thiscryptidreads's reviews
37 reviews

First off I have no read space for love (Spire Station #1) this was still able to be read as a standalone and was totally enjoyable.
This was such a sweet book, the relationship and plot are very fast paced, happening mostly in the events of a single week but there was still so much self-reflection, work and love from all the characters it was such an enjoyable read, I might have teared up a few times. The Author includes guides in the front for pronunciation, triggers and so much helpful info it was so amazing to see it all so clearly organized. This was a take on Alien fated mates which explains how quickly everyone get's involved.

I really loved Mezli as a character, she's fun and bubbly and sticks up for her friends but still has her own issues. She's take charge without being perceived as a mean girl. Overall, I think she was my favorite. Phelix was a very close second because how often do you get to see a male character with body issues, who isn't always in charge, who's depicted as being able to cry and be in his feelings when alone. The alien race and nobility he and Mezli are a part of are known for being very closed off and hiding their emotions but even, so they actively look for body language and try and read one another and part of their story is seeing him being allowed to show more and it being seen as a good thing which is so refreshing. Emily writes poly, plus sized characters so well, in no way did their dynamic ever feel forced or not enough. It was so sweet I was so happy for them while reading even their parents are rooting for them and I just love that.


Pros - Plus sized rep, poly rep, healthy couples depicted throughout the story. No shame involved for anyone in any stage of their personal journey.

Cons - none, I got nothing, this book left no crumbs.

4 chili peppers 🌶️ on the spice scale.
Genre: romantasy/monster romance
POV: Multi
Ending: HEA



sexy tropes - knotting, 2 🍆, polyamory, public sex, MFF, FF, MF

My Spice Rating - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
1 🌶️- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.

I tried to push through this book so much but even after 50% of the book I just did not like the main character. She is so absorbed with her parents hunt for a treasure that might not be real and supposedly claimed her father's life she was willing to throw everything away, she alienated her crew, kicked her first mate off the ship to seem tough for disagreeing with her (even though he was looking out for her) and put all her faith in a guy she didn't know because he believed her about the treasure. 

I stopped when they got captured (because of course they did) and her maybe double-crossed love interest comes to save her because he loves this mystery treasure, (he just found out about) possibly more than her. I'm sure there's probably a happy ending to this, maybe she finds the treasure, and they live happily ever after rich and full of "I told you so" but honestly, she did all her crew dirty, and I doubt even being right in the last 30% of the book would make me like this teenage captain at this point. It just felt like a story about how to make everyone lose faith in you and ruin every friendship you have because you have to be right. 

This was such a cute read. It had Addams family meets Howls Moving Castle vibes. 



I really enjoyed this haunted house full of lovable creatures. Sebastion's infatuation and adoration of his bride is so very sweet, he says he'd die for her and means it despite being an undead Lich. All the side characters have their own stories how they came to the manor, and it was fun getting little tidbits of information about them as we follow our FMC Dahlia through the story. 
The author put their trigger warnings at the beginning of the chapter it was going to happen in which was so very helpful, I appreciated that a ton. So thoughtful. 

Pros - Really loved that they had the FMC figure things out and win, she wasn't very damsel in distress though she does get saved in the beginning from a difficult situation she never backs down and does all she can to fight and win to save her family.

 Cons - The sprinkling of modern details in the story like having phones and cars alongside magic orbs and portals felt a little distracting for me. This world is described as very magical with monsters very widely accepted in society and gowns and top hats aren't out of place. They weren't mentioned much at all so really, I feel they could have been left out altogether. Dahlia is also the only one to mention missing these modern conveniences like leggings and tech for the most part, so it almost gave her a "from another world" feel which isn't the case. This is a very minor issue and did not ruin the book for me at all.

3 chili peppers 🌶️ on the spice scale.
Genre: romantasy/monster romance
POV: Dual
Ending: HEA 

I think this wins fanciest peen award for the month. Sebastion's equipment had so many details and features it was almost hard to wrap my mind around at times and that is saying something.  

 sexy tropes - knotting? tentacles, suction, size difference, roleplay, begging, power exchange, exhibitionism, punishment, "buckets of cum" 
 
My Spice Rating - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
1 🌶️- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.

 What's more fun then four friends going on their first road trip to a music festival? How about hiding a body and trying to solve who is spiking the drinks of attendees hoping they turn into gruesome monsters?

This book was such a fun read, it gave almost Scooby do "who done it" vibes in the best way. Amazing LGBTQIA+ representation, I was griping my kindle reading so fast to see what happened next. The mystery and the love story had me on the edge of my seat.

If you like my reviews you can follow me at ThisCryptidReads on Instagram, Tiktok, and CryptidReads1 on Twitter\X 

 3 chili peppers 🌶️ on the spice scale.
Genre: romantasy/monster romance
POV: multiple POV
Ending: HEA

This was such a sweet yet spicy book. Following Esme feeling a war and hiding in what she thinks is enemy territory she quickly endears herself to  Drazak the orc and Han’zir and for a bit this is the sweetest farm story as they sort out their feelings then once they realize they are all meant to be, and Esme was the missing piece to their family dynamic things quickly heat up. I love seeing them all deal with and process their feelings and pasts without ever saying the other or they themselves are "broken" in some way. They're all great characters it really hit the cozy fantasy vibes. If you wanted something like Legends and Lattes but with more spice this is the book for you.



I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads. 

My Spice Rating -  🌶️ 

1 - May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2  - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3  - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4  - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5  - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Genre: Fantasy/Erotica/fairytale
POV: Multible POV
Ending: HEA
Tropes: Fairytale Retelling, Forbidden Love, Dark Romance
Kinks: MF, MFM, MFMM, Stalking, D/s, Degradation, Exhibitionism, toys, masks

Stalking Cinderella is a dark, sexy and fun retelling of the classic fairytale. I love the vicious wonders series, how the leading lady isn't just saved but grows in her own power with the help of her supportive yet naughty male counterparts. Turning the fairy godmother into a demon offering a Faustian bargain, and the prince into an adoring but dark alternative was so good. There's even a sprinkling of bully to lover in this, which usually isn't my jam, but it was written so well I loved every bit of it.
Definitely check out the trigger warnings before reading.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. You can find more of my reviews on all social platforms under the username ThisCryptidReads.

My Spice Rating - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Spice ratings -
1 🌶️- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.

Hail Santa is a holiday horror bordering on splatter punk with its gruesome death scenes and festive references to popular holiday songs. The book starts off a little slow with backstory to the main characters and the town, but soon it turns to a quick paced murder spree as you rocket towards the finish line.... Christmas day.

 It almost has a hidden feel of loss of faith vs. Consumerism concerning the popular holiday and makes you question if believing in Santa Claus is really an innocent right of passage for today's youth or borderline worship to something we know nothing about. 

 This is book 2 in Emily Shores Roars and Romance series and is a Valentines Day themed retelling of Psyche & Eros meets Beauty and the Beast. This book is a romance wrapped in dad joke level puns with its own built in playlist curtesy of one of the characters Ero's jester and sometimes partner Crescendo. If you're looking for a fun and quick read for February this will fulfill all your cupid's arrow, chocolate loving, flowery love song needs.

We follow the FMC Aradia the pink haired, feisty, aura seeing psychic, who's more ghost friend than hunter as she visits a haunted church and somehow slips into the lands of purgatory where a stoic and heartless gargoyle Eros catches her and imprisons her with the intent to use and return our lovely pink haired heroine to the mortal world but Aradia's sweet, fun-loving and up for anything attitude win over the stone hearted god in the end along with several other characters.

3.5 chili peppers 🌶️ on the spice scale.
Genre: romantasy/monster romance
POV: Dual
Ending: HEA 

 

My Spice Rating - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
1 🌶️- May include hands, more kissing, "fade to black" scenes. No open door spice.
2 🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens, but it isn't often. May include open door scenes but they're infrequent or rare.
3 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Spice happens more often and it is more detailed, Spice is part of the plot, or the book is 50/50 spice to plot.
4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - More spice than plot, may contain kinky themes.
5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Absolute smut. Very little plot, sex heavy. The spicy scenes are very explicit, may contain triggering or dangerous themes, Dark romances and erotica.

 

13 ghosts meet the Winchester mystery house in this bug riddled haunted house tale.

The descriptions in this book were so rich and visceral I felt like I could feel the wallpaper in this house and smell the overpowering scents. If you like ghost stories, the age of spiritualism and family coming together against all odds you'll love A Place for Vanishing. I could not put it down.



Trigger warnings for mentions of suicide, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, bipolar disorder, entomophobia, death, possession, bodily harm, gaslighting, family trauma, generational loss, missing persons, prescribed substance use, bullying.

A somber and detailed look into the history of industry, medicine and the lives touched by the glowing element radium. 
The Girls working in Radium factories, the "shining girls" glowing with what they thought to be simply a fantastical paint, peddled to the rich as a health tonic and beauty aid. They all took jobs to help their families in what seemed a safe factory setting painting watches, a coveted job for many. The beginning of their stories seems so hopeful and full of promise, it was truly heartbreaking listening as they had so many dreams and their lives taken from them from something they deemed do harmless.