koistyfishy's reviews
362 reviews

3 Vainglorious Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 0/5 Only Kissing

They say don't judge a book by the cover, and that should possibly also extend to "don't judge a book by its title". I thought I was getting a romcom, I MEAN it's IN THE TITLE... and while there is some element of romance to this plot... this is not a rom-com. This is VERY CLEVERLY DISGUISED CHICKLIT. The problem is while I am "open" in my romance reading, I am PRIMARILY A ROMANCE FOCUSED READER... so I am not the best target market for Chick-lit.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Bryony Page, an ESL teacher with a mission to save her grandmother's legacy, a foundation and teaching school that helps immigrants learn the English language. To help save this cause she has written a debut novel and is attending a book conference in the hope of finding a literary agent to take on her book. She completely messes up her pitch with one of the most ruthless agents in the business Jack Sterling. But somehow she sparks his interest in something else... so he makes her a proposition to be a ghostwriter for a socialite. Two years later that book became a bestseller and the few after finding similar fame. Now Bryony finds herself in the contractual obligation of being a ghostwriter, all the while still trying to get her book published.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I don't have a problem with chick-lit, but it doesn't hook me as much... so given that 90% of this book was chick-lit which focused primarily on Bryony and Bryony's journey, it was hard for me to be invested. It is a first-person story, so we don't see the other characters' thoughts and opinions except through her eyes. While I love what she stood for and what she was hoping to achieve, I find that given the choice of solely focusing it on her, we lost a lot of the connection with the other characters and so their foundation is lacking.

Bryony really shows a lot of dedication and compassion for her cause. She has this profound sense of loyalty to her family and to her grandmother and the legacy that her grandmother started. She is an amazing teacher and shares such a unique and special bond with her students. She's that type of personality that you can't help but instantly connect with and like, and it's one of the things that I think attracted Jack to her the most. One thing I didn't like about Bryony was her "Relationship" with her long-distance ex. They never talk, never interact - he is never featured. His presence felt like it was there just to cause DRAMA...

I didn't really like Jack because I felt like I did not know him. Besides a few snippets, all their interactions are spoken about previously happening and you are never shown their connection really forming. This is one of my pet peeves in a book as I like being shown and not told. By the time the "story" starts years have passed and Jack and Bryony have already established this codependent friendship. It frustrated me that all their moments of "romance forming" were conversations and reminiscing.

I found Jack completely manipulative, and he irritated me that he lied and used Bryony and that he wasn't able to talk to her and communicate. Yes, a few things he did were sweet and cute and can be sappy and perfect for a little rom-com, but the problem was that there wasn't enough of that romance foundation to keep me hooked in the story.

The one element that I did truly like about this, and found interesting was the aspects around the insider world of traditional publishing. It was the reason I kept reading. Seeing all the different elements that it takes to publish a book, with all the steps, hoops and caveats. It's not something that a regular reader like myself is exposed to, so it was pretty interesting to see that element of the plot and how that played into the overall story.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Strangers to Lovers
▶ Agent X Author
▶ Workplace Romance
▶ Chicklit
▶ Under Table Touching
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Forced Proximity

Overall, if you LIKE Chicklit, I think you might like this book since it's about a woman finding herself, finding her passion, standing up for herself, and in the same process finding love in an unexpected place.

Thank you to Melissa Ferguson, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for the gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

3.5 Malteaser Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

NOTE: This is the final book in Aiden and Elsa's love story and cannot be read out of order. There might be spoilers for the previous books. If you don't want to see them, please stop reading. If you do it's either because you do not care about spoilers or you have already read the previous books...

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Elsa's father is back in the picture and the rivalry between her family and the Kings has reached epic proportions. Elsa continues to work towards wanting to unlock the past and finding out the mystery of why she has repressed all her memories. And the push and pull between Aiden and Elsa continues...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I think book two and book three could have been merged into one. There are a lot of times when there is just smut and the plot DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD. The smut also started feeling very repetitive. Yes, there are blurry lines of consent but the depth of the smut (in terms of the kinkiness) stagnates.

This is the darkest of the three but its NOWHERE NEAR as dark as anything in the Legacy of the Gods books. These kids are still technically in high school and their layer of darkness caps at a certain amount that they're mostly just assholes and alphamales who like to beat their chests and "pee on" what they claim is mine. They're very territorial, they're very violent if the woman so much as looks at another guy or breathes in their direction and they are super possessive... like it's unhealthy but kinda sweet.

I did like the fact that this had elements of the past and present storylines, as the reader you go on the same journey as Elsa and discover what she has locked away with these flashbacks and elements of her regained memories that allow you to puzzle together the story of what happened all those years ago. However, Aiden hasn't forgotten and he dangles his knowledge for her like a metaphorical carrot.

While Aiden is everything that I've described as an alphahole... he has so many elements that make him sweet and adorable. It was just cute how he cares about Astrid and how he did all these small things for her. I love the fact that he grovelled, I like the fact that he begged for her forgiveness for everything that he's done and I love the fact that he fought for her and was willing to go against his family and everything just to be with her.

What I also found really sweet was at the end of this I went and reread the epilogue in God of Pain and seeing how all these characters come together and seeing them interact with their children was just SOOOOOOO ADORABLE It was one of the sweetest, heartwarming things to see them "older" and it didn't impact me as much as the first time I read it because I hadn't experienced three books with these characters and grown with them and seen their struggle and seen how their relationship formed and how beautiful though questionable their start was. To see how devoted Aiden was to Elsa and everything that she became. I mean he was willing to name his first son after her deceased brother.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ High School Romance
▶ Bully Romance
▶ Alphamale
▶ Obsessive, Possessive and Jealous MMC
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Dubious Consent
▶ Soccer Romance
▶ Grovelling

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Nicknames
▷ Share a Bath
▷ Cages Her With His Arms
▷ Look At Me
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Tattoos
▷ Mine

Overall I had a fun time with these and I can't wait to read the rest of the Horseman's books. 

3.5 Sweetheart ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

What can I say about Steel Princess that makes it different from Deviant King...besides it being the same but with a little extra "Filler".

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Elsa has just found out that her parents are responsible for Aiden's mother's death and in a haze fell (or was pushed) into the swimming pool, and since this is one of her trauma triggers she locks up and almost drowns. She is saved from drowning by a boy named Knox. Else realises that Aiden's entire reason for being drawn to her was this plot for revenge against her, so she wants nothing to do with him and refuses to be a pawn in his games... but Aiden doesn't like that at all...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
There is so much push and pull between Elsa and Aiden, but inevitably it is the same thing that we've just been reading. It feels almost like the story progresses really, really slowly and there isn't really a need for this book because Aiden is very much still possessed with thoughts of Elsa, he is obsessed with her, and he still wants to own her. He is a little bit overbearing, and he keeps forcing himself into her life. He also teases her with information about her past and because she wants nothing more than to find out what happened to her and why she has suppressed these memories and blocked off everything, she just follows him around like a sick puppy. All in all her relationship is Toxic.... but yeah I still couldn't look away.

I love Elsa's relationship with her best friend and the amazing found family element. The fact that Elsa is able to get so close to the rest of the four horsemen and that they start to treat her like one o their "tribe" was super cute.

There is quite a lot of drama and angst but it does feel like not much happens in the story. While it's easy to speculate about overall what happened with all the hints and nuggets there were twists and turns in this that I did not see coming.

This book and writing are addictive. These characters are addictive. There is just something in Rina Kent's writing that draws you in. If you can look past that all her men feel like carbon copies of each other, acting the exactly, having the same characteristics, the same tendencies, the same jealous obsessive behaviour and cannot stand another man BREATHING on their girl.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ High School Romance
▶ Bully Romance
▶ Alphamale
▶ Obsessive, Possessive and Jealous MMC
▶ Touch Her You Die

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Nicknames
▷ Share a Bath
▷ Cages Her With His Arms
▷ Underage
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Tattoos
▷ Mine

From a dark romance perspective, they're brilliant book boyfriend material (if you are into that kind of thing) and I cannot wait for the next one: Twisted Kingdom. 

3.5 Incurable Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

I don't know if I made a mistake reading Glyndon and Creighton's books first, because now that I have seen a small glimpse of their origin story... I think I need to read these all first before I finish any more Legacy Books.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
On her very first day of joining Royal Elite, Aiden King tells Elsa Quinn he is going to destroy her. This puts a target on her back and everyone starts calling her Frozen and making her life hell because of her cold demeanour and because "The King" has spoken. Two years later (keeping herself pretty invisible) she lands on Aiden's radar again (Or did she ever really leave???) and his malicious heart has his eyes set on her. Whether to destroy her or claim her....we will have to find out!

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Elsa is determined and driven to succeed. She wants to get into Cambridge and that's the only thing she has her eyes on. So she doesn't want to get distracted. I found it a little strange that everyone called her Frozen...I didn't find her cold or frozen because we never actually see her cold and frozen. She seems generally sweet and caring to Kim. She is open, talkative, has things she likes, dreams and does not seem like a bitch. She might be quiet, nerdy, unpopular and closed off from the popular group but I didn't see her cold....

Aiden is cruel and vindictive. He bullies her, torments her and he is pretty cruel to her. But that very soon develops into the fact that he cannot stop thinking about her and cannot stop wanting to own her, possess her and make her his.

What I found surprising is given that I love Dark Romance...While the Legacy of God's books are definitely darker, I am finding that I'm enjoying the Royal Elite series a little bit more. Something I do wish was a little different is I wanted Elsa to be a little bit more of a brat and push back on Aiden. What I am looking for in a bully romance, is to see more resistance and not bending over almost immediately when a guy is that much of a dick.

Now what was annoying is I've read a couple of Rina Kent's books and ALL HER MEN ARE THE SAME!!! They are obsessive, and unrealistically jealous, see red and explode the minute that the FMC even looks at another guy. If someone breathes in the FMC's direction they go full-on psychotic and want to murder that guy (even if that guy happens to be their best friend.) They are always alphaholes, always aloof, and super popular! THEN WHY ARE ALL HER FMC'S VIRGINS??? It just heightens the frustration to the possessiveness they display above because "he was her first"... It gets repetitive and annoying SUPER FAST!

There is an element of mystery in this book. Elsa doesn't remember her childhood. She doesn't know much about her past and she has blocked what has happened to her by repressing her memories. But back to her being determined, even though she has these dark and disturbing flashbacks and nightmares she wants to figure out what is going on.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ SINGLE POV (The rest in the series are Dual POV)
▶ Enemies Hate to Lovers
▶ High School Bully Romance
▶ Football Romance (Kinda)
▶ Who Did This To You?
▶ DubCon
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Jealous, Obsessive and Possessive Alphahole MMC
▶ Touch Her and Die
▶ Virgin FMC

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ "You Taste Like"...
▷ Good Girl
▷ He Washes Her Hair
▷ Hockey Jersey Heat
▷ Cages her with his arms
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Mine

This does end on a cliffhanger and I am so sucked in now and addictive I RAN to read book two. Spoiler I already finished it...but am late on my review

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Is it irony or fate that Grumpy chose the book about Creighton’s Father RIGHT AFTER FINISHING CREIGHTON’S BOOK????

Let’s see if Daddy’s book is at good as his… 

3 Overpriced Dog Bowl Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️.5/5

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to adore it and love the characters and I went into it with the Mindset that I would given how much I have seen a friend gush about how much she loved and adored this book and how much this meant to her... I wanted to take a chance on this one.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This is a third-person historical romance set in the 1960s that follows Mark Bailey and Eddie O’Leary. Mark is a semi-retired journalist and book reviewer who is dealing with the grief of losing his partner, William. Eddie just cannot catch a break. He is a professional baseball player who has just been traded to a new team that he is not happy about. He has publicly spoken against the team and has tarnished his lovable rookie reputation. It also doesn't help that he cannot seem to hit a ball anymore. To rejuvenate and reframe his image, Mark is tasked with ghostwriting Eddie's diary in the Newspaper he works for. As Mark and Eddie spend more time together, they both realise that there is more to the other than meets the eye. Their acquaintance turns into friendship and soon that friendship develops into something more. However, this has its challenges because being Queer in the 1960s, a time rife with homophobia is super challenging and reputationally dangerous.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
My issue with this is that the book was incredibly boring. I just felt like it was going nowhere SUPER SLOW with the plot moving at such a snail’s pace that was spiralling down, never quite going upwards...

Eddie has this cheerful presence and disposition that makes you smile and want to hug him. You just hope he gets everything he wants because he’s such a cutie, and he deserves love, happiness, and support. I loved his character as he gives off this naive, sweet, almost himbo vibe, but then he says something occasionally profound or delivers a really sweet metaphor about life but he doesn't seem to realise it's profound because he is so innocent. He carried the book for me, and every time he was present in a scene, he made it better.

Mark irritated the living daylights out of me. Like super pissed off... He is not a nice person, and I honestly don’t know what Eddie saw in him. He is overly sarcastic to the point where he is generally mean in what he says and how he acts. He has this aloof "attitude that makes him come across as if he thinks he is "better" than those around him because he happens to have "acquired tastes" and prefers quality. He just came across as snobbish and unlikeable.

The aspects of William’s death were sometimes unnecessary. I understand that Mark is processing his grief, and some moments were heartbreaking and had me on the verge of tears, especially the cherry scene. My issue is that there was a lot more focus on Mark’s grief than on the budding relationship between Eddie and Mark. Because the story was so slow, I lost track of the development of their love. It made me feel multiple times that Mark was being unfaithful to William...

Another aspect that bothered me was I didn’t like how so many aspects were thrown into the plot that went nowhere, an example being Ardolino and his potential romance. They didn't serve a purpose, and they might be "nuggets for the next books" but the developments went nowhere and dragged on not capturing my attention.

NOW despite me not liking things in the book... there were some things I REALLY DID like. The writing was sweet and I appreciated the story. This type of book is not easy to read because of the topics it deals with. Not only the grief aspect but also the historical homophobia and how difficult it would be for a queer couple in that time. The fears of being outed in a society that would ostracise them were portrayed realistically and truthfully. This book did an excellent job showing that even in a time when the world was not as accepting, you could still find a family of people willing to accept you for who you are.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Baseball Romance
▶ ReporterXPlayer
▶ Historical Romance
▶ GrumpyXSunshine (Black Cat and Golden Retriever)
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Age Gap

Overall, it had precious moments, and underneath Mark’s surly behaviour, I do think he cared a lot for Eddie. I’m happy that he had a chance to move on from his grief over William. While slow and having a few issues it was still a sweet grumpy-sunshine dynamic that at times was utterly beautiful. I think if it had been about three hours shorter (Since I listened to the Audio), I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

WHY IS HE TALKING IN A WEIRD TRANSATLANTIC ACCENT???

I am pushing through cause EVERYONE SAYS THIS IS CUTE... 

3.5 Stupefaction ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5

I was originally supposed to pick up Devious King first, as that was the one chosen by Grumpy from my TBR. However, since this one is the prequel to that book and the note at the front of Rina Kent's Devious King mentioned that this one should be read first, I decided to pick this one up instead.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Astrid recently moved into her Dad Father's house after her mom died in an accident. She is invisible at RES (Royall Elite School) and intends to stay that way. One night at the start of Summer she accompanies her best friend Dan to a house party, is drugged, and lands up in the path of Levi King rubbing up on him like a cat in heat (Blame the drug in her system). Levi kicks her out as he won't take advantage of someone high and in the chaos of the rest of the night, a fire and a chase through the woods... Astrid is hit by a car... Now the summer is over and she is back at school, but she is no longer invisible... especially to Levi who wants to use her to piss off his uncle and she won't go down without a fight...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I’ve somehow stumbled into the realm of high school bully romances, and I love them. I think this book just solidified it a little bit more. Basically, this is utter trash. You’re not going to get anything out of reading this in the long run. You’re not going to learn something profound. You’re not going to discover a new part of yourself. You’re not going to have that long-lasting impression that some books leave with you. BUT YOU ARE IN FOR ENJOYMENT.... this is darkish popcorn fluff and teenage angsty drama rolled up into an obsessive and possessive alpha-hole who likes to growl and say “mine” a lot.

My issue with this is that if you’re reading this type of book, you’ve probably seen the story before. I’ve seen these characters. I’ve seen this plot. I’ve seen where this goes. For some unknown reason, every high school bully romance I read has the male lead wanting revenge on the girl for some reason because she somehow killed, betrayed, ruined, or made his life hell. Now he has this vendetta against her, but through that he becomes obsessed, and that obsession turns from “I can’t stop thinking about you because I want to destroy you” into “I can’t stop thinking about you because you’re in my blood and now you’re mine, and no one will ever have you again.” That’s basically who these characters are. They’re very cliché, very stereotypical, and very much the cookie-cutter of what you’d expect.

Astrid is the submissive girl who gives in to Levi's pushing (she does sometimes say No and acts like a little brat with her defiance). Levi doesn’t know how to take no for an answer and forces himself into her space and her life. Somehow, she becomes deluded and falls in love with him.

It’s a toxic, messed-up relationship, and you question why the hell you’re even rooting for these two, but you can’t help it because the writing is addictive. The characters are addictive, and even though the plot is something you’ve seen and read multiple times you still keep reading! In my experience, while it seems to be the same plot over and over again in bully romances- I can’t look away. I can’t stop reading it. There are moments of cringe—like the fact that he calls her “princess” and his surname is King, which just makes you want to roll your eyes and probably throw up a little bit in your mouth at how cliché it is—but I still enjoyed the hell out of it.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ High School Romance
▶ Bully Romance
▶ Alphamale
▶ Obsessive, Possessive and Jealous MMC
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Virgin FMC

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Undertable Touching
▷ Cages Her With His Arms
▷ Underage
▷ "Fuck It"
▷ Brat
▷ "You Taste Like...."
▷ Nicknames
▷ Soccer Jersey Heat

I had a really good time with this and while it wasn't profound or life-changing it made me happy reading the trash that this was. If you want a "Stereotypical" High School Bully Romance then this is for you... 

3.5 Tchaikovsky Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

Sooooooo I don’t think Creighton is better than Killian…
but at least his book was…

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
It’s a little hard to explain what this book is about because the whole plot revolves around Creighton and Annika trying to navigate the turbulent waters of what their relationship would be and how it would work out, given who their families are. Annika is a Mafia princess and started university early at 17 to see if she would like it more than being a ballerina. When allowed to by her overprotective brother, she rooms with a bunch of girls (who all happen to be the FMCs of the Legacy of the Gods series). However, the one certain thing is that her father will eventually arrange her marriage to someone who will strengthen his connections in the Mafia... unless she can find someone to fall in love with. Her mother has said she won’t force her to marry someone if she is in love with someone else. In steps Creighton, who happens to tag along whenever the girls hang out basically, and all Annika wants to do is chip through his hard exterior, get him to smile and speak to her. But underneath it all, Creighton has a dark, twisted past that has shaped him into the man he is today... and all he wants is revenge on the person who made him this way...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Annika was pretty annoying at times, and I’m not sure if it was because she was 17, because she was so preppy and bubbly, or if she was just too stupid to live at times. She puts herself into idiotic situations, and for someone who is meant to be quite intelligent, it got a little annoying. I still preferred her to Glyndon, though. I did like that she matured quite a bit through the progression of the book. I also love that she’s such a believer and so steadfast in her morals and beliefs. She stands up for what she believes in, and nothing and nobody, not even the threat of death, is going to persuade her otherwise. I like that she stood up for who she was and what she wanted, and challenged some very dangerous men in her life to get it.

Creighton is the silent observer of the group. He sleeps 90% of the time, eats 5% of the time, and makes grunting noises the remainder of the time. He is scary and sadistic (And I mean that LITERALLY because I did not expect him to be into BDSM... with a mindset of wanting to break Annika and then give her ridiculous pleasure BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHO HE IS). He is cold and empty, with a thirst for revenge on the demons that took away his innocence when he was a little boy left for dead. He has a darkness that makes him absolutely terrifying, and he is very guarded; honestly, not letting anybody in to see who he is underneath that exterior—except Annika eventually. He is everything you hope for and dream of when you imagine someone who is obsessive and possessive, taking "touch-her-and-you-die" to a whole new level. He goes absolutely feral if anything threatens to take away what’s his. He is super jealous of any other males Annika gives attention to, (because what is his, is his) and when he says something is mine, nothing can stand in his way.

The plot was ridiculous, full of drama, action, and plot twists that I didn’t see coming, with a lot more spiciness than I expected compared to God of Wrath. I liked the presence of the other characters, and I think this one has solidified my desire to continue in the Legacy of Gods series, to see what’s going on with Jeremy and see what happens with Eli and Ava... and generally see what other ridiculous and unbelievable things these "basically-kids" get up to.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Collage/University Romance
▶ Mafia Romance
▶ Alphamale
▶ Obsessive, Possessive and Jealous MMC
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ GrumpyXSunshine
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Virgin FMC
▶ Revenge

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨:
▷ Primal Play
▷ BDSM
▷ Bondage
▷ Brat
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Good Girl
▷ Look At Me
▷ Washes Her Hair and Share a Bath
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Biting

I don’t think this was perfect—it was frustrating, with the push and pull and the overdramatic reactions to their almost "Romeo and Juliet" story due to the conflicting families and rivalries—but I still loved the experience of reading it. I can see why people are obsessed with this series.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

When Grumpy chooses a book, you read the book….

please please please be better than Killian 

4.5 Daniel The Garden Gnome ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Friends to lovers isn't typically a trope that I would generally reach for 1st, or 3rd, or maybe even 5th. It is pretty low on my trope totem pole, but trust Stephanie Archer to take something that I wouldn't necessarily have picked up first and make it one of the best hockey romances that I have read to date.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Darcy has just broken up with her boyfriend of eight years and moved to Vancouver, where she starts rooming with her best friend, Hayden Owens—who also happens to be her ex's best friend. Hayden is also one of the star defencemen on the Vancouver Storm hockey team. Darcy and Hayden's friendship began when they bonded over a fantasy romance novel, and they instantly became best friends. One day, Darcy asks Hayden for help. She’s never really experienced the dating scene and hasn’t had the typical experiences with men that most women have. She asks Hayden, being a player himself, to be her wingman and teach her how to flirt, how to go on dates, and how to attract a man. Hayden, being the sweetheart that he is, agrees to help, even though underneath, it's killing him. Helping Darcy hook up with other men is his worst nightmare. While he won’t admit it, Darcy is his dream girl. As much as she sees him as a playboy, he’s been in love with her since she walked into that English class at university.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Darcy was smart and cute, and incredibly geeky and nerdy in the best way when she started talking about statistical models and theory. She was also super shy, especially about sex. She is also incredibly insecure due to how her ex minimised her personality and diminished her opinions. But she wants to change, she is determined to find herself and be unique and not let anyone put her down because they might not like it. Darcy, while being shy, is also pretty forward with Hayden. I like the fact that she would ask him what she wanted and wasn't scared to try new things with him. She's the main pusher of taking steps in their relationship because Hayden doesn't want to push her or scare her away.

Hayden is JUST PERFECTION! He almost pushed Rory off the top of the podium. He is completely besotted with Darcy, and I loved how jealous he would get when she interacted with other men or found herself in certain situations. I gushed at nearly every single scene because of how sweet, romantic, careful, and considerate he is. Darcy is his best friend, and all he wants is for her to be happy. He wants her to shine like the diamond he knows she is. It was adorable how much he lifted her up, celebrated her, and helped her grow in confidence. He encouraged her to rediscover herself, regain her confidence, and find passion in her work. It’s like he knew exactly what she needed, exactly when she needed it. He is basically a gooey sticky cinnamon roll and I wanted to sink my TEETH INTO HIM!

I loved that Rory gave Hazel lingerie in The Fake Out... but Hayden just PUT HIM TO SHAME and took it up a notch with his gifts... Hayden gave her so much more and he spoiled her so much. He is literally the type of man that girls dream about finding and I loved their relationship BECAUSE IT WAS SO CUTE! These two characters bring out the best in each other. They finish each other's sentences, they have a myriad of inside jokes, they play pranks on each other and they just have fun together. They support each other, they are each other's biggest cheerleader and they are just adorable together. Their banter, their teasing and their interactions and dynamics WERE JUST SO GOOOD! On top of that, the sizzling chemistry and spark they share is once in a lifetime! Also Hayden's dirty talk made me blush and I adored that this fun-loving guy could be slightly more dominating in bed while also being an excellent listener and patient teacher. OH SO PATIENT!

Stephanie Archer’s author bio includes the line, "she writes laugh-out-loud, spicy romance," and I couldn’t agree more with that statement. This is one of the books in a LONG TIME where I giggled and squealed almost constantly. AND THAT ONE BAR SCENE..... I legitimately threw my Kindle to the other side of the bed, covered my face with my hands and laughed out loud—while also dying of secondhand embarrassment. (iykyk)

My only concern is that I think the ending fell a little bit apart because it was too long. It took a long time for Darcy to realize Hayden was not going to flake on her. Given how close their friendship was, she was like the only one who couldn't see how much he loved her and how much he was doing everything to show her that he really was relationship material. She was just blind to everything that he did for the longest time and I wanted her to see it sooner. I also wanted a little bit more conflict and drama between her ex and Hayden, given that they were also best friends. That kind of plotline I think could have been taken a little bit more deeper and it could have been used as a lot bigger of a plot.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Friends to Lovers
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Roommates to Lovers
▶ Reformed Playboy who is actually a Cinnamon Roll
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Jealous MMC

𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Use Me
▷ Good Girl
▷ Look At Me
▷ Hockey Jersey Heat
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Dressing/Undressing Help (Taking off her Shoes)
▷ Mine

I loved this! I think that Stephanie Archer has such skill of making rom-coms brilliant and excellent. She writes the biggest green flag men that are so supportive, adorable and just utterly in love. AND YOU CAN FEEL that love bleeding off the pages.

Thank you to Stephanie Archer for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I GOT THE ARC...
AND since it's my birthday.... I am taking it as a birthday present! 

3.5 Handmade Bookshelf Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5

This had the makings of being really, really, really great. And then it introduced a couple of areas where we had contradicting plot elements. So, instead of being great, it ended up being only good.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Isla gets a job as an administrative assistant at Rent-A-Husband, a service where people can rent a "handyman" to come and do odd jobs around the house that typically a "husband" would do. However, things get a little awkward when it turns out that one of her new bosses happens to be a guy she went on a date with—one that she won in a bachelor auction. She ended up running out the door, leaving him with a stiffy.... To say Travis is a little unhappy to see her is an understatement. But soon, Travis realises that maybe there was a bit more to his connection with Isla. Unfortunately, he realises this too late, as now she has a boyfriend, and there's nothing he can do about it...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
The beginning of this was squee-inducing, it started off so well as it set the awkward tension foundation between Travis and Isla and you could feel that instant attraction between them bleed off the pages. Neither of them wanted to participate in the Auction (her buying him selling...himself) but their nosey grandmothers thrust them together and they needed to make the most of it. Then the story fell apart a little...

Isla is pretty shy initially but through the book, you see how that isn't who she is once she breaks down her walls and opens up. She is determined to do a good job and doesn't want to let anybody down. I like the fact that she was quick to speak her mind and communicated how she felt and what thoughts were going on in her head. Travis is very grumpy. He is kind of an arsehole all the time and doesn't want to be around anyone. He's disengaged, a lone wolf who likes the quiet of nature where he can fish in peace and just likes being alone in his own company.

The relationship between Travis and Isla was there, but it wasn’t quite there. I felt like most of the time the two of them were just constantly fighting or at each other's throats over some misunderstanding, miscommunication, or some aspect they didn’t talk about. I struggled to see the chemistry between them. There were hints of it, sparks and a few moments of sweetness. But there were also moments where they didn’t seem compatible. A lot of their attraction is meant to be believed because you are "told" they are attracted to each other because they seem to have conversations and connections spoken about in "metaphorical time passing" so I didn't always see where the whole connection between them came from.

I do have to say that there were genuinely sweet, cute, corny, rom-com moments of gold and overall the writing flowed well making this easy to read and enjoy, while still keeping a relatively low-angst vibe. It made the slow burn between them kind of nice. I liked the little-found family dynamic, especially with the brothers' antics and how the girls finagle themselves into their lives. It was nice seeing cameos of Camilla and Lucas and how their story had progressed. It was just sweet to be back in this world.

I did wish we got a bit more of the grandparents, as we did in Lucas and Camilla’s book. They were mentioned a couple of times, but besides the early scene with the grandmothers, they weren't as prominent as they were in the previous book. I wanted to see more of that family dynamic, especially because family is so important to Travis. And I wanted to see the Grandmothers meddle a little more in Isla and Travis's relationship for the drama of it.

One of the main things that put me off was three plot contradictions that made me question whether I was being gaslit or not. I had to go back and verify that I wasn't mistaken in what I was reading. [The first was Lucas forgot Travis mentioned he met Ilsa before he found out she was working for them. He tells the brothers why it would be weird having her at the company. Later in the story, Travis comments on him knowing Ilsa was smart yet Lucas is surprised by his meeting her before the work thing was revealed.

The second one that bugged me is when Travis asks about her being close to her family, she mentions not as close as he is because no one in her family (not even her cousins) lives in the same state ... YET HER GRANDMOTHER is a member of the senior centre where she has her book club... She is close to her grandmother as she went with her to the auction...but then forgets about her being close when Travis asks...

The Third... the waitress's name changes... the one who is obsessed with Travis... She was Mel... then she was Amy, and now it could be a different waitress but it seems "fishy" (hide spoiler)] None of these things are major to the overall plot or story but they just threw me a little and disrupted my reading experience.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨::
▶ Dual POV
▶ Hidden Identity
▶ Grumpy X Sunshine
▶ Workplace Romance (He is one of her Bosses)
▶ Mine
▶ "Fuck It"
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Almost One Night Stand

Overall I did enjoy this and the the overarching plot was enjoyable... With a little more polish I think it could have been great!

Thank you to Everly Ashton and Valentine PR for my gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

4.5 Lick the Tattoo ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5

Stay was just absolute sweet goodness wrapped up in a fluffy black golden retriever's heart called Rufus. I giggled, I swooned, I squealed, I squeeeeeeed, I laughed, I smiled, and I just felt so many warm fuzzies.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Hailey Taylor Emery, or HoTtiE (according to Matt Eriksson), is the co-owner of Fetch, an anonymous virtual assistant service that she runs with her ex-husband—awkward, but okay— She has been personally assisting on one of the VIP accounts, Sniper87. She believes that Sniper87 happens to be Matt Eriksson, her total hockey crush, whom she happens to be the biggest fan of; however, confirming his identity is totally against the company's rules and values, so she just fawns over who she thinks he is. One day, Sniper87 needs help walking his dog. Haley knows she shouldn't cross that boundary, but she can't help herself, so she walks his dog and pretty soon their harmless chatting turns into flirtatious testing. Once she confirms he is IN FACT Matt Eriksson, it makes her life difficult. You see, Matt Eriksson is almost instantly besotted and enamoured with Hailey and wants nothing more than to break down her walls and get under her skin for maybe a kiss or two. But he is also cautious because he has just come out of a very messy divorce. Now both Hailey and he need to navigate who they are now that they are no longer with their previous partners, and who they can be together.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Hailey was hilarious. I loved how cute she was and how she turned into a little bumbling idiot when she came face to face with Matt Erickson. I know people tend to do that when they meet celebrities, but it was really cute to see how she would get super embarrassed and wouldn’t be able to interact with one of her all-time favourite players, especially because he was giving her attention—it was so cute. I know this can seem "immature" given she is almost 30 but I loved it...
Despite her being successful, she is a little bit insecure. Given that she is divorced and currently living in this limbo. She has never known how to be single. She has never known another man besides her ex-husband. She is very careful because everything with Matt is unexplored territory. She doesn't want to be a puck bunny even though she is obsessed with hockey. She doesn't want to be one of his conquests and she is terrified that is all she is to Matt. She knows that hockey players tend to do that, so she guards herself closely to not let herself fall too quickly for his charm.

Matt is just a lovable goofball, and if I had to describe him as a cliché type of character, he would be a golden retriever—even though his dog in this book is a black labrador. He is the sweetest father, so gentle and caring but oh so hard on himself. He has been gaslit and manipulated by his ex-wife, who is an absolute bitch of a woman and feels so guilty for ruining their marriage. He struggles to make that additional commitment to Hailey or even open up to her because he's scared he's just going to hurt her and make her feel unwanted and like she doesn't matter.

It was sweet and charming to see how they overcame the scars and issues from their previous relationships and grew together as a couple. I just felt utter happiness reading this. I definitely preferred this to Good Boy, and I really liked Good Boy. I just cannot get over how SWEET THIS WAS.

The only reason this wasn’t five stars is because it had that mini "third-act breakup" before Matt came to his senses. Most of the time it felt like the two of them could communicate with each other and were open but during that section, it felt like they were talking over one another, with Matt not listening to what Hailey was saying. It took a while for him to see she wasn't his ex-wife and was different from her.

I really love the Blake and Jess cameos in this. We don't see as much of Wesmie in this one as we did in Good Boy, but we do see a little more of the other guys. I find their bromance adorable and I love how the wives are all there for each other. I loved that the girls welcomed Hailey so easily into their circle, accepting her as one of them.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ She's his biggest fan
▶ Single Dad
▶ He Fall's First Vibes
▶ Mirror/Reflection Sex
▶ Look At Me

Overall, if you want something cute and comforting that is just pure rom-com gold and bliss, read this!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, Sarina Bowen and Elle Kenney for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own