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Book Review: A King so Cold by Ella Fields

Sep 21, 2020

A King so Cold by Ella Fields

Pages: 431
Publish date: May 6th 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B084LG4PH9
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

When marrying your enemy is only the beginning…

Once upon a time, there lived a princess so cruel that even her husband tried to destroy her.

The results left her without a father, her husband without a memory, and herself as queen to a kingdom on the cusp of war.

Even so, after learning of her treasonous husband’s upcoming nuptials, she set out to find him and locked him in her dungeon. There, and only there, would she unveil a time when she once allowed herself to be vulnerable. A past detailing how her heart was coaxed to beat outside her chest, only to have it crushed by the cold hands of betrayal.

But true vengeance will need to wait. War is coming, and with it, decisions and danger masked in treacherous beauty.

All too soon, the young queen will learn that time could be the most dangerous foe of all.
For it is time that would reveal all the ways a dead heart can beat anew.

A King So Cold:

I didn’t know too much about this book before I picked it up, but it sounded interesting and that cover is just stunning. It’s been a little since I finished reading A King So Cold by Ella Fields and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.

Content Warning: Dark Themes, Sexual Assult, Age Gap, Torture, Death.

A King So Cold by Ella Fields follows Princess turned Queen Audra as she tries to lead her kingdom to victory. But her past is not far behind her. And when she finds out that her husband King Raiden is about to marry another – it’s something that she cannot have. When Raiden betrayed Audra, she let her cold nature drive her to want more. And now she wants revenge. But doesn’t need love from him anymore. She has herself. And Lord Zad. But war is on the horizon and now it’s more than her heart that she has to think about.

I haven’t read much in the high fantasy romance genre. I’ve read a fair few supernatural and paranormal, but haven’t delved into the fantasy world yet. So I didn’t know what to expect when I jumped into this one. And while I still have thoughts about the book, overall I was splendidly surprised with A King So Cold and can’t wait to read more fantasy romance.

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

Audra is cold and calculated. She isn’t a character that you warm up to right away or even like. Audra is manipulative, complicated and broken. Audra hasn’t had the best life growing up. Her mother died when she was young and her father was a pretty horrible leader and father. She always knew that she would become Queen, but not the way she did. And then when Audra did let her walls down she was berayed. And that messed with her a lot. Audra is a compelling character but isn’t someone that I would want to meet.

Throughout A King So Cold, the reader can see Audra grow, change and make some hard decisions. Because in the end, she is a leader of her country in the middle of a war. And when she finds out the person that betrayed her is about to marry another – well she cannot have that. It was interesting to read a female protagonist who isn’t clean cut and nice. That can make a bad decision. That can make horrible decisions. And I found that fascinating.

Lord Zadicus was such an interesting character. I think Zad has to be one of my favourite characters in the book. And like Audra, he isn’t perfect. He makes mistakes. Some big mistakes. But he is also sweet in a way. And I felt for him.

Raiden is another complicated characters. You can’t like him or even feel for him. But I liked getting to know his story. Through flashbacks, the reader gets to see the soft side of Raiden. But he is just as callous as Audra. Raiden is wicked, smart, but also a dickhead.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

A lot is going on throughout A King So Cold. And a lot of my problems or issues with this book come from the plot. I felt that this was too long. When I thought that things were going to be over, something else happened. And everything began again. There was just so much going on that at times it took me a while to understand what was happening. But this also didn’t stop me from reading. There is major tension throughout this book and this drives the plot even more. And even though a lot is going on, plot-wise. I felt that A King So Cold is very character-driven. Which I love.

The romance in A King So Cold is sexy and forbidden. Audra and Lord Zad know that starting something more than what they have is going to cause trouble. But they can’t keep their hands off one another. The romance is angsty, complicated and sometimes very frustrating. But I also enjoyed it a lot. I’m not usually a fan of messy romance. I just get angry. But I think that it did work out fantastic here. There is a ton of chemistry between the two and it gets steamy at times. In saying this, there were times when things did get a little too complicated.

A King So Cold has such a good array of characters. From our leading protagonist and love interest to Ardra’s close court members. I loved the contrast of characters. From those that lead to those that follow or fight. I liked that the reader can get to know them all, even if it’s just a little bit.

Photo by photo-nic.co.uk nic on Unsplash

Overall, A King So Cold by Ella Fields is a dark, haunting and sexy adult romance. This isn’t an easy read. At times I needed to put the book down for a little bit. But it kept pulling me in. It’s magical and whimsy but also filled with vengeance and blood. There are unreliable characters and a protagonist that isn’t one for everybody. A King So Cold explores the notion of betrayal, revenge, but also love and lost. This book is not for everyone, but if you are looking for something that is dark, dangerous and a little different than this for you.

Have you read any adult fantasy romances? What did you think of them? Have you picked up A King So Cold by Ella Fields? Let’s Chat!

Ride Or Die Book Tag

Sep 20, 2020

Today I’m doing the Ride Of Die Book Tag. This tag was originally created by LadetteM, don’t forget to check out the original video. I was tagged by the ever so lovely Ely from Earl Grey Books, aka my best friend.

1. The BFF: A book that not everyone likes, but has been with you since the start. You’ll always love them

hmm. This has to be the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. People either love or hate it. But this series has a soft place in my heart and I’m really enjoying the companion series quite a lit. It’s great being back in this world.

2. The Long Drive: A book you’d take on a journey, or if you know you’ll be spending a lot of time unable to move. Think Plane, Train or Automobile

I take a book that won’t make me cry – which is hard. I cry through a lot of books. But I would either take something that is long so it will last me a long time. Or take a few books on my kindle that I can just read. It’s a great time to binge-read a romance series.

A book that comes to mind is Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare – it’s long, action-packed and will keep me entertained.

3. The Newcomer: The most recent book you’ve read that you can’t stop talking about

This is an easy one for me. It’s The House in The Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune. I think you all might be sick of me talking about it now. But I adore this book so much. I’m not only recommending it to bloggers but customers as well. It’s a magical and profound novel that truly takes the reader on an experience. It explores family and the notion that sometimes you find them in unlikely ways. Check out my full review now.

4. The Quiet One: The book you reach for when you need some peace and quiet

Ohh. Historical romances for sure. It’s a sub-genre of romance that I just fall into and just be at peace. It’s the genre that I can love what I am reading no matter what. At the moment I’m loving the Girl Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare.

5. The Out-Going One: The book you love to read in public, or don’t mind keeping with you for anti-social-social occasions

Something that is easier to carry. I normally like using the kindle app on my phone or my kindle when I’m on the train. My line can get pretty busy and if I’m travelling during peak hours – I rarely get a seat. So it’s easier to read on the phone. Obviously, at the moment I can’t go to many places, but YA contemporaries like Alex, Approxently by Jenn Bennett.

6. The Guilty Pleasure: The book you don’t want to justify because it would be too embarrassing… but you love it none the less

I don’t really like this term. A few years ago – it would have been something I said for sure. But I’m always reading romances and don’t care. You read what you want – unless it’s harmful to others.

7. The Stranger: The book no one seems to have heard of, and you wish everyone had read it so you could talk about it

This is starting to get more traction now, Only When It’s Us (Bergman Brothers #1) and Always Only You (Bergman Brothers #2) by Chloe Liese. These two are some of my favourite romances at the moment and I want more people to read them. They are fantastic romances that are diverse and I need more. You can check out my review of Only When It’s Us now.

8. The Book Was Better: A book you loved, but the film adaptation was awful

So, so many. I rarely like a book to movie adaptions. But one that jumps out at me is the City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. In saying that I don’t like either the movie or tv series adaption. Just none of them worked for me. I can normally give a little leeway for changes, but both of these just had too much and didn’t work for me.

9. The Author: An author you’ll read everything they’ll ever produce, you trust them completely. Whether it’s a hardback series of 15 novels or a shopping list

At the moment it has to be Rebecca Yarros. I’ve got 2 more books to read from her that she has published – I have them. I just haven’t picked them up yet. I have adored all the books I have read that she has written. My favourite has to be The Last Letter.

10. The Tubers: Pick three Youtubers, tag them and let them know they’re your ride or die!

While I wish this said blogger or Booktuber – I tag anyone that wants to do the tag. Let me know if you do.

And that is it for today’s post! Do you agree with my answers? What would yours be? Have you done the ride or die book tag? Let’s Chat!

Romance Recs | Binge-Worthy Romance Series

Sep 19, 2020

Today it’s time for another romacne recommendations posts. Today I’m sharing some of my favourite binge-worthy series. I recently did this with YA series and since I love binge reading romance series, even more, I thought it would be fun.

I love starting a romance series and finishing it in a couple of days. And I don’t know why. But I love that I can immerse myself into the world and only get out when it’s finished. So today I’m sharing some of my favourite series that I think are binge-worthy. Like always these are in no particular order.

Becker Brothers by Kandi Steiner: This series was such an interesting and binge-worthy. I adore family series and this one has to be one of my favourites. It’s fun, entertaining and addicting. I couldn’t stop reading. I loved that there was an overarching story throughout the whole series too.

WAGS series by Naima Simone: This series was such a fun one to binge read. I know that there is most likely more to come, but I think I would still feel the same way. It’s fun and easy. It’s a little emotional, but nothing that will tear you apart. You can check out my series review now.

Duke Dynasty by Sabrina Jeffries: This is such a fantastic historical romance that is perfect for binge reading. There are still more books to come, but even then I would binge read it. It’s another one that has a plot that goes through all the books and I love it.

The Fallen Men by Giana Darling: MC series are some of my favourites to binge read. And The Fallen Men Series is binge-worthy. It’s hot and heavy and I want to know what’s going to happen next. I read all the books that were out in just a few days, I couldn’t put them down.

Cloverleigh Farms Series by Melanie Harlow: This is the perfect binge-worthy series. Each book can stand on its own, but it all works so well together. The romances are fantastic and I couldn’t put this series down once I started. It has all the tropes that I adore and makes me want to keep on reading.

All the King’s Men Duet by Kennedy Ryan: This duet is binge-worthy because you need to know what’s going to happen next. You can’t finish the first book and not jump to the second. There is too much at stake to just stop reading.

Fallen Angel by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine: I wasn’t expecting to like this series as much as I did. It’s one of those series that you have to read books back to back. There are cliffhangers and you will want to keep on reading. And it’s one that you can easily binge read.

Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas: If this isn’t a binge-worthy series I don’t know what is. This is one of my favourite series that I binge read. I just couldn’t stop reading the books. I think this is my favourite of all her series. Maybe because it’s the first I read, or maybe because I love the friendships so much.

Brooklyn Bruisers by Sarina Bowen: This is one of my favourite sports romance series and I think it’s one of the most binge-worthy. It’s addicting to read, even when I re-read this series I end up binge reading it. I think this is my favourite Sarina Bowen series for sure.

And those are some of my favourite binge-worthy romances series! Do we share any that is the same? What are yours? Let’s Chat!

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