booknerderika's reviews
663 reviews

Review pending

Alright this was a lot. 

The story started with a pretty steady plot and then it was one thing after another after another just all over the place. I kind of enjoyed it though, it kept my ADHD brain engaged. Especially as I tried to remember if things had been said before or if the characters were having a conversation about something new even though it was familiar to them. Basically as if I had missed out on some previous conversations, which from the pacing of this happened more often than I liked. 

Aside from that, I enjoyed the characters and the growing romance. I went into this expecting a fun fantasy and I'm not going to be too nitpicky about it. 

I will say I feel like the 2nd book will be better than the first, at least that's the impression I got from the ending. I'm crossing my fingers that that's the case because I like this story. 

That ending left me shocked although it really shouldn't have. I think I just didn't want to believe that after everything the characters had been through. I was mad but also a little relieved that I could finally root for the other (no spoilers) without feeling bad for the first.

"Unlearning is freeing."

Review pending..

This was intense. Vicious doesn't even begin to describe the games or the people.  I immediately got "Ace of Spades" vibes and then it got weird with the whole Bachelor-ish situation. I was on edge through so much of this and didn't trust anyone. I'm glad that there was an epilogue and we were able to see what happened after, but this story was just shocking overall and I needed a few days to process before I posted a review. 

This was too triggering for me and I had to stop reading. 

This is definitely a new favorite! I loved these characters so much. Anything with Dominican representation is a go-to read for me, but this one was top tier! 👌🏽 

I love these, but Yor's brother Yuri being in love with her was weird. I dropped a star for that alone. 

This was a sweet love story and brought me so much joy! I loved how even though the fake dating trope was predictable, nothing else in the story was. The pacing was great and the unexpected scenes kept me engaged throughout the whole story. 

All that being said, I felt like the ending was cut too short and an epilogue would've been nice. I know this is a series with each book focusing on a new couple so at least I can hope for some updates on Retta and Duncan in the other books. I just would've preferred an epilogue instead. 

Absolutely beautiful!