katvou's reviews
483 reviews

“A true king lives not for himself, but his people, sacrificing his own life to protect them.”
“Despite what you might think, I’m not some damsel in distress, oh mighty king of darkness.”
“Everyone has secrets buried in their souls. Some of us hide them better than others, waiting for the day another soul comes along, curious to know more.”


I read Death Cap earlier this year, enjoyed it, and wished to learn more about the characters. This short novella was the perfect answer to my wishes. I loved learning more about Morel and Hesper.

The world building and character development were, once again, so well written. Loved how strong Hesper was as a character. She truly didn’t need anyone to save her. Loved the relationship development and dynamic between her and Morel.



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

“What was it about me that was so unlovable? Why was there no one who would stand by my side and claim me as theirs?”

“Sometimes, the truth does more harm than good, you know?”

“Little lamb, love won’t make you happy. Love scars. Love leaves you half the person you were before and twice as eager to take your life when it’s all over.”

“Monsters come in different shapes, and they all wear different masks to try to blend in.”

Loved, loved, loved this book! Why haven’t I read this before?

The idea of the book was intriguing, a dystopian world where the church has taken control over the country, and the FMC, Romina, is locked away in the bell tower and controlled by the headmaster of a religious college.

The writing was captivating and made me really feel for the characters. I loved how Romina grew as a character throughout the story. She started as this naive girl who basically didn’t know anything but turned into a fierce and strong woman (with some help from the MMCs).

The chemistry and connection between Romina, Sonny, Corvin, and Felix was great. Loved how they were all able to learn from each other and grow as characters. And the spice between them truly was spicing!

Definitely one of my top reads this year.

Please check the trigger warnings before reading!

DNF after 50 pages (12%) 

The blurb and idea of the book sounded interesting but unfortunately the writing style wasn’t for me. I personally would have preferred more showing instead of telling. 

“You are acting like I betrayed you. I didn’t. I never could. Because I was never yours to begin with.”
“Kings wage war on the battlefield. Queens wage war on the dance floor.”
“I am rebuilding this kingdom. In order to do that, I must first tear it down. Wall by wall. Stone by stone. I will reduce this kingdom to rubble if I have to.”
“History may be written by the victors, but war was won by the nameless.”


Great second book in the Red Wood duet, picks up right where the first book, To Reclaim a Kingdom, ended.

Fast-paced and action-packed like the previous book. I really enjoyed learning more about Henri and Brielle. They both continued to grow as characters and I especially liked Brielle’s character development and how she changed from an entitled princess to a fierce, strong warrior.

Loved learning more about Citric and his past. I’m not sure how I feel about Eve. She reminded me of Brielle at times, both in good and bad, and I would like to learn more about her in the future.

I highly recommend checking out this duet if you enjoy fast-paced, easy to read fantasy books with great character growth and a storyline that keeps you hooked.

“Who cares about a prince when I have my birthday celebration occurring in a few days?”
“History is written by the victors. I doubt your name will be recorded.”
“You’re not my queen. You’re queen of nothing. Without your title, your lands, your money, your ladies, you are nothing. Worse than nothing. You’re ordinary.”


Fast-paced, adventurous medieval fantasy romance.

The book is told in two POVs, Henri and Brielle, who are prince and princess from neighbouring kingdoms. Especially Brielle starts as a flawed and kind of frustrating character driven by her own goals and wants, but she changes and grows throughout the book, and I can’t wait to see her character development in the next book.

I’ve read Of Sand & Silk and Of Sky & Embers before, so Henri was a familiar character to me. It was nice to read more about his past and what happened to him before OSAS & OSAE. And I loved seeing Ele in there too.

Citric seemed like an intriguing character, and I can’t wait to learn more about him and his motivations.

The plot kept me hooked, and I couldn’t put the book down. Even though the book was quite short, there was a lot happening. The pacing was fast but never rushed, and there was time for world building and character development.

Can’t wait to start reading the next book!

“It was satisfying to pass the wreckage of someone else’s life and examine it, curling your corrupt little soul around the idea that oh, that’ll never be me.”
“Oh, it’s like when people do the ‘pay it forward’ thing at the drive-thru, but for dick.”
“I have to convince a woman to trust me enough to throw her in a van and do all sorts of filthy, disgusting, wonderful things to her.”


Short, fast-paced, and spicy revenge story with masked MMCs.

I liked the idea of the book. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be kidnapped by 3 masked strangers for a few days of fun?

I liked how well the 3 MMCs worked together while still being distinct from each other. The storyline takes place over a few days, and those days completely change the FMC Essie’s life. Essie was a relatable character, and I loved how she became more confident throughout the story. There were also relatable scenes where she felt insecure, but she found the strength to do what she wanted and needed.

I would have loved to learn what happened with Essie’s husband at the end.

DNF after 116 pages (30%)

I love Butcher & Blackbird, and I had such high hopes for this one too. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it.

I’ll probably try reading it again someday, but right now it couldn’t hold my interest enough to finish it. But I’m still interested in reading the 3rd book in the series.

“Have you ever seen a dead body before?”
“If you would have just stayed quiet, none of this would be happening right now.”
“Only the best for my Little Corpse.”


Short, fast-paced erotic horror Victor Frankenstein & Sally retelling.

I have no words, other than I loved this graphic, smutty, fun, and surprisingly sweet retelling. Both Atlas and Shelly were intriguing characters. Shelly might not have been really alive, but her love and devotion towards Atlas were. Atlas was so sweet towards Shelly and only wanted to get the best parts for her.

I couldn’t put the book down and would love to read more about these characters.

Please check the trigger warnings before reading!

A perfect short and spicy Christmas bonus featuring the Shaw brothers and Bexley.

Apex is one of my favorite books, so of course I was super excited to read this bonus, and it was everything I hoped for and more. Love the relationship between Bex and the Shaw brothers, and would happily switch places with Bex anytime to get myself in the middle of the Shaw brother sandwich 🔥

“Ready to believe in ghosts yet?”

“This place is weird, right? It’s not me?”

“This is by far the most interesting haunting I’ve ever experienced.”

This book was amazing! I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting.

Loved the haunted, spooky atmosphere and the paranormal elements. I think that the asylum was a great setting for the story. The storyline was mysterious and full of twists and turns. I loved trying to piece the clues together.

Even though the book was quite short, there was a lot happening. The pacing was fast, but never rushed, and there was time for character and relationship development.

The chemistry between the FMC and MMC was so good and I loved their allies to lovers relationship development.

I would love to learn more about the asylum and Dr Aspendale.