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Midnight of Ashes by Tessa Hale | ARC Book Review

Apr 26, 2024

Midnight of Ashes (Dragons of Ember Hollow, #2) by Tessa Hale

Pages: 252
Publish date: April 19, 2024
Publisher: –
ISBN: 9798872360261
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

One moment changed everything. A split-second decision to try to save one of my five dragon mates nearly cost my life. And now nothing is the same.

Knox, Cáel, and Cillian treat me like I’ll break at any moment, while Maddox keeps a careful distance. And Easton won’t look at me at all.

We’re supposed to be fated by the stars, but we’re falling apart. Enemies still lurk around every corner, but the guys vow we’ll be ready when they come.

But evil has a way of striking when you least expect it. And none of us are ready for who might be pulling the strings…

Midnight of Ashes (Dragons of Ember Hollow, #2) by Tessa Hale:

I received an earc of Midnight of Ashes by Tessa Hale in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but there will be some slight spoilers from book one.

I’m so glad that I discovered Tessa Hale earlier this year because this was another fantastic read. After the ending of the first book, I was hanging to read this one and I wasn’t disappointed. Not only does Midnight of Ashes have high stakes, but it also lets the reader explore the world. We find out so much more about the world and I loved that part. We also obviously get more of the romance that has been brewing and it was fantastic.

Hayden and her mates; Knox, Easton, Caèl, Cillian, and Maddox started to come into themselves in this one. We also get to know some of the ones who like to keep things hidden. It was nice to start seeing them all create a narrative for themselves. Sometimes I was confused a little about who was who, and whose POV we were in, but by the end, I felt like they had their own voices. Hayden not only gets to know herself in this world more, but she also gets to know her men more and that just hit on so many levels.

The characters go through a lot not only in this series but before it. So there is a lot of trauma running through each of them. They slowly start to heal each other or on the way throughout the book. It was hard to read at times, but they all needed to let it all out. And while there is still a lot stopping some of them from completely letting go, walls are being broken down.

The romance in this one heats up and I was so here for it. The first one was pretty tame but here, we finally get to see them have a little ‘fun.’ It was steamy, sexy and romantic all at the same time. We get to see her with more than one a few times and I liked seeing that. We get to see how they care for her as well in this one. And how the bonds are affecting them.

Midnight of Ashes starts where the first book left off and we are right into the action. I actually really liked that. We didn’t miss anything and it wasn’t just explained to us. We were taken on the journey together. It’s intense and addicting right from the start. And honestly, it doesn’t let up much after that.

I did feel that at times the pace was a little off. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but it was all very fast-paced and then something slowed it down and I was left a little deflated. It’s nothing too major, and won’t stop me from reading more, but I had to stop my own reading pace and just try to assess what was happening.

We get more romance, more about mating and bonds, and we get to see some other hordes, and the council which was … interesting. There were a lot of layers in this one and I liked when each one was peeled back and showed more depth to the world and characters.

As I was saying before we get to see more of the world in Midnight of Ashes. One of my favourite things in books especially paranormal and fantasy is politically intrigued and we got a little of that here and I gobbled it up. It added even more layers to the book. We get to see her men in action at what they do best.

Overall though, I highly love Midnight of Ashes. I think it’s going to end up being one of my favourite series. Because honestly I can’t stop thinking about it and it hits all the right places. I am both prepared and terrified for the adventure Hayden and her men and in for in the last book. If you are looking for a new paranormal series that has dragons, is why choose and has lots of high stakes, then pick this one up.

Tropes and Themes: Paranormal Romance, Dragons, Fated Mates, Age Gap, Touch Her and Die, Multiple POV, Dislike to Love, Academic Setting.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings Include; Dark Themes, Murder, Blood, Torture, Past Abuse, Neglect

Have you read Midnight of Ashes by Tessa Hale yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading this series? What are you loving at the moment? Let’s chat!

Wild Love by Elsie Silver | ARC Book Review

Apr 18, 2024

Wild Love (Rose Hill, #1) by Elsie Silver

Pages: 464
Publish date: April 9th, 2024
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 9780349441634
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

She’s been driving him wild for years.

The good kind of wild. The bad kind of wild.

But mostly, the kind of wild that comes with wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her.

Forbes may have labelled Ford Grant the World’s Hottest Billionaire, but all he cares about is escaping the press and opening a recording studio in gorgeous small town Rose Hill. Something that comes to a screeching halt when he ends up face-to-face with a young girl who claims he’s her biological father. Now, he spends his days balancing business with parenting a sullen twelve-year-old, all while trying desperately to keep his hands the hell off his best friend’s sister, Rosie Belmont.

After living in the city, Rosie came blasting back into town like a storm. Beautiful, messy, and chaotic. And one wide-eyed, desperate plea for a job is all it takes for Ford to hire her. He vows to keep her at arm’s length. Tries to stick to scowls and grumpy one-liners. But with her, verbal sparring is a type of foreplay―friction that soon turns to blistering heat.

Ford knows damn well he shouldn’t cross this line. But shouldn’t and can’t are two very different things.

And the only thing he truly can’t do is resist her.

Wild Love:

I received an earc of Wild Love from Elsie and her in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings about the book.

The way I screamed when I knew that I was getting an arc of one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I cannot tell you how happy I was to receive Wild Love by Elsie Silver. And I wasn’t disappointed.

For me, it’s hard for Elsie Silver to do wrong. I was hesitant about this book because I loved the Chestnut Springs series, but I had nothing to worry about because it had so many things that I love. From brother’s best friend to single dad and billionaire this had all the right elements and it all worked.I am not going to lie it, it did take me a little while to get in, but honestly, it didn’t take that long. I think once I was in the story, everything fell into place.

Ford was made to be a dad. It didn’t come right away, but he just fell into it. There were a few missteps and it took him a while to get there, but when he did, it was oh so right. It was really nice seeing him slowly fall in love with being a father and his daughter.

Rosie is just what this story needed. She was this brightness that added another layer to Wild Love. I loved seeing her grow throughout the story and understand that some of the things that happened weren’t her fault and that it’s okay to ask for a little help.

The romance!!!! The romance was fan fucken fantastic. The pining!!! The pining is some of the best I’ve read in a love time. We know they both love each other, but they both won’t admit it for a while and when they do. Bam! It was brilliant, hot, smokey. It was everything that an Elsie Silver book is and more. They were hot together that is all that needs to be said. Elsie knows how to write smut that just bangs.

The dynamics between all the characters were exactly what I wanted. But the dynamic between Ford, Rosie and Cora was next level. The banter was fantastic, they were a family before they even knew they were a family. They just fit with each other. But also had different personalities and were their own people.

I did have a few little issues here and there, but honestly, they weren’t super major. The writing felt a little clunky at times, and there were times when I didn’t feel like Cora was a 12-year-old. But then she had to grow up very quickly, so it’s a give or take here.

Honestly, I loved reading Wild Love by Elsie Silver, it was what I was hoping for and it was fantastic. The romance was fantastic, the family and small-town dynamics hit and I cannot wait to read more in this single-dad series. I want it all now.

And there go! Have you Wild Love by Elsie Silver yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it any time soon? So, let’s chat!

ARC Book Review: Endless by Devyn Sinclair

Mar 12, 2024

Endless by Devyn Sinclair

Pages: 476
Publish date: February 28, 2024
Publisher: –
ISBN: 9798889650508
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

What do you do when your sister’s getting married and your ex is the best man?

Being dumped sucks. Being dumped after four years and getting kicked out of the house? That sucks more.

Sadly, I can’t avoid him forever. Not when he’s the best man in my sister’s wedding. But like hell am I facing him alone?

So how can a painfully single Omega get out of this mess? Not a clue, but I’ll tell you what not to do. Ready?

Don’t hire a pack of male escorts to take you to the wedding. If you do, you can’t sleep with them. No matter how incredible they smell or how well they treat you.

Definitely don’t let them take care of you, and don’t let them show you pleasure you’ve never had before.

And you absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, fall in love with them. They’re not yours.

Because when everything is said and done, this is just pretend… right?

Endless is a standalone reverse harem Omegaverse. No choosing, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA! This book is part of a series of standalones and can be enjoyed on its own, without reading any other books in the series. Check out content warnings here.

Endless:

I received an e-arc of Endless by Devyn Sinclair in exchange for an honest review, this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve been reading quite a few of Devyn’s books over the last year and have been really enjoying her Omegaverse books, and then she announced that she was starting a new series, I knew that I needed in.

Endless was a blast to read, it had so many things that I love and that made it such a fantastic read. From fake dating to scent matching and an omega that melts when she is with her Alphas. A solid start to the series, Endless is just the beginning and I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series goes.

Endless follows Isolde as she returns home for her sister’s wedding, but she doesn’t return alone. She hires a group of escorts, to pretend to be her new pack in front of her family and her horrible ex-boyfriend. Right away, we know this pack is made for Isolde and as the book goes on so starts to realise the same. But her past relationship was pretty horrible, and coming to terms with the fact this pack could love her.

There are so many things that I liked about this one. The romance was a lot of fun, but also very emotional. It was a fantastic balance between these two as well. We could see how much the men loved getting to know Isolde but also loved pushing her. They were great for her.

I liked that all the men challenged Isolde throughout the book, one of my favourite things about this, was the conversations about consent and what each of them liked. And done fantastically.

You know the books that just make you smile for most of the book? Endless is one of those. We see a lot of heartbreak and a lot of realisation in this one, but it makes an impact and I love that. I like that the omegaverse was different to her others which I found very interesting but also cool. We have this new world to fall into and learn more and more about.

Her friendship group was also pretty solid, I do wish we got to see them a little more, but I know that their books are coming so I am ready for them that is for sure.

I do wish that Isolde realised a lot of things earlier and not just that grew from them. At times, I felt that it took her quite some time to realise just how bad her ex treated her but also didn’t grow much from finding out and understanding what happened. I would have loved to see a little more growth in who she was.

With a lot of why choose, sometimes it is hard to work out who is who, especially when you don’t have a lot of time with each of the males. While it wasn’t bad this one per se, at times I did get a little confused and they blended. Most of the time I liked the relationship with her family, but sometimes I felt disconnected from them. We got to see a of her sister, but not a lot of her parents.

Endless was a fantastic read. It’s one of those omegaverse books that is just to read and fall into quickly. I am very excited for the rest of the series and to see what this world is going to bring. If you are looking for an omegaverse to start with, I would highly recommend anything from Devyn.

I loved Isolde and her boys and they warmed my heart that is for sure. We get to see these men sweep her off her feet slowly but surely and it was great.

And there we go, I enjoyed reading Endless and I’m excited for more. Have you read Endless by Devyn Sinclair yet? What did you think of it? Have you read anything from Devyn? What are you currently reading? Let’s chat!