etymoye's reviews
45 reviews

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

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adventurous dark mysterious

5.0

Quicksilver by Callie Hart
★★★★★

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural
Tropes: Age Gap, Enemies to Lovers, Fae,
Fated Mates
, Forced Proximity, Magic, Possessive Hero, Nonhuman Hero, Slow Burn, Vampires

The pros:
  • Seeing fae actually act like fae in this book. They’re cunning, deceptive, and fairly immature despite being comparatively much older than our heroine.
  • The slow burn between Saeris and Fisher worked for me. I think I would have preferred it if they weren’t
    fated mates
    , actually. I liked them coming together and getting to know each other. (Granted, it is instalust, so be aware of that.)
  • The world building was excellent. Hart clearly thought through the rules of her universe and seems to stick to them, as far as I could tell.

The cons:
  • The last 20% or so moves at a breakneck pace, to the point where I debated dropping my rating a star. So much information gets revealed that it’s almost overwhelming as a reader. I definitely needed to sit and process everything after finishing the book.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Saeris is 24, Kingfisher is 1,733.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
Saeris’s former one night stand, Carrion, is around for most of the book, but Saeries doesn’t have any feelings for him. He’s kind of a manwhore, and it wasn’t serious.
Separation:
Fisher leaves Saeris to go fight the villain without her, but Saeries and friends find him anyway. Once the couple is together, there is no breakup.
Triggers:
Mentions of violence and death, including the death of children. At least one threat of sexual assault towards Saeris’s friend.
HEA/HFN?:
HFN, book 1 in a series. That being said, the couple has officially accepted their mating bond at the end of book 1, so I probably would have called this a HEA if there wasn’t another book coming.
 
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Roma King by Callie Hart

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

Genres: Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery 
Tropes: Bad Boy Hero, Possessive Hero,
Fated Mates

 
This was fine. Not much of the mystery gets handled in this book. It very much feels like one book was split into two. 
 
Safety Stats: 
Ages:
Zara is 26, Pasha is 27.
 
Cheating:
None.
 
Other OM/OW:
Zara’s friend has feelings for her, but she doesn’t realize it. It’s pretty minor, and she doesn’t feel the same way.
 
Separation:
None.
 
Triggers:
Some brief mention/descriptions of child sexual assault and endangerment of a child.
 
HEA/HFN?:
Cliffhanger.

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Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, LGBTQ Romance (Bisexuality)
Tropes: Dislike to Love, Workplace/Office
Moods:Emotional, Funny, Lighthearted

This was very cute and funny. I LOVED Colin. He’s basically all-in from the get-go, despite the somewhat rocky interactions the couple has for a while. I also loved that the book repeatedly seemed to intentionally subvert expectations based on romance novel stereotypes–despite Colin being a divorce lawyer who doesn’t really believe in a HEA, he knows he wants to be with Truly and doesn’t falter in that. Truly, the romance novelist, is the one who struggles with commitment on the other hand due to her fiance cheating on her and the looming possibility of her parents’ divorce. 

I did struggle a little with their banter at times which was I dropped half a star. For the most part, their back-and-forth is hilarious, but there are a few times when it felt a little distracting as the reader. The couple would be having a conversation and I’d legitimately be trying to follow what they’re saying, but then their conversation would get kind of derailed by the banter, and I’d find myself wondering what they were even talking about originally.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Truly is 27, Colin is 32.
Cheating:
Truly’s fiancé cheats on her at the start of the book, and she breaks up with him. No cheating occurs between or on the hero or heroine.
Other OM/OW:
Truly has an ex-fiancé who cheated on her, but she is not pining for him.
Separation:
Not really. Truly almost breaks up with Colin in the 3rd act due to her cold feet about relationships, but in a nice subversion of expectations, they stay together and agree to work through it.
Triggers:
Truly’s fiance cheats on her in the beginning of the book. Additionally, there's some BDSM-lite interactions that take place between Truly and Colin (he asks her to "be a little mean" to him during sex) but it's clearly discussed and both parties are into it.
 
HEA/HFN?:
I’d say somewhere in between. Couple is engaged in epilogue.
 
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Summoned to the Wilds by A.K. Caggiano

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Possessive Hero, Magic, Slow Burn

Much like book 1, this was an enjoyable, solid 4-star read for me. I feel like Caggiano’s writing style is a little bit of a double-edged sword. Her writing is incredibly funny, but the book also kind of feels like it needed one more pass by an editor. There are a few minor grammatical mistakes (which actually didn’t factor into my star rating, because they’re pretty minor, IMO, especially for a self-pubbed book), but the bigger writing issue that did make me drop a star was the strange pacing. At least twice, we were in the middle of scenes that I thought were going somewhere, only for the book to suddenly cut away and then fill in the blanks later as to what happened. I frankly hated when the book did this as it totally ruined the momentum and left me confused as a reader.

The strongest aspect of this book, on the other hand, is the relationship between Damien and Amma. Because this is a three-book series that follows the same couple, we’re really given a chance to watch them grow together. Their dynamic is absolute dynamite, and I love watching Damien fall head over heels for Amma while having no idea what to do about it. 

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Amma is 25, Damian is late 20s IIRC.
Cheating:
None, though there’s some minor jealousy incidents.
Other OM/OW:
We do meet an old FWB of Damien’s, but he’s not interested in her now. We also see Amma’s ex-fiance. He’s a villain and it was an arranged engagement, so she definitely isn’t pining for him.
Separation:
A temporary separation in the 3rd act. Amma and Damien fight, Amma is kidnapped, but they’re reunited fairly quickly.
Triggers:
Some violence, some references to hypothetical sexual assault of heroine (not by hero), some discussion of Damien’s absent/possibly dead mother.
HEA/HFN?:
Cliffhanger, this is book 2 in a 3 book series.
 
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The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural
Tropes: Age Gap, Competent Heroine, Enemies to Lovers, Sweet/Gentle Hero, Slow Burn, Vampires

Well…damn. Despite this not quite being a five star review for me, this book definitely left me with a book hangover. The third act was phenomenal, but I dropped half a star because there were definitely parts of the book that kind of dragged for me, especially in the first half. I also sometimes had trouble remembering all the different factions and terms, so there were times when I struggled to remember who was who. (I didn’t realize until the end of the book that there’s a glossary at the end! Maybe this is more obvious in the print version, but I totally overlooked this in the kindle version.) I’m looking forward to the next one, and I can see why there’s so much hype surrounding this book. 

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Oraya is 24 and human, Raihn was 32 when turned but has been immortal for hundreds of years.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
None in present timeline. There are some mentions of two past love interests of Raihn. He was married as a human and had a child. He also fell in love as a vampire once before, but he is not pining for her now. There are also mentions of Oraya’s first love. He was a vampire who lost control during sex with her, and Oraya killed him. She is not pining for him now.
Separation:
I would say none. The heroine and hero aren’t really a couple for most of this book since it’s a slow burn.
Triggers:
Past rape of heroine (not by hero), descriptive violence/gore, past self-harm of heroine, some references to enslavement.
HEA/HFN?:
Cliffhanger. First book in a series.
 
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The Rebel of Raleigh High by Callie Hart

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

Rebel of Raleigh High by Callie Hart
★★★☆☆

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Dark Romance
Tropes: Bad Boy Hero, Academic/School Setting

I more or less thought I knew what I was getting into because I’ve read Callie Hart before and know she tends to do dark romance, so I can usually adjust my expectations accordingly, but the
school shooting at 85%
really threw me for a loop. 

Otherwise, I sort of felt like this was pretty much in line with her other books I’ve read. Despite both characters being teenagers, I would be very hesitant to classify this as YA as it very much reads like a book for adults, not teenagers.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Both Alex and Silver are 17.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
None.
Separation:
None.
Triggers:
Detailed descriptions of rape, suicide/death of a parent, and a school shooting.
HEA/HFN?:
HFN. First book in a series that follows the same couple.

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Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong

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dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

2.0

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Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Competent Heroine, Sweet/Gentle Hero, Magic 

I struggled a little bit with rating this one. Like the first book, I loved the world-building, the writing, the intricate plotting that came together in the end. That part was all phenomenal, and I can’t wait to see more from this author.

That being said, I actually rated this one a little lower than the first book, which was a five-star read for me.
I loved Elspeth as a character in book one, and as much as I loved Elm being added to the mix, I missed having Elspeth being front and center the way she was in book one. And I was really frustrated with the fact that for some reason, we are never given Ione’s POV. Her story should be empowering–she goes from being objectified and abused to embracing her independence and emotions. But for some reason, we only ever get to see her through Elm’s eyes. Why? 

Yes, she tells Elm (and by extension the reader) her thoughts and feelings, but that doesn’t feel the same to me. We were able to get close to Elspeth and see her as fully developed character in book one. I wanted the same thing for Ione, and I’m disappointed that we never got it. 

I’m also disappointed that Elspeth and Ravyn’s ending was just a HFN, yet Elm and Ione were married. I get that a marriage was necessary in practical terms for Ione to become queen, but it felt like a lackluster conclusion for our couple from book one.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Both Ione and Elm are presumably in their early 20s, but it’s never directly stated.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
None.
Separation:
Elm and Ione are separated in the 3rd act by Hauth, Elm’s brother, but are reunited.
Triggers:
Some descriptions of violence, including domestic violence/assault by Hauth directed at Ione.
HEA/HFN?:
HEA for Ione and Elm who get married, HFN for Ravyn and Elspeth.
 
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Hollow Heathens: Book of Blackwell by Nicole Fiorina

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? No

1.0

Hollow Heathens by  Nicole Fiorina
★☆☆☆☆ 
 
Genres: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural, Urban Fantasy 
Tropes: Bad Boy Hero, Possessive Hero, Magic, Secret Relationship 
 
Available on Kindle Unlimited 
 
This book needed the heavy hand of a good editor. I kept reading because it had the vibes I was looking for (creepy, mysterious setting in a magical town? Sign me up) but vibes are about all I could get from this book. Half of the sentences are meant to be flowery but are basically just gibberish. Example: 
 
The real of us all in the air now. 
 
(My note for this line was I have no idea what this means. I still couldn’t tell you. Where did the verb go?) 
 
Unsurprisingly, the plot is also very confusing. Some people have magic, some people don’t. I spent the entire book thinking the heroine had magic because she sees ghosts, only for her to say this: 
 
“Magic? I have no magic.” I shook my head, hearing the same story and still unable to believe it. “They tried. Dad’s coven tried to pull it out of me and force me to become one of them. They tried! I’ve been bullied and betrayed and lied to, and no matter how far they push me, there was nothing I could do to stop them. There’s nothing. No magic. I can’t do anything. I’m just a girl.” 
 
Frankly, I’m still confused. Does she have magic or not? If not, why does she see ghosts? What did I even read? I couldn’t tell you, and this thing is 600 pages long. 
 
Safety Stats: 
Ages:
Both characters are in their early 20s.
 
Cheating:
None.
 
Other OM/OW:
None.
 
Separation:
This book has a sort of forbidden love/secret relationship element to it, so there are some periods of separation. They sort of fight/break up in the third act, but nobody is with anybody else.
 
Triggers:
Past death of a toddler, the hero’s little brother. He appears as a ghost in the book. The heroine tries to jump off a cliff to kill herself in the third act to save the hero.
 
HEA/HFN?:
I’d call it more HFN, though the book heavily implies there’s some kind of fated mates thing happening.
 

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My Deceitful Duchess by Aydra Richards

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

2.0

 
Genres: Adult Fiction, Historical, Regency, Romance
Tropes: Virgin Hero, Neurodivergent Hero, 
Surprise Pregnancy
, Reverse Age Gap 

This was probably my least favorite Richards book I’ve read so far. To her credit, she shows a really thoughtful understanding of her characters and takes that into account when the hero has to make amends, and this book is no exception. I think the problem for me lay in the fact that the hero’s actions honestly felt borderline unforgivable.
(Upon realizing Jenny was accused of murdering her husband and is now living under a pseudonym, Sebastian TURNS HER IN without even talking to her first to get her side of the story. The couple is together at this pointl.)
Plus it has the
surprise baby
trope which is often not my favorite trope anyway. So maybe this book just wasn’t for me. I’m going to continue working through Richards’ backlog, so even though this one wasn’t a total winner for me, I definitely can see how it may work for other readers.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Not sure exactly, but Jenny is older by about 4 years.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
None.
Separation:
Hoo boy. Sebastian accidentally realizes Jenny was accused of murdering her former husband by looking through some old newspapers. Instead of approaching her for her side of the story, he turns her into the police. He does immediately regret it and investigates the crime to free her, but since the couple is already together when he turns her in, some readers might struggle with his actions. I know I did.
Triggers:
Mentions of domestic violence. Jenny was abused by her former husband and now provides women a safe place to escape if needed. Also includes mention of unplanned pregnancy and discussion of potential execution of Jenny who is pregnant at the time.
HEA/HFN?:
HEA, married with children in epilogue.
 
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