lost_windsock's reviews
475 reviews

This collecting of stories was such a pleasure to read! A few in the mix weren't really for me, but almost every other short story was so much fun to read! I have way too many favorites to be able to list them out individually, but I can say with full confidence that picking up this anthology guarantees you 1,000+ pages of really great valentine's day sweetness and a heaving helping of spice to go alongside it!

What an utterly delightful book, and a really fun start to this series! Chloe's writing always cracks me up, and this book had me laughing so much. River is such a tiny, sassy handful and I love him so much. He and Kai fit together perfectly. The plot of this book was super fun and had a really nice sprinkling of mysteries throughout it, most of which it seems like will be carried through into the next book, which I'm a big fan of. We got a few minor moments of action and drama in this book, as well as a little bit of spice near the end, and I'm definitely hooked and excited to find out what comes next for River and Kai!

This was just a really short, adorable flashback story, basically. If you've read any of Charlie's The Court books, you'll know a little bit of Clive's story, but getting to dive in and see how he and his husband met was super cute. There's a little bit of spice in the middle of this short, but it's mostly just delightful fluff.

I liked the idea for this book a lot, and I also enjoyed the characters, but the pacing felt a little disproportionate. I would have liked to see more of the end portion of this book play out, because I felt like the ending was pretty unsatisfying. Maybe I just wish this book were like 30 pages longer so we could have actually seen Yoshi and Dmitry work through things once and for all. But the build up to that moment of realization was enjoyable. I wouldn't say this book was a stalker story, but it was a little bit? Most of the beginning was Yoshi following Dmitry around trying to figure out who he was, and the mystery element kept it interesting.

My stomach was in knots the whole time I read this book. I was SO nervous, even though I knew everything would turn out okay. Bellamy and Phoenix were doomed from the start, and all throughout this book, they both struggled to find a way to trust each other and give themselves a chance at some kind of happily ever after. Phoenix was terrible to the nephilim brothers in the past books; he nearly killed several of them and injured several of their mates, so Bellamy rightfully struggled to let himself give in to the pull of his fated mate connection. It was hard for Phoenix as well, as he knew if he were to give in, it would mean him betraying Asa, which would likely result in his death. Once they had both given in, though, they protected each other and Phoenix proved his loyalty to Bellamy and his brothers-after betraying their trust accidentally and almost dying, anyway. The overarching plot of these books continues to keep me hungry for more, and I am dying to find out what happens next!

I think this book got a little lost in the sauce. There was a lot of background information, a lot of plot involving(too many) side characters, and a lot of time in this book spent with each main character by themselves. And for a 96 page book, that added up to a lot of stuff I just wish had been pushed aside to make room for more moments with these boys. The first book in this series had that good good relationship building, but I feel like this one relied too heavily on the fated mates angle and we didn't really get to see them build much together. I did like both characters, but it just didn't have enough of them together, sadly. 

Going into this book, I had no clue what kind of person would get paired up with Gray. I don't think he could have found a more perfect partner. There were so many things I loved about Mason. Probably my favorite was that he wasn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with any of the brothers or even Lazarus. He stood his ground and always had Gray's back. Both Mason and Gray had mental struggles they were fighting to overcome, and they helped each other by lending one another not only their strength but their softness, too. They were each others' safe space. Gray went through the ringer in this book, but managed to be the sole reason everyone made it through this battle. I have a feeling Bellamy's book is going to rip out my heart and I'm so scared 😂 but I'm excited to keep reading this series. 

I absolutely loved this one. The dynamic between Warrin and Daman is one of my favorites to read. Warrin was so serious, and had lived his role as a commander for 600 years, never wanting more until he met Daman and his soul found it's other half. He was so nervous around Daman, but he didn't let that stop him from pursuing him. He caught on quickly that Daman was fighting with Envy whenever he was being cold and pulling away, and he made sure not to let Envy win. Their dedication to each other was so sweet, and seeing Daman finally let someone in and be happy was the best thing ever, especially since he got to be with someone as sweet as Warrin. They really cherished each other, and when the battle came to a head, it was their love that freed Warrin from being controlled and kept Daman alive through combining his life force with Warrin. The plot of these books is so well balanced between action and character development, and new characters and plot points are sprinkled in so easily to lead into the next book. I actually didn't pick up on who it was that Gray would be paired with, so I'm crazy curious to get into the next book and find out!

Kyo and Castor made my heart ACHE! Their love was so unexpected to both of them, yet entirely consuming. As they both realized their feelings meant more than they'd originally thought, more and more obstacles stacked up against them. An impending war, an arranged marriage, an unexpected battle that nearly resulted in Kyo's death... the universe wasn't letting Castor and Kyo have their happily ever after without a fight. Luckily they were both willing to fight as hard as they could to be together. My heart shattered right alongside Castor's during the events toward the end of this book, and I totally wasn't expecting to cry like a baby, but I did 😂 I am really looking forward to the next book, too! The overarching plot of these books is so compelling and knowing we continue on with Daman and Warrin has me so excited to see what happens!

I really, really love a book that knows how to do drama well, and this one was so well done! The whole plot was intriguing and intense, but it was broken up with enough lightness that it didn't feel too heavy. Simon was such a delight. I loved how he was just a shrimpy human, but he had so much fight in him. Sometimes that fight was in the form of arguing, and sometimes actually physically fighting, although that wasn't his strong suit. Not that he needed it to be with Galen there. Galen was instantly wrapped around Simon's little finger, no matter how much he tried to deny it or push Simon away. He complained about Simon's endless curiosity and infinite questions, but he secretly loved them, and I do so love a grumbling softy. This book set itself up well at the end to transition seamlessly into the next, and I'm looking forward to reading Castor's story and seeing more of the overarching plot unfold!