readwithmesashamarie's reviews
462 reviews

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC of this novel in 2019 in exchange for an honest review. My deepest apologies for my review being so egregiously late.

I tandem read a physical library copy of this book while listening to a library copy of the audiobook.

I knew of Anastasia from the heartbreaking and hilarious animated movie from my childhood. You know the one, with the haunting ‘Once Upon a December’ song that gets ingrained into your soul, and the little bat who famously said, “I’ll give her a ha, and a hiya, and a wooah, and I’ll kick her, sir.” 

Despite this movie being a childhood favorite, as I got older I never looked further into the history of Anastasia. When this book popped up on Netgalley many years ago, I was excited by the prospect of learning more about this character that I had so deeply loved growing up. Fast forward to the present, and instead of excitement, I now felt an intense sense of anxiety at the prospect of reading Anastasia’s story, especially once I realized the book starts with her entire family still alive. 

At first I could only read this book in short bursts, naturally stopping a page or two before tragedy struck, instinctively knowing I wasn’t ready to see Anastasia’s world torn apart. It wasn’t until my own world, and the external forces that had been heightening my own anxiety in January 2025, had crested, that I was able to sit down and read two thirds of the novel in one go. 

I highly recommend the audiobook of this novel. While the writing is masterful, weaving history and fantasy together as if they were a recollection of actual historical events, the narrator should be credited for bringing the atmosphere of this story to life. They expertly added what I assume are Russian accents, and spoke the various languages written throughout this novel. It heightened Nastya’s story in ways I couldn’t have achieved on my own; stuck in my own head with my very American accent, stumbling my way over new-to-me words and phrases.

I had no idea going into this novel that it would feature two disabled characters. Both Nastya’s younger brother, and their mother, suffered from disabilities and chronic conditions that left them confined to their beds, or a wheelchair, more often than not. I appreciated the disabled representation, and the way both characters were portrayed realistically. Physically they were weaker than their peers, but mentally and emotionally they proved how incredibly strong they had become in the face of such physical adversity.

This story was incredibly touching and topical. The message of Nastya’s father, his unwavering ability to show love not only to his family, but also to his captors, was a deeply profound message and theme throughout this novel. While I won’t pretend to have a good grasp on the current politics in today’s Russia, I do believe the political themes that run throughout this novel, including the trials Nastya, her family, and the soldiers forced to oversee their imprisonment, are timeless and still extremely poignant in today’s political climate world wide. 

This was a challenging novel to read. I can’t ascertain whether I believe this has a happily ever after, but it did end on an unmistakable feeling of hope for the future. There are so many beautiful messages and exploration of the human experience woven into Nastya’s story. It left me wondering what I would do in Nastya’s situation? In Zash’s? And above all, it made me ponder if I’m doing enough to send love out into the world, even if in the end the outcome results in unforetold tragedy. 

 

Emilia Emerson/Rossi has easily become one of my favorite authors in 2024. This year alone I’ve read 5 of her books and have had such different experiences with each one! Emerson/Rossi is proving that she has range as a writer, and isn’t afraid to try out new storylines or diversify her characters. 

His Tesoro was my first time meeting Emilia Rossi, the mafia romance writer, after reading four of Emilia Emerson’s omegaverse books back to back. I can definitely understand why she decided to keep two pen names for her writing, and can’t wait to watch both of her voices in these romance genres develop. 

My one minor complaint, and I’m getting it out of the way early so I can gush for the rest of this, is that the writing felt a bit disjointed. The chapters felt a little too short, and we didn’t get to sit in on scenes for as long as I would have liked. Another thing working against me with this book is my prior understanding of the author’s writing style from her omegaverse books. I felt myself comparing the two, and wondering why instead of a 6 or 7 page spicy scene we’d get a page or two (this didn’t only occur during spicy scenes it’s just my best example at the moment). It felt like the author was cutting herself off a bit, perhaps cutting scenes to fit a specific word count, instead of letting them mature and expand in a way that I’m familiar with from her omegaverse books.

I have seen this author write some pretty dark scenes and was fully prepared for this novel to deliver some deranged plot twists. Compared to some other mafia and dark romances I’ve read this story was relatively tame. I think this will become my go to, a great recommendation, for people who are curious about mafia romance and want to dip their toes into the shallow end. The rival mafia bosses, traitors within the ranks, and clandestine weapons deals were all very on brand mafia business, with the occasional act of in cold blood violence sprinkled in and depicted on the page. 

Where this book thrives, in my opinion, is the disability representation. This author has become a go to for representation that has a happily ever after in a way that does not dismiss or magically cure the main characters. In this story our FMC has hypermobile ehlers danlos syndrome. I was pleasantly surprised to realize this as someone who shares the FMC’s condition. I loved the very obvious work, research, and care that was put into covering all aspects of this condition with regards to daily life, mobility aids, service animals, medications, physical therapy, and dynamic disabilities. 

It was so nice to watch our FMC learn to regain her power while embracing her differences. It’s further proof that in the right environment people can thrive. Our MMC does everything in his power, which as the Mafia Don is a fuck ton of power, to ensure our FMC has everything she needs for her health and to improve her overall quality of life.

There were so many swoon worthy moments in this story. One of my favorites I feel like is too big of a spoiler to talk about in detail now, but just know if a man ever did this for me I’d be his forever. No questions asked. Our MMC researched his wife’s condition, took the time to speak to a dungeon master about roping her safely, and found out which sorts of pillows would be the most supportive for her to keep her pain down during their spicy times. Once he learned more about our FMC he anticipated her wants and needs, while still keeping an open line of communication between them and ensuring consent was always discussed beforehand. 

I cannot understate how nice it is to see your own physical condition or disability represented in a character who is just as worthy of love and respect as someone who is able bodied. I think in the right hands of the right readers this story will be a gateway to a lot of healing. I think for readers looking for a tame approach to mafia romances in general, or a taste of kink/bdsm/dom/sub dynamics, this is a very good place to start. I get so happy any time I have the chance to read one of Emilia’s books, and I can’t wait to read whatever she puts out next. 

 I picked up this book in the hopes of using it for Books and Lala’s Storygraph 2025 reading challenge. This review will go over both Part One and Part Two, with no spoilers. Please check the trigger warnings for this series including but not limited to: rape, kidnapping, murder, torture, cnc, dub con, pet play, knife play. 

I’m learning there are very specific things that I like, or that work for me, in mafia romances. I want the raw, underground, feral vibes that come with having a constant target on your back just for being part of your family. I want the forbidden romances that blossom and are threatened at every turn. I crave the danger and violence, mixed elegantly with moments of tenderness, care, and devotion to one another. And I obviously want hot, passionate, kinky sex. 

While this duet had some of these elements it definitely didn’t satisfy all of my mafia romance cravings. We meet our FMC as she is hiding out from her baby daddy in her four year olds pediatrician's office. I loved the set up for this novel, and the way we were introduced to all of the main love interests. This story is a why choose, eventual polycule, romance with many differing dynamics at play. 

I thought the first book in this duet was the strongest. The characters each had very distinct voices in their chapters, and it’s always entertaining watching characters interacting in new ways for the first time. Our FMC Sofia is a mafia princess who has been used for her sex appeal and had it thrown back in her face. She’s survived domestic abuse from her baby daddy and kept that information from her family, who would prefer she marry him now that she’s ‘tainted goods’. 

Our three MMCs are Nick, Dante, and Lorenzo. Nick is a former mafia son turned pediatrician. He left the life after his first kill at 18. Dante is a scary mother fucker from Sicily who ends up in New York, determined to use any means necessary to get what was stolen from him. Lorenzo is Sofia’s father’s closest soldier besides his own son, and has pined after Sofia their entire lives. 

Each man brings their own dynamic to their relationship with Sofia as well, who previously had led a very vanilla sex life. This is probably one part of the books I had the biggest problem with. Characters, in general, are just so confused all the time about what they’re feeling and what it means. This is not a book for someone who is curious about how poly relationships and multiple dynamics might work. Nick was probably the closest to a character with good and safe Dom/sub representation, while Dante exhibited Master/pet dynamics that were borderline unsafe, and Lorenzo had no idea what dynamics were and said some pretty fucked up things along the way because of his ignorance. 

This story had an underlying plot that should have felt more engaging, but moved so slowly. I was honestly bored through most of the second book. The only reason I wasn’t bored in the first book was because of the newness of the characters and their interactions together. The novel was very character driven, but this didn’t work either because the characters were just confused the whole time. There was no clear direction, and by the time we got to the second book there were no clear or distinct character voices. I often had no idea whose chapter I was in anymore as everyone started sounding exactly the same. 

This duet had a really encouraging start. I thought it would shape up nicely in the second book and become a series I could easily recommend to mafia dark romance enthusiasts. Unfortunately this series fell flat. While I can understand that confusion may play a role in new poly relationships, the lack of communication for the entirety of the story leaves me to believe this isn’t great representation, and not something I would recommend to someone looking for a kink positive, poly positive story. I can tell it was trying to be those things, and somehow it missed the mark for me personally. I also don’t think there was a decent balance between mafia antics and interpersonal relationship time. I’m sad this wasn’t a win, but I’m another step closer to knowing what I do and don’t want from these types of romances. So that’s a win for me overall. 

 I picked up this book in the hopes of using it for Books and Lala’s Storygraph 2025 reading challenge. This review will go over both Part One and Part Two, with no spoilers. Please check the trigger warnings for this series including but not limited to: rape, kidnapping, murder, torture, cnc, dub con, pet play, knife play. 

I’m learning there are very specific things that I like, or that work for me, in mafia romances. I want the raw, underground, feral vibes that come with having a constant target on your back just for being part of your family. I want the forbidden romances that blossom and are threatened at every turn. I crave the danger and violence, mixed elegantly with moments of tenderness, care, and devotion to one another. And I obviously want hot, passionate, kinky sex. 

While this duet had some of these elements it definitely didn’t satisfy all of my mafia romance cravings. We meet our FMC as she is hiding out from her baby daddy in her four year olds pediatrician's office. I loved the set up for this novel, and the way we were introduced to all of the main love interests. This story is a why choose, eventual polycule, romance with many differing dynamics at play. 

I thought the first book in this duet was the strongest. The characters each had very distinct voices in their chapters, and it’s always entertaining watching characters interacting in new ways for the first time. Our FMC Sofia is a mafia princess who has been used for her sex appeal and had it thrown back in her face. She’s survived domestic abuse from her baby daddy and kept that information from her family, who would prefer she marry him now that she’s ‘tainted goods’. 

Our three MMCs are Nick, Dante, and Lorenzo. Nick is a former mafia son turned pediatrician. He left the life after his first kill at 18. Dante is a scary mother fucker from Sicily who ends up in New York, determined to use any means necessary to get what was stolen from him. Lorenzo is Sofia’s father’s closest soldier besides his own son, and has pined after Sofia their entire lives. 

Each man brings their own dynamic to their relationship with Sofia as well, who previously had led a very vanilla sex life. This is probably one part of the books I had the biggest problem with. Characters, in general, are just so confused all the time about what they’re feeling and what it means. This is not a book for someone who is curious about how poly relationships and multiple dynamics might work. Nick was probably the closest to a character with good and safe Dom/sub representation, while Dante exhibited Master/pet dynamics that were borderline unsafe, and Lorenzo had no idea what dynamics were and said some pretty fucked up things along the way because of his ignorance. 

This story had an underlying plot that should have felt more engaging, but moved so slowly. I was honestly bored through most of the second book. The only reason I wasn’t bored in the first book was because of the newness of the characters and their interactions together. The novel was very character driven, but this didn’t work either because the characters were just confused the whole time. There was no clear direction, and by the time we got to the second book there were no clear or distinct character voices. I often had no idea whose chapter I was in anymore as everyone started sounding exactly the same. 

This duet had a really encouraging start. I thought it would shape up nicely in the second book and become a series I could easily recommend to mafia dark romance enthusiasts. Unfortunately this series fell flat. While I can understand that confusion may play a role in new poly relationships, the lack of communication for the entirety of the story leaves me to believe this isn’t great representation, and not something I would recommend to someone looking for a kink positive, poly positive story. I can tell it was trying to be those things, and somehow it missed the mark for me personally. I also don’t think there was a decent balance between mafia antics and interpersonal relationship time. I’m sad this wasn’t a win, but I’m another step closer to knowing what I do and don’t want from these types of romances. So that’s a win for me overall. 

 

I’d heard a lot of good things about this book and knew I wanted to get to it as soon as possible. I’m a huge fan of Dracula and vampire lore. Any new spin on the story and I am seated, ready to sink my metaphorical fangs into a new tale of the undead. When I found out this book was told from the perspective of one of Dracula’s wives, I knew it would be a story full of heartache, mirth, and hopefully revenge. 

Not once in the entire novel is the name Dracula spoken. The story is written as if it is being told to Dracula, who is already dead. We are taken back to the very beginning, to our character’s last day as a human. I’m not sure if I’m personally desensitized to gore, blood, or body trauma, I managed quite well through some of the more gruesome details. So many instances reminded me of scenes from Interview With A Vampire, and I loved that I could interchange any major vampire from cultural canon to fit with our understood you male protagonist. 

What surprised me most about this novel was the insatiable jealousy that was prevalent as a major undertone. That jealousy does eventually morph into its true emotion, anger, as our FMC untangles the web of lies and omissions she’s been fed her entire undead life. Our villain is cunning, and gaslights our FMC two steps before she even realizes what has happened. This is a story that dives deep into the underbelly of psychological torment and domestic abuse. This would be my personal biggest trigger warning for readers. You can so clearly see how she could, despite all of his major faults, still be madly in love with him and is unwavering in her loyalty. 

This story was such a beautiful commentary on the dark, grim realities of domestic abuse. On loving, and being dependent on, the one person in this world who hurts you the most. The dependence is by design, and though subtle at first, becomes more and more apparent as the story progresses. We got to watch the life cycle of vampires from their birth to their settling, and watch how their human natures keep them strong or react poorly to the change over time. It was a fascinating study in nature versus nurture to watch the ways some vampires thrived while others wilted away to husks of their former selves. 

This story had both very bad and relatively good poly relationship dynamics, though I would hope this isn’t the reader's first introduction to the concept. Consent is key in these dynamics, and our abusive MMC forges consent in order to create his new family. These scenes were particularly hard to read as our FMC navigated her very complicated feelings, but it was a relief to come back to the epilogue and see examples of what consent and communication in a poly dynamic should look like. 

Our MMC is a villain in every sense of the word. There are so many things I could say about him to make my case. In spite of everything stacked against her our FMC clawed her way to her HEA. This story was fascinating, with commentary on the rise and fall of empires, human nature, politics, relationships, and morality. It was a breath of fresh air in the way it was written, as if we were being directly spoken to but not at all the intended audience. I had such an incredible time with this book, despite it being so incredibly dark and morose. Reader beware. This tale is not for the faint of heart. 

 

Thank you to my public library for a free copy of this book in exchange for literally nothing (except the expectation that the book would be returned in the same physical state it was checked out in). 

While I’ve heard nothing but praise for Kennedy Ryan and her books, I’ve also heard just how emotional and impactful they can be. Oftentimes I’m not ready to allow myself to be that vulnerable, and dive into a book expecting that it will make me cry. However, I knew I wanted to try one of Ryan’s books before the end of the year, and was able to snag a copy from my library. 

I was so excited after reading the blurb and discovering this was a story centered around Broadway and Hollywood. I was thrilled to live through these characters and garner a special sneak peak behind the curtain into an industry that has driven my curiosity to new heights. I’d watch hours of actor and actress interviews, behind the scenes and bloopers, just to get a glance at what life might be like on set. Contemporary romance isn’t a genre I reach for regularly, but this added layer of interest held my attention from the very first page. 

It’s extremely hard for me to discuss this book, at its core, without spoiling it. What I can say is that Ryan’s writing is beautiful, descriptive, luscious, and captivating. The pacing was just right, and my mind was blown when we had actual pieces of the script included in the novel, almost as a third point of view. The storytelling, the character development, everything was just a truly engrossing reading experience that allowed me to sit back and exist alongside these characters. 

Now. The spoilers. 

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this story had disability representation for lupus. My understanding of lupus was very rudimentary, and by the end of this book I’ve gained a whole new perspective of the disease. We watched our female main character as she dove into the role of a lifetime, and saw all the subtle ways that role ate away at her health in the process. I knew this would lead up to a flare, but I genuinely was shocked and cursing out loud at this book when it came time for her official diagnosis. As someone who is chronically ill and disabled, I’m all too familiar with that sinking feeling of bad test results and the sit down consultations with new doctors that occur soon after. 

The emotional hits just kept coming, and started in the very first few chapters. A betrayal so deep it tore two sisters apart, the death of a mother that spawned a massive career, and a mistake that turned into a lesson, never to be repeated. Our two main characters were battling their pasts in order to build their future together, all the while trying to stamp down their feelings for one another in an effort to put their film first. I loved the way our MMC was so persistent that they wait. That this film was her big moment and any talk, any gossip, would ruin her chances at her fresh, unadulterated start in Hollywood. I loved that she egged him on, pushing him closer and closer to the edge because she didn’t care who said what about her, or them.  

The sizzle of these characters finally coming together, the clandestine meetings between takes and offset where they wore hats so as to not be recognized by the public, was so well worth the wait. While it wasn’t a slow burn, it was satisfactory. The yearning was center stage while the characters took us behind the scenes of this movie, and this woman's life whose story they were doing their best to get right and get out into the public. 

The commentary on how hard it is for Black people to make it into the industry, the barriers of entry that still exist, and the stories that have been forgotten to time were haunting reminders and beautiful parallels. Ryan is a genius, who not only wrote a book about a grumpy, disciplined, workaholic man falling in love with a talented, bright, open hearted woman, she also wrote an entire plot (with a script) to the movie they were making together. 

I feel like I haven’t said everything I want to about this book, because there simply are so many directions I could take this review. Do we talk about the romance? Do we talk about their families and their past? Do we talk about the industry and the injustices? Do we talk about chronic illness? Do we talk about all the people it takes to make a movie? I could go on and on, but for now I’ll leave you with this. This book was a triumph. This book showcased the harsh realities of being human, and all the emotions that come along with those experiences. 

 

This year I was intentionally seeking out more holiday romances to read during the holiday season. This one just so happened to land in my lap during a white elephant gift exchange, and with how short it appeared I was simply hoping to have a good, quick time. This book blew my expectations out of the water, and while I could see why this might not be the perfect holiday romance for every reader (it’s very niche), it ticked all my boxes and has become a new favorite. 

This holiday romance centers two romance writers (I told you it was niche) who met in a writers group. They got paired up as critique partners and their relationship evolved into something romantic (and spicy!!). We meet our FMC and MMC five years later, now both published writers under the same publishing house. They haven’t seen one another since he broke up with her, and now she’s being forced to give him an award at the publishers end of the year holiday party. 

This short but sweet story had everything I love in these types of romances: forced proximity, one bed, and out of control, off the page chemistry. These characters needle one another and get under their skin. They play tit for tat as if no time has passed, while it’s clear their wounds of the past are still alive and festering under the surface. This had just the right touch of holiday vibes, mixing flashbacks of their past Christmases together with their current holiday predicament. 

Despite being only 240 pages I cried three times while reading this book. I full on sobbed at one point, needing to put down the book and take off my glasses until I was able to compose myself and keep reading. This story is a mix of dream scenarios I have for myself, put into a blender and played out on the page by these two characters, fumbling their way back to one another. The heartache of their broken relationship, the heartache of the MMC being slightly estranged from his conservative family, and the heartache of unfulfilled dreams landed extremely close to home. 

While many mistakes were made, and finally discussed at length, this story does have a sweet HEA. I loved getting to see each character’s writing process, their thoughts on writer’s block, and the individual pressures they both felt from their agents and contracts. There was honestly not a single thing that I disliked about this book. It was the perfect sweet, spicy, yet emotional read that I need this time of year. I can’t wait to look into this author and read more of their work. This is one white elephant gift I won’t soon forget. 

 

Thank you so much to Daisy Thorn & Luna Literacy for the eARC of this book. 

So many things drew me into this ARC opportunity. Hockey is without a doubt my favorite type of sports romance to read, and this book was said to have a disabled main character. My curiosity was more than piqued, and I was happy to give this new-to-me author a try. 

The beginning of this book DREW. ME. IN.  I was hooked like a fish on a line. My heart was pounding so fast I had to literally use my hand to cover the screen and read one line at a time. I was scared, panicked, and sweating as we experienced our FMC’s career altering accident in gruesome, visceral detail right along with her. 

Personal, yet relevant, tangent: I was a competitive dancer growing up and I had a career ending injury when I was seventeen. Reading this scene (and her recovery) was HARD but oh my god, so well done. For the most part. 

I genuinely wasn’t sure how our two main characters, an injured figure skater and a hair trigger anger issues hockey player, would end up orbiting one another. The forced proximity created a really fun bubble where their reality became each other, not the outside world. I loved this little cabin nestled next to a frozen lake in a small town where everyone knows everyone (especially because both our main characters are stupidly famous). The setting was such a contrast to our characters emotional and physical wellbeing, but it was clear from the beginning that this location would be a haven for them both. 

Each character had such big personalities. They were like fire and ice always battling with one another in wit, verbal sparring, and later on trying to out spice the other. It was so fun watching these characters grow and evolve together. Each one carried many emotional challenges including childhood abuse/trauma, depression and anxiety attacks, and it was so rewarding as the reader to watch them unwind and work through those tough to navigate issues. 

This story definitely borrows elements from dark romance when it comes to the spice. Our MMC says the darndest things, and boy oh boy did I eat it up! Our hockey star definitely has a breeding kink, as well as a laundry list of others that were so fun to explore. 

Now comes the tricky part as a reader and reviewer who is disabled. I wish I had known our character would get back on her feet. Literally. I went into this story thinking that the character would be permanently disabled and was going to learn to navigate life through this new lens, like many of us who become disabled (and are not born disabled) are forced to do. 

Fortunately for our character, she has a miraculous recovery (maybe a little too miraculous), in which she states her inability to walk was just all in her head. But it wasn’t. She had a broken bone that, perhaps temporarily, damaged or inflamed her spinal cord, causing her paralysis. Sure it’s medically possible for that kind of swelling to go down and for the damage to be reversible, for sensation to come back in the form of tingles and then outright feeling, but to say it was all in her head and that she wouldn’t let herself walk because of some mental block felt like it undermined and invalidated the very real trauma her mind and body experienced through her accident. 

I’m not angry at the author for writing a story where the character got better in a case where that is a plausible, medically accurate, potential outcome. I think this is an example of when a sensitivity reader’s, or a reader who has experienced something similar, input could have been useful. Maybe I’m misunderstanding that scene altogether coming from my own lived bias and experiences as someone with both a career ending injury and permanent life long disabilities. It feels very weird that after she gets out of her wheelchair in an emergency and runs for the first time since her accident, she has one additional check up with her doctors and then immediately jumps back into her old life as if the accident had never happened. 

I made the choice to wait to post my reviews until this book was released into the world. The more I sit with this story, and the way the disability arc was handled, the more frustrated I feel (which is a shame because I genuinely enjoyed the writing and the characters up until that pivotal moment). I opened up this discussion, without mentioning the book or author on Bluesky to get some additional opinions. (You can view these posts on my blog)

As of this moment, I would not recommend this book to readers looking for good or positive disability representation. 

 

Don't let that adorable cover fool you. This is a down right delectable, spicy, why choose romance. 

Omegaverse is like a drug…or a potato chip. You can’t just have it once (don’t do drugs though…this is just a metaphor). You must consume it as much as possible, in as many forms and fashions as you can find! And boy am I consuming this genre at, potentially, alarming rates. That’s right, reader friends. I’ve read another omegaverse in one sitting (around 3ish hours). We are heading back into the cozyverse created by Eliana Lee and Emilia Emerson, this time with one of Lee’s brand new packs. 

Not only is Lee an author of color, she tends to include POC characters in many of her novels. In this story our pack grows to include a man who is Sri Lankan and a man who is half Chinese half Singaporean. There are very fun elements included in the story that tie back to their cultures, as well as important discussions about not using their full name in professional settings and the weight of growing up differently. I always look forward to these aspects of Lee’s characters. I love getting a little insight into different backgrounds, and the conversations that can be had between characters because of it. 

Another form of representation in our pack this time around was body positivity, with one of our alphas being extremely self conscious of his weight and size, as well as our omega feeling like she’s not a good enough omega because she considers herself to be flat and lacking curves. She googled it, you guys. Omegas are supposed to have specific hip to waist ratios! This is dire! Thankfully, our omega and her pack are able to show the alpha that his body is perfect for them, and in turn they remind our omega that she is perfect because of who she is, not just how she looks. 

We’re over halfway through the review and I’ve barely mentioned the story itself! Our omega is a school teacher who is struggling to get by with limited supplies or support from school administration. I see this detail going one of two ways with readers. Either you’ll absolutely love the acknowledgment of how overworked, overlooked, and underappreciated teachers are, or you’ll feel a spike of jealousy that our omega gets a bit of a classroom makeover and many of her professional concerns taken care of by the end of the novel. I loved all the ways Lee showed the reader how much effort (good) teachers are constantly putting in behind the scenes for their school and their students. It definitely felt like a bit of a nod to the profession in the way our omega was written. 

This pack includes our omega, two alphas, and a beta. While I love pack dynamics with all alphas, vying for that coveted top spot of pack leader, I have a very special place in my heart for our betas. This beta, in my opinion, is the only reason this pack stayed together by the end of the book. Our characters are realistic because they are flawed. They mess up. Repeatedly. They push one another away, and refuse to let each other go. Without our beta I think this story would not have had our HEA, and I’m so so thankful he was the cohesive unit in this pack. 

If you’re wondering when the best time to read this book is, we meet our characters right before winter break, and leave our characters just after Valentine’s day. As it says in the title, this is a perfect winter read, hitting all of the big holidays (focusing primarily on Christmas, NYE, and Valentine’s Day) and getting you in the mood to cozy up with a nice big cup of hot chocolate and a warm gingerbread cookie. I’m so happy I got a chance to revisit this cozy omegaverse, and am thrilled that we still have two more omegas and their packs to meet in spring and summer.  

January 2025 Book Club Pick
 

Thank you to my public library for a free copy of this book in exchange for literally nothing (except the expectation that the book would be returned in the same physical state it was checked out in).

You know the feeling when you start a new fantasy series, and you just know this story, these characters, this setting, is about to consume your entire life? Well I’ve been fighting off that feeling with a toothpick while reading this book because I CANNOT allow myself into a reading slump once I’ve finished the first three books in this series. All that to say: “Yeah, I enjoyed book one. What of it,” she said, feigning disinterest. 

I have mixed feelings about trials. Mostly because I’ve read so many of them. I like their predictability mixed with huge spikes of anxieties (yes, plural, I have many). I never know the outcomes but I can always anticipate that there will be another scheduled trial until the competition is over, or our character dies. Which is unlikely…seeing as they are what’s moving us through the story. I guess I passively enjoyed the trials as a plot device in this novel, and appreciated that they helped split the book into sections.

Each section began with a little peek into our FMC’s past. With each new flashback we watched her grow up surrounded by predators. We watched her learn how to navigate her harsh and deadly reality of being a human in a world full of vampires, which led, in some cases, to even more dire consequences. Despite being a total badass, our FMC only views herself as weak and as prey. It’s that mindset that has kept her alive and helped her hone her hunting skills, but one of my favorite moments in this novel was when the MMC reminded her of her strength. Her turning into a vampire would make her stronger physically, but her true strength came from how she had survived already just as herself. 

This first novel had a pretty small core cast of characters. We learn the most about our FMC and MMC and one or two additional characters who are in their orbit at different periods throughout the book. However due to the trials we got a broader view into the other key players of this world. There are multiple breeds of vampires, various stages of class or wealth, and humans who are lucky to simply be alive. We are also introduced to a cast of gods and goddesses for whom the trials take place.

Overall I enjoyed this story. There is a staggering amount of violence against our characters and committed by them. If you’re even slightly squeamish this book will not sit well with you. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m working on my own fantasy novel, or if it’s my autistic pattern recognition, but none of the big twists, turns, or reveals were shocking to me. I had already predicted who our FMC and MMC were around one hundred pages into the book and got to enjoy watching how the author pulled it off as the story progressed. I think it’s worth mentioning because I can’t be certain it’s for the reasons listed, or if others also found this predictable. Either way, I’m nervously anticipating what high jinx these characters will get into in the next book.