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smalltown_smutlover's reviews
281 reviews
Vows & Ruins by Helen Scheuerer
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
“𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯.”
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the h0rniest of them all? Wilder and Thea. That’s who. Y’all the yearning and banter in this book is ✨elite✨ These two are doing the absolute most with their back and forth, and I ate it up.
Despite the incessant angst, Thea continues to be an absolute badass and I love her so much. She is really coming into her own as a Guardian of Thezmarr, and we love to see a woman excelling in a male dominated field. Wilder is very clearly keeping some secrets, but I trust him. He has his reasons, and I will not question them at this stage in the game because I stand by my man.
I have chosen the “emotional impact” reading order so 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 is up next and I am very excited to meet the mysterious Talemir 👀
“𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰?”
“𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦.”
🌶️🌶️🌶️
“𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯.”
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the h0rniest of them all? Wilder and Thea. That’s who. Y’all the yearning and banter in this book is ✨elite✨ These two are doing the absolute most with their back and forth, and I ate it up.
Despite the incessant angst, Thea continues to be an absolute badass and I love her so much. She is really coming into her own as a Guardian of Thezmarr, and we love to see a woman excelling in a male dominated field. Wilder is very clearly keeping some secrets, but I trust him. He has his reasons, and I will not question them at this stage in the game because I stand by my man.
I have chosen the “emotional impact” reading order so 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 is up next and I am very excited to meet the mysterious Talemir 👀
“𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰?”
“𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦.”
Deja Vu by Liz Leiby
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫑
O M G. This book is an absolute gem! Jessie and Mac are unbelievably adorable together and their story had just the right amount of tension and sweetness. The dichotomy of the MCs’ POVs was delightful because Mac is so unbelievably obsessed with Jessie, and she is so completely oblivious. She really thinks they’re just rivals. He really thinks he is playing a long game to get the girl of his dreams. It’s endearing and precious delightful.
I devoured this adorable book. The narration was excellent, the story was just the right amount of angsty and silly and sweet. If you’re looking for a heartwarming college rom-com, this is an excellent choice. And, if you loved Jessie’s BFF Jade and want more, you can get her story in 𝘖𝘧𝘧 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬!
🫑
O M G. This book is an absolute gem! Jessie and Mac are unbelievably adorable together and their story had just the right amount of tension and sweetness. The dichotomy of the MCs’ POVs was delightful because Mac is so unbelievably obsessed with Jessie, and she is so completely oblivious. She really thinks they’re just rivals. He really thinks he is playing a long game to get the girl of his dreams. It’s endearing and precious delightful.
I devoured this adorable book. The narration was excellent, the story was just the right amount of angsty and silly and sweet. If you’re looking for a heartwarming college rom-com, this is an excellent choice. And, if you loved Jessie’s BFF Jade and want more, you can get her story in 𝘖𝘧𝘧 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬!
Smoky Darling by S.J. Tilly
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Love, Utley by S.J. Tilly
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Memory Curse by Sheila Masterson
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘱.”
As I am wont to do from time to time, I started the Seasons of Revenge series at the end. After I read The Ick Factor, I knew I wanted to know more about the FMC’s band of besties. So, it was time to backtrack to this spicy holiday novel!
Abbie’s ex-boyfriend is the literal worst, so she sets out to get revenge on him by dating his boss, whom he hates. What starts as a silly good time, quickly turns into more when she realizes Damien Martinez is more than a high-powered lawyer with a pretty face (and a filthy mouth). This was a fun read that made my tummy hurt (a compliment, I assure you), and I devoured it. It’s a good balance of silly and sincere, with a generous dash of spice. I will definitely be coming back for the rest of this series ASAP!
“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴.”
The Ever Queen by LJ Andrews
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙆𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙆𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨.
I love monster romance and am obsessed with Lana, so I was extremely excited to get my hands on this cutie! Plus, she has been teasing us for months on end, so it’s about damn time I got to finish.
I came into this book thinking it was going to be a silly good time, but it has a surprising amount of plot. The story of the Greer and MacKay families and their fraught relationship was very interesting, and I enjoyed an “aha!” moment when I figured out the solution to their little mystery (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you).
As is to be expected with Lana, the banter and smut are top tier. I adored Lachlan, Key, and the host of side characters. (Seriously, her grandad is the CUTEST.) I really enjoyed it and already can’t wait for Lana’s next release!
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.”
🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙆𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙆𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨.
I love monster romance and am obsessed with Lana, so I was extremely excited to get my hands on this cutie! Plus, she has been teasing us for months on end, so it’s about damn time I got to finish.
I came into this book thinking it was going to be a silly good time, but it has a surprising amount of plot. The story of the Greer and MacKay families and their fraught relationship was very interesting, and I enjoyed an “aha!” moment when I figured out the solution to their little mystery (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you).
As is to be expected with Lana, the banter and smut are top tier. I adored Lachlan, Key, and the host of side characters. (Seriously, her grandad is the CUTEST.) I really enjoyed it and already can’t wait for Lana’s next release!
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.”
Baby Cakes: The Complete Bite Series by S.J. Tilly
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴. 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴.”
All I want for Christmas is to be one of S.J. Tilly’s FMCs 🎅🏼🎄
Ms. Tilly is coming in hot with some steamy, lighthearted holiday fun! Baby Cakes is a trio of holiday novellas following fangirl Alice Hatter and celebrity chef Michael Kesso on their whirlwind romance. It is the most insta-lovey insta-love, Michael is absolutely obsessed with Alice, and Alice is living every fangirl’s dream. All three are a fun, sexy jaunt to help get you into the holiday spirit. I think the OG, Second Bite, is my personal favorite, but Snowed In Bite and New Year’s Bite are an excellent time as well. Give Baby Cakes a read and report back which one is your favorite 😏
“𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭.”
“𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.”
The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️
“𝐼 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒶𝓁 𝓅𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝐼𝓁𝒾𝒶𝑒.”
I absolutely loved the Nightborn Duet (seriously, Raihn Ashraj is one of my top MMCs of all time), and adored Mische so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her story. Carissa is an incredible writer who always manages to draw me into these wonderfully dark and complex stories. She also has a knack for writing the saddest, cinnamony-est cinnamon roll MMCs that I can’t get enough of. Bc Asar? DAMN. Just…damn. Mische’s ability to remain bubbly despite her trauma and current situation is one thing I love about her, but she is also raw and vulnerable and scared in a way I did not expect. I will warn that this book ends on quite the cliffhanger, much like Serpent, so if you prefer completed series you may want to wait bc I am dying to read the next one already!
“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝓂𝓎 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓇𝒾𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒. 𝐼𝓉’𝓈 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉.”
🌶️🌶️
“𝐼 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒶𝓁 𝓅𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝐼𝓁𝒾𝒶𝑒.”
I absolutely loved the Nightborn Duet (seriously, Raihn Ashraj is one of my top MMCs of all time), and adored Mische so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her story. Carissa is an incredible writer who always manages to draw me into these wonderfully dark and complex stories. She also has a knack for writing the saddest, cinnamony-est cinnamon roll MMCs that I can’t get enough of. Bc Asar? DAMN. Just…damn. Mische’s ability to remain bubbly despite her trauma and current situation is one thing I love about her, but she is also raw and vulnerable and scared in a way I did not expect. I will warn that this book ends on quite the cliffhanger, much like Serpent, so if you prefer completed series you may want to wait bc I am dying to read the next one already!
“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝓂𝓎 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓇𝒾𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒. 𝐼𝓉’𝓈 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉.”