Tag: Romance

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Book: “The Games Gods Play” by Abigail Owen

Publishing Info: Entangled: Red Tower Books, September 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publicist!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The gods love to toy with us mere mortals. And every hundred years, we let them…

I have never been favored by the gods. Far from it, thanks to Zeus.

Living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of Thieves, I just keep my head down and hope the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won’t notice me. Not an easy feat, given San Francisco is Zeus’ patron city, but I make do. I survive. Until the night I tangle with a different god.

The worst god. Hades.

For the first time ever, the ruthless, mercurial King of the Underworld has entered the Crucible—the deadly contest the gods hold to determine a new ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus. But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to compete in their stead.

So why in the Underworld did Hades choose me—a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders—as his champion? And why does my heart trip every time he says I’m his?

I don’t know if I’m a pawn, bait, or something else entirely to this dangerously tempting god. How can I, when he has more secrets than stars in the sky?

Because Hades is playing by his own rules…and Death will win at any cost.

Review: I’d had my eyes on this one for a bit before the publicist reached out about a potential review. While Kate has been reviewing “Lore Olympus” on the blog, I, too, have been reading and loving the series! And this book sounded very much like the same sort of story but in novel format. Plus, a few years ago I read and enjoyed a YA fantasy title by this author, so I felt fairly confident that she could pull it off. And boy was I right!

There’s so much to like about this one that it’s hard to know where to start. I guess I will begin with a note that while we’ve seen many trends come and go within the fantasy genre, I have to guess that the influence of “The Hunger Games” with its deadly competition has to be the most long-lasting. Since that series came out, has there been a point in fantasy publishing where this theme isn’t consistently showing up? Not that I can think of! That being the case, it’s definitely a packed field, making it more and more difficult for authors to make their take on the topic feel fresh. So credit where credit is due, Owens does a fantastic job of breathing new life to a very tried-and-true formula.

While many aspects of the fantasy competition is familiar (the one competitor who is overly vicious, the magical abilities/gifts that can give a competitor a leg up, the teaming up of various parties to make their way through), the most important part is the creativity behind the tasks themselves. And that’s where this book really shines. We see a decent number of these events, and all of them felt new and exciting. There was a lot of variety between them and the forms of danger and challenge they presented were all interesting. If anything, I wish we had seen even more of these events!

My likening it to “Lore Olympus” was also more on point that I had even suspected. Tonally, the two felt very familiar: funny, romantic, and full of heart. While the love story itself was obviously the focus, I also enjoyed the strong friendships that were explored and established throughout the story. And Lyra is a fantastic lead character around whom to build all of these various relationships. She’s brave, caring, and empathetic to the situations of those around her, even while many of them treat her terribly. And, of course, the dynamic and chemistry built up between her and Hades was perfection.

I don’t want to go into spoilers, as there are a few major twists and turns towards the end of the book, but I also really appreciated the way Owens dealt with the lore of the Greek pantheon. It’s the kind of book where readers are rewarded with little winks and nudges here and there depending on their level of previous knowledge of the famous myths. But at the same time, none of these Easter egg moments are crucial, and the book is equally approachable to readers who may know less going in. I also very much liked the way Persephone’s story was dealt with, which was my major concern when I read the description of this book.

I did have a few stumbling points in my reading experience, however. First and foremost, I failed to truly understand Lyra’s curse on two fronts: both how it worked and why it was necessary to the plot. To the first point, we are told that the curse disallows people to “care” about her. Specifically, this isn’t limited to romantic love. However, as the story progresses, again and again we see characters form connections to her, some so deeply that they are willing to risk their lives to help her. If that’s not “caring,” I don’t know what is! I was honestly expecting a late-game twist where Lyra had misunderstood her curse the entire time and it either never existed in the first place or meant something completely different. However, we didn’t get that. And, in the end, we didn’t really get anything Honestly, if we just took this aspect of the story out, nothing major would change! If Lyra’s character arc needed to focus on her insecurity forming strong relationships, that could happen without a curse and take away some of these major question marks that were left as it currently stands.

I also did not love the late game conflict introduced into the romance. I feel like I just wrote about this recently, but I wish authors felt more comfortable moving away from this strict plotting structure for romance novels. Especially with romantasy titles that have other plot elements built in already, this late-stage conflict point often feels as if it is thrown in simply to check a box and not as something organic to the story itself. Here, the actual conflict didn’t make much sense. And it made even less sense that Lyra would be able to piece together the already nonsensical logic leaps behind it on her own.

With these minor flaws in mind, I should maybe rate this book an 8. However, I simply had too much fun reading this one to leave it that! I read this one in about two sessions and was having a blast the entire time. There was adventure, romance, and drama. Fair warning, however, it does end on a fairly massive cliffhanger, so readers should be aware of that going in (I’m talking to you, Aunt Mary!).

Rating 9: If you’re wallowing in the loss of “Lore Olympus,” never fear! Abigail Owens is here with a fantastic new take on the Greek gods and everyone’s favorite dark and broody love interest, the God of the Underworld himself!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Games Gods Play” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Greek Mythology.

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Phoenix Keeper” by S. A. Maclean

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila’s childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There’s just one glaring caveat: her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.

But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons… Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. But mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo’s most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.

Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the face of a goddess who’s convinced that Aila’s beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit. With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila’s success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job…

She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species – and her love life – now rests on her shoulders.

Review: There was a lot to like about the summary for this one. The concept alone sounded intriguing and unlike anything I had read before. Add in a dash of romance and some fantasy creatures, and my interest was thoroughly piqued! I’m also on the never-ending quest to hone in exactly what makes certain cozy fantasies work for me while other don’t. This one may have clarified one factor for me!

Unfortunately, that clarification fell on the more negative side. But let’s start with some positives! Overall, I very much enjoyed the concept of this book. The ins-and-outs of that fantastical zoo were all interesting and exciting to explore. For a book that is light on plot, the author took great advantage of all the unique aspects of her setting and the magical creatures that populated it.

I also enjoyed the main character, Aila for the most part. I thought the depiction of her introversion and social anxiety were done well, neatly exploring both concepts without reducing Aila to nothing but these traits. There wasn’t necessarily a lot of new depth to these topics, however as they are both, especially social anxiety, topics that have been well-covered recently. This is, of course, a decided improvement on the past where characters like this were never seen on the page. However, it does present a challenge to authors going forward to distinguish their own characters and stories from a more dense market. This one wasn’t bad, by any means, but it also did not stand out from the crowd.

The romance was also perfectly serviceable. It hit all of the predictable points that one expects from an “enemies to lovers” romance, and the two characters had good chemistry. That said, while I think romance stories like this often follow distinct patterns, this one was a bit too predictable. That, combined with the lighter plot, did make the entire reading experience feel a bit thin.

And, finally, for my revelation about cozy fantasies (and perhaps cozy-any genre): I think it’s the day-to-day aspect that I personally struggle with. I can think of several authors who write cozy fantasies that I very much enjoy. But when I think about the stories themselves, they all are still heavy on plot while deploying an overall “cozy” style to the writing and world-building. On the other hand, cozy fantasies like this, which are light on plot and tell a very day-to-day story are more of a struggle for me. Of course, this is a very subjective take, and there are readers out there who enjoy this sort of book. But while I like the vibes of cozy fiction, I do still need an actual story attached. And this, like others in the same subgenre, had very little of that to speak of. What action we did see was confined to the last quarter of the book and very predictable. The rest of the book was devoted to the minutia of Aila’s life and, frankly, often bored me.

So, I think readers’ enjoyment of this book will very much come down to their personal feelings on day-to-day type stories. If you like them, this is the book for you (though I still think there are better options to be had, even in this sub-sub-genre)! If you don’t, not so much.

Rating 7: The book accomplishes what it sets out to do: tell a day-t0-day cozy fantasy/romance. However, it fails to bring anything new to the subgenre or the themes its attempting to cover.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Phoenix Keeper” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best books of August, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “A Song of Ash and Moonlight” by Claire Legrand

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Casablanca, September 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The curse plaguing the Ashbourne and Bask families has finally been broken, but Farrin, the eldest Ashbourne daughter, still struggles to find peace. Unflappable and tireless, her composure masks a seething sorrow. Since her mother abandoned the family, Farrin has been their rock—managing her father’s temper, running the estate, keeping tight control over her dangerous musical power, and ignoring her own need for rest, distraction, and most of all, love.

In Ryder Bask, Farrin’s stubborn strength has met its match. The man infuriates her. He’s coarse, arrogant, annoyingly handsome. He’s as tired of their feuding parents as she is, and he brims with some secret anger that mirrors Farrin’s frustrated rage.

But Farrin must work with every ally she can—even the man she has been raised to hate. With every rising dawn, the Middlemist weakens further. Anointed magicians are disappearing. A fiery Olden creature is stalking Farrin. Strange visions haunt the High Queen Yvaine. And as Farrin and Ryder race to find stolen loved ones, they begin to realize a horrifying thing:

The gods are not dead. They’re waking up. And someone is hunting them.

Previously Reviewed: “A Crown of Ivy and Glass”

Review: While I ran into a few stumbling blocks in my read through of the first book in this series, there was still plenty to recommend the series as a whole and to specifically recommend the second book in particular. I struggled with Gemma, but even the few glances we were given were enough to convince me that Farrin sounded like a fantastic main character. With this in mind, I went into this book with high hopes!

I’ll say on the top that this book wasn’t a perfect read either, but it is also a definite step up from the first one. Let’s start, as usual, with the most positives aspects of the story. First of all, the more time I spend in this fantasy world, the more intrigued I am by it! The first book was promoted as a sort of “fantasy/Bridgerton” mash-up. And while that did fit that book in a sort of round-about way, the “Bridgerton” aspects of it all were lacking (if you count having ball scenes as “Bridgerton” and not just any old fantasy book that deals with courts, lords and ladies, etc. ) So I was pleased to see that this second book leaned even more fully into the fantasy aspects of it all, and left out the “Bridgerton” comparison altogether.

As the summary hints at, this book massively expands the scope of the world and the brewing conflict. It’s no longer one demon and a mysterious arch villain; now we have gods reborn, complicated linages explored, and long-suppressed secrets revealed. All of these new layers to the world and story were fascinating and used in creative ways. There were a few twists that genuinely took me by surprise. On top of the magical elements of the world, I enjoyed the further exploration of Farrin’s musical magic. In the first book, hers was the sort of magic that felt least approachable and the most foreign. So I enjoyed the deeper dive into how exactly her magic worked and the potential ways in which she could manipulate this particular ability. What seemed like a magical ability that could seem weak in comparison to the other two sisters, by the end of this book, readers will truly appreciate what Farrin brings to this team.

As for Farrin herself, this is where my feelings became a bit more complicated. Something very strange happened as I was reading this book. As I read, I kept having the thought “Gemma? Is that you?” In that, somehow Farrin seemed to have morphed into Gemma between the first book and this, with all of the same character flaws that I found so tiresome the first go around. And on the other hand, Gemma, now a background character, began to read like a fantastic character whom I’d love to read an entire book about!

Now, I’m all for complicated and flawed characters who have to explore challenging inner struggles over the course of a book. The problem here was that Farrin’s voice, Farrin’s personality, and, most notably, Farrin’s inner struggles all seemed to be so, so similar to Gemma’s. It almost began to feel as if Legrand is incapable of writing a main character in a different voice, or to explore a different inner life/inner struggle in her lead heroine. Somehow background characters suddenly morph into the interesting ones, while the main character is dragged under by such a mire of anxiety, indecision, and self-loathing as to become tiresome.

I noted in the first book that while Gemma’s struggles were of the sort that often made her a bit unlikable, that didn’t make them not worth exploring. What I definitely DIDN’T want was to explore many of those exact same themes again with Farrin. Farrin is an entirely different character! Why didn’t we lean more into her crippling sense of responsibility? Her inability to trust or rely on others to get things done? Perhaps an unwillingness to work as a team? (To be fair, we do get bits of this, but it falls to the way side with other issues). All of these would be grounded in not only her personal story and history, but would fit by the personality of the character we were originally introduced to. The Farrin of the first book was secretive, but confident. Distant, but sure-footed. There was so much potential here, and to find myself reading another story where our heroine is almost frozen by her own self-loathing and anxiety…it was incredibly frustrating. And, again, made me start to question the author’s ability to write a variety of main characters. Further, I remain very interested in reading the third book in this series, but I’m increasingly worried that I’ll pick it up and find the warrior woman sister I’ve been reading about now in three books has somehow magically turned into yet another self-loathing ball of anxiety.

On another positive note, however, I definitely enjoyed the romance and the romantic lead in this book more. Ryder was a fantastic hero and, if a complaint is to be found, almost too perfect. But as romance readers are not known for whining about perfect leading men, I won’t even bother. That said, I do think this book might have been served better to have strayed further from the structure of the classic romance novel. In that set-up, there’s always the late third act conflict between the hero and the heroine that must then be resolved before the HEA. And this one was just ridiculous.

I don’t want to spoil it (though it’s obvious not only from the beginning of this book but probably even the first, to the astute reader), but Farrin’s reaction to being told one of Ryder’s secrets is so overblown for the actual situation as to be not only ridiculous but to paint in her an unlikable light (again, this is not helped by Ryder’s perfection throughout this book). Yes, she quickly realizes her mistake, but then the final quarter of the story is spent with her waxing on about her fears that he won’t forgive her for this reaction. Again, “tiresome” is the only word that comes to mind. And, frankly, it was totally unnecessary. This book is action packed and built to an excellent climax of magical fighting and wonder; there was no reason to waste page time on a frivolous fight between love interests (seemingly only included to meet this romance novel standard of structure).

This is already an incredibly long review, but I do want to end on one other positive. For all of my complaints about Farrin’s inner life, I did appreciate the way that Legrand explored her discomfort with her body. This isn’t the sort of struggle you often find in romances, and I think it was generally well done. I do wish more time had been devoted to exploring how Farrin developed this particular anxiety, as it was crippling at times and not something one would imagine to pop up with out an instigating event. That said, I still appreciated its inclusion.

So, all my ranting aside, I actually enjoyed this book quite a lot! While I struggled with her more than I anticipated, I still liked Farrin’s story overall. The romance was better than the first, and this book took massive strides as far as the world-building goes and in setting up the third book and its conflict. I’ll definitely be checking out the third (please, PLEASE, don’t let Mara turn into another cut-out of this same character), and fans of the series will likely enjoy this one!

Rating 8: Not without flaws, but an improvement on the first and laying the groundwork for what could be an excellent final entry!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Song of Ash and Moonlight” can be found on this Goodreads list (not my list, for the record): My favorite Fairytale Fantasy novels.

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Cursed” by Harper L. Woods

Publishing Info: Bramble, September 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Betrayal.

He was the deception waiting in the night; the truth I never saw coming. After a lifetime of manipulation, I finally learned the truth. I was his puppet―even if I never saw my strings.

Even knowing how deep his betrayal runs, I can’t shake the undeniable connection between Gray and I―the way a single glance from him sets my soul on fire. We are not the same. We’re enemies, poised to battle for the future of the very thing I’d wanted to destroy.

With the Covenant gone, the revenge I thought I wanted is no longer my priority. The witches that remain played no role in my aunt’s death, and the only person standing in the way of righting those wrongs is the very man determined to keep me in his bed.

But the remaining members of the Coven will never forgive me for the role I played in their demise and subjugation, and the worst part of all is that I can’t even blame them for it. I’d been naive, believing my own delusions of grandeur when destiny clearly had other plans for me. Plans that had been set in motion centuries before my birth.

But even that had been a lie, and now it is my duty to do everything in my power to undo it.

To protect my Coven from my husband’s hatred―no matter what the cost.

Previously Reviewed: “The Coven”

Review: As readers will see if they check out my review of “The Coven,” I had a fairly middling reading experience with the first book in this duology. However, as they were being published back to back, essentially, I had placed a review request for both books initially. So, unless I had DNF’d the first book, I was fairly committed to reading and reviewing the second. Alas, here is a case where this commitment sadly lead me astray and into an even more frustrating reading experience.

I’ll begin this review by admitting that this book started off on the wrong foot for me. I, personally, struggle with a few different romance tropes. One of them is the “miscommunication/misunderstanding” trope, and the other is the “betrayal” trope. The latter is particularly egregious when the “betrayal” in question is so obviously not what it seems and then the reader is forced to deal with a lead character who seems to twist their brain in two simply to maintain the righteous indignation of how terrible the betrayal was in the first place. And while the actual betrayal in this book had more substance than other examples that come to mind, it was still a frustrating read. Made all the more so since we spent more time in Gray’s head in this book, so the reader had insights into his feelings and motives that Willow then didn’t have. Making the switch back to her own POV frustrating at times, when she was behind on things the reader already knew.

The plot of this one was also severely lacking. In that if I sat down right now and tried to actually put the events of this book down on a plotting structure, I couldn’t. The first half to three quarters of the story is severely lacking in any plot whatsoever (which is a surprise given some of the massive reveals that came in the first book), and then the final quarter is jammed pack with action. But it was action that was completely disconnected from character motivation or arc. Willow spends the majority of the book hating Gray but then seems to do a complete 180 on him towards the end, for very little real reason.

I also struggled with the romance itself. This book leans in hard to the concept of the “body betraying you” idea. In that many of the romance scenes between Willow and Gray are a bit fraught with mixed messages on her part. Now, I give a lot of leeway to romance books on this front, as this sort of romantic tension is standard for the genre and, frankly, often quite enjoyable to read. But it didn’t work as well here simply because Willow’s stated feelings towards Gray were so extreme. Usually you have the sort of tension when characters are “enemies” in the sense that they profess to just not like one another (or are annoyed/competitive with/etc.). But it works less well when one of the characters is literally saying she wants to kill the other. It’s the kind of extreme contrast that undercuts both sides. On one hand, she’s clearly into him so saying she wants to “kill him” reads as ridiculously out of touch with herself. And on the other hand, if she does want to actually kill him, it makes no sense whatsoever for her to be getting into these romantically physical situations with him.

I really struggled with this book. The first book was notably weak on world-building and had some plotting struggles, and this one doubled down on both of these areas. Both the characters and what should have been exciting plot stakes seemed to drown beneath a frustrating amount of romantic angst and tension. For those who really loved the first book, this may still be a satisfying read. But if you struggled with the first, I think this one will be an even greater let-down, unfortunately.

Rating 6: A severe lack of world-building and plotting leaves this one to wallow in rather shallow characters and a frustrating romance.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Cursed” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists but it should be on Hero Betrays His Heroine.

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Apprentice to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Publishing Info: Penguin, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from a marketer!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: From the creator of the viral TikTok videos about the sunshine assistant to the evil villain and their unexpected romance comes the second book in the hotly-anticipated fantasy romance series.

Review: This one might come a bit as a surprise, as I didn’t review the first book when it came out last summer. But I did read it! I just didn’t have that many thoughts to add to the conversation. I mostly thought it was fine, verging on having a lot of potential with some of the snappier moments of writing. With this in mind, I was excited to check this one out when the marketer contacted me about reading and reviewing the sequel this summer! Let’s dive in!

I will say, now that I have read this book, I feel that a review for the first book is even less necessary than it was before! In that, many of my opinions from that book transferred over to this one. This was probably most notable in areas that were frustrating in them both, but some of the aspects that I thought were strengths came even more into their own here. For one thing, I think the writing is very fun and engaging. Even when I was perhaps suppressing an eyeroll or two, I was still compulsively reading at break-neck pace! That was true in the first book and was just as true here. In fact, I’d say the writing improved overall. Most notably, perhaps, I think some of the comedy aspects of this one landed better. (Though, I’ve had a rough summer with comedic fantasy novels, so sometimes I worry that I may just be desperately searching for one that works at all!)

However, I still struggled with the characterization of the female main character, Evie. Look, I enjoyed the “grumpy/sunshine” romance trope as much as the next person, but there is a very fine line between writing a “sunshine”/optimistic character and writing one that comes across as a rather air-headed child. And unfortunately, both in the first book and here, that’s the case for Evie. Some of this comes down to word-choice on the author’s part, often using turns of phrases repeatedly, such as “scrunches her nose,” that does nothing to portray Evie as a serious character. When paired with the romantic hero (generally a better written character, especially in this second book), it leads to a bit of an “ick” factor. If we weren’t given an age, Evie could read like a 13-year old girl with the way she is described and her incredible levels of naivete at points. While I think the more plot-focused approach that this book took helped it some in comparison to the first, I still found myself disappointed by this portrayal, and due to this, the romance itself.

All of this said, I know that the first book was wildly popular, and as this one is much of the same, I have no doubt that it, too, will be well-received. If you’re looking for tight plotting or deeper character arcs, I don’t think this series is for you. But if you’re wanting a fast, at times quite fun, ride than you might enjoy this.

Rating 7: If you enjoyed the first book, this one will be for you. But many of my personal struggles there carried over here as well, particularly with regards to the child-like characterization of the heroine.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Assistant to the Villain” can be found on these Goodreads lists: In Her Villain Era and Witchy Fall Vibes

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Coven” by Harper L. Woods

Publishing Info: Bramble, August 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Raised to be my father’s weapon against the Coven that took away his sister and his birthright, I would do anything to protect my younger brother from suffering the same fate. My duty forces me to the secret town of Crystal Hollow and the prestigious Hollow’s Grove University―where the best and brightest of my kind learn to practice their magic free from human judgment.

There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for.

But that doesn’t mean secrets don’t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend.

Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen.

Thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

If the ghosts of Hollow’s Grove’s victims don’t kill them first.

Review: So, I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous going into this one, because based on the description alone I was getting strong “Gothikana” vibes. And we all remember how I felt about that… That said, there was a reason I picked that book up in the first place, and it’s the same one that drew my interest in this book: dark academia! I’m also always down for gothic vibes and romance. Though, I’m always a bit concerned when we venture too far into the realm of “student/teacher” type love stories. But let’s see how this one did!

Well, I did struggle a bit with this one, but it was definitely not the complete dumpster fire that was “Gothikana,” so at least we’re moving in the right direction! For one thing, this one was simply better written. The prose flows fairly well and, for the most part, the dialogue feels natural. And since we’re starting with writing, I’ll say that the spicy scenes were on the better side as well. This, of course, is very subjective, but I often find myself cringing during many authors’ approach to intimate scenes, but these seemed to be on the better side, avoiding many of the pitfalls I personally struggle with.

I also enjoyed the start of the book and meeting the main character, Willow. Her magical abilities were interesting and her backstory for why she was coming in to the school late felt like it was leading to a good arc. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the male main character, Gray. Not only does the book lean hard into “insta-love” between these two, but Gray is a fairly unlikable character all around. Now, to be fair, the author did provide a note in the beginning of the book about this character’s villainous tendencies, so I can’t say that I wasn’t warned. At the same time, he’s truly unlikable! There’s a fine line between writing a love interest who falls on the darker side of things, and then writing one who is just a manipulative jerk and a walking red flag. Gray is definitely the latter. So much so that I felt even more attached to Willow purely on a maternal level in that I kept wanting to dive into the book and be like “Girl, no!”

The plot was also all over the place. Things were happening, sure, but at times it felt almost random. Plot points would be introduced, dropped, re-visited and discarded at any given moment. It was incredibly difficult to know what exactly I was meant to be focusing in on at any moment, and this erratic approach to plotting left the pacing very off. I found myself becoming more bored than I should have been, given the amount of action that was taking place. But if all of the plot pieces are as disconnected as these, it’s almost the same as having no plot in the first place.

Overall, this was just an ok read. I’ll probably check out the second one, just because I’m trying to give more authors/series a second chance, but I do have concerns, based on this book. There is potential here, but the balance between the “romance” (insta-love) and the actual plot of the story felt off. I’d say readers who enjoy very villainous, dark romantic leads are the most likely to enjoy this one. But if you’re at all wary on that front, probably best to pass this one up.

Rating 7: There was potential in the main character and some of the fantasy elements, but I hated the male main character way too much to bump this one further up.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Coven” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best Romantasy Books from Indie Authors in 2023 and Red Flowers – Covers.