy, when it all came to a boil, it certainly had me gasping in surprise. I loved how Keyanna's attraction to Lachlan and her natural curiosity won out over any qualms she might've had about him. They had good chemistry. Their fledgling relationship was put through the wringer and I found their reactions and doubts realistic, even though it was frustrating at times. The writing was engaging and witty. I can recommend this if you like a super steamy paranormal romance.

What a chaotic and bumbling, yet endearing and hilarious way to solve a murder. 

Kate was definitely not as smooth as the character that made her a best-selling author. She continuously found herself in unpredictable circumstances and somehow never managed to do the right thing. Her haphazard investigation was a whole string of comedic errors that eventually led her in the right direction. I loved how she kept writing scenes for Loretta in her head to help her figure out an issue, but how, over time, she relied less on Loretta and became more confident in herself. 

Jake confused me at the start. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out who he was to Kate, exactly, and how he fit into everything. But he was a wonderful addition to the cast of characters and the perfect foil to Kate's chaos. They had good chemistry. The rest of the wedding party was a mishmash of mainly indolent people that were all there primarily to squeeze money out of Rebecca. I didn't care for any of them. And Kate and Jake's reasons for being there were somewhat thin. 

I enjoyed the writing style. It included plenty of witty thoughts and pronouncements, mostly from Kate's side. It was all-in-all a very fun read. I can recommend this if you like a cozy murder mystery with some steamy romance on the side, and comical situations. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

This book will make you fall in love with falling in love. 

Oh, goodness, the "practice" flirting was so hot. And the "practice" dating that wasn't really practice, I have no words. These were the kinds of dates that everyone should experience at least once, along with that slow delicious slide into falling in love (if you're into that kind of thing). 

Juliet's spirit for adventure drew Will out of his shell, so he was more willing to expose himself, all for her. And Juliet was willing to risk her heart again, for him. Will was so endearing and sweet. Their reasons for pretending it wasn't real were flimsy, really, but they abandoned that way of thinking fairly quickly. Their first encounter was deliciously hot and that chemistry kept humming beneath the surface all throughout. 

The story was all about Juliet and Will falling in love and helping each other overcome their insecurities. I can highly recommend it if you like steamy romance that is heavily character driven. Each book in this series stands well on its own. 

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

This was a quick, fun, thrilling heist in space. Ada was an interesting character and you could never be sure about her motivations. The retrieval of the mysterious item from the planet was quite exciting and nail-biting. And the unexpected twist at the end had me closing the book with a gasp. I'm looking forward to reading the next book. 

The Dragon Kings make a spectacularly united stand against the evil Miena, and gain valuable information about this realm that once again threatens the future of the dragons.

The Uncrowned King is the second book in a brand new duology in Donna Grant’s Dark Universe, which is a huge universe made up of interconnected series. This duology fits in with the Dragon Kings series and advances parts of the plotline of that series. If you’re up to it, I’d say read all of it, it’s well worth it. You can also start each series in this universe on its own, as long as you start that series at the beginning. Each book builds on the previous one. 

The story started off right where the first book ended. And we cleverly got a recap of the previous events. Throughout the story the other Dragon Kings also explained their history to Derek as they brought him up to speed. 

From the first pages, our heroes were navigating a tightrope of tension that threatened to snap at any moment. That breathtaking scene when Kora faced off with Derek, with the hope of sparking his memories, was exquisitely nerve-wracking. 

At one point, our intrepid warriors split up and the focus jumped from group to group, amping up the unease even more. And as always, the battles left me breathless and wrung out. It was phenomenal to see all the magical abilities deployed in cohesion so effectively. 

I want to say that the romance between Kora and Derek felt almost secondary to everything else, but their bond was a huge part of their eventual success, and I certainly breathed a sigh of relief when they could just be together. 

On a side note, I wish I had the ability to make clothes appear and disappear at will. Think of the time saved by not having to do all that laundry. 

I can recommend this entire series if you like dragon shifters, magic, and steamy romance. It would be worth it to read some of the Dark Kings and Dragon Kings series to get the necessary background for this world. 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

This was a quick, fun read. I loved Posey, with her love for romance novels despite her somewhat cynical view of love in real life. I also enjoyed seeing Lex fall first, fast and hard, and how he was all in with Posey before the rest of him caught up to what was happening. The detailed descriptions of the FI's technicalities were super interesting and I liked how it all blended with Posey's research for her novel. The biggest gripe I have with this author's books is that they always end sort of abruptly. I'd have loved to have a bit of an epilogue kind of ending and the whole mess with Ronan is also still up in the air. But, overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series. 

This novella was certainly a delight. I just love this series. Mallory is definitely more comfortable in her new body in her not-so-new-anymore reality. And I also love how Gray and Isla have embraced Mallory's unconventional (to them) past. They all work well together to solve this intriguing mystery. I think it's best to read the books in this series in order.