etymoye's reviews
45 reviews

In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes by Stephanie Archer

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

4.0

Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, Sweet/Gentle Hero, Slow Burn, Competent Heroine

Another really cute and fun read from Stephanie Archer. I loved, loved Holden. He’s outwardly grumpy, but inwardly a softie with a romantic streak who just wants to get married. Sadie is a well-developed heroine, and I appreciated that she was the one who didn’t want to get married for most of the book. It was a nice change of pace to see that dynamic flipped.

I dropped one star, though, because I sort of felt like Sadie’s personal issues stemming from her ex (who scammed her out of a bunch of money) were magically solved by the end. I loved Sadie and Holden’s dynamic and as always, the sex scenes are very spicy, but I just sort of felt like Sadie needed more time to process what she went through.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Holden is 34, Sadie is 31.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
At Sadie’s insistence and due to their deal, Holden goes on a date off-screen with a woman he’s not interested in before getting with Sadie. Holden tells Sadie the date went badly, and there’s no indication they slept together.
Separation:
There is a third act breakup, but it’s short-lived. Sadie isn’t sure she wants marriage after being scammed by her ex. Holden still wants marriage. Neither is with anyone else during this time, they both come around to the other’s POV, but ultimately end up married in the epilogue.
Triggers:
None really. Sadie’s ex was a scammer who stole money from her.
HEA/HFN?:
Married in epilogue.
 
Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

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emotional funny lighthearted

2.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Tropes: Childfree, Bad Boy Hero, Possessive Hero, School/College Setting, Secret Relationship

For most of this book, I thought it would be a solid three-star read. I feel like it’s essentially what you expect if you’ve read Elle Kennedy before–a little messiness in the OM/OW department, bad boy/womanizer hero, less experienced heroine, nothing groundbreaking.

But two things annoyed me and made me drop a star. One, Mackenzie is a pretty flat character. She’s a Cool Girl–rich, but a self-made millionaire on top of her family’s money. She doesn’t care about Cooper having slept with basically all his female friends at one point or another. The book even comes out and says she’s Not Like Other Girls. I initially expected her to have some kind of STEM background because she started a website during her gap year, but this is very poorly fleshed out. She apparently didn’t do any of the coding or actual building of the site (?) because that’s never discussed at all. And then she goes on to buy a hotel in Avalon Bay despite apparently not having any interest in architecture or interior design. I’m still not sure why she bought the hotel (or created the site, for that matter). It’s just to show how NLOG she is, I guess. 

And two, the third act annoyed me.
At the start of the book, Cooper runs into Mackenzie’s boyfriend, Preston, in the bar where he works. Preston is a jerk and gets Cooper fired, Cooper and his friends decide Cooper should get Preston’s girlfriend to dump him as revenge. (It’s a weak premise, but I feel like anybody who’s seen a 90s romcom can roll with it.) 

The only problem is that this is obviously hanging over our couples sword of Damocles-style the entire book. And when you expect the book to FINALLY bring this up at the 80% mark, it makes a sudden swerve and Cooper’s deadbeat mom enters the picture to steal his life savings. Mackenzie offers Cooper money, Cooper gets offended. The couple fights and makes up. 

It almost feels like we’ve addressed the dreaded third act breakup…except that, at the 93% mark, Mackenzie FINALLY learns about Cooper’s stupid bet with his friends. It gives almost no time for a proper grovel or believable reconciliation. The entire conflict with the mom should have been removed, IMO. I was really surprised when the mom showed up because she was barely mentioned by Cooper previously, so it felt like there was almost no groundwork laid for that sudden development.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
While neither age is directly stated, if I can do math right, Mackenzie should be approximately 19. Cooper is implied to be in his early 20s somewhere.
Cheating:
Mackenzie has a boyfriend when she kisses Cooper, though she dumps him before sleeping with Cooper. Neither is with anyone else after getting together.
Other OM/OW:
Mackenzie has a boyfriend when she kisses Cooper. Cooper has hooked up with some of his female friends before Mackenzie entered the picture, and there’s some tension/jealousy from one of them. Cooper openly flirts with OW before getting with Mackenzie to make her jealous, but they do not have sex.
Separation:
Breakup in third act for a few weeks, but neither is with anyone else during this time.
Triggers:
Some mention of Cooper’s deadbeat mom.
HEA/HFN?:
HFN.
 
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The Marquess Wins a Wife by Aydra Richards

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emotional hopeful 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: Adult Fiction, Historical, Regency, Romance
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Virgin Heroine, Rake Hero, Forced Proximity

I recently finished Exit, Pursued by a Baron and saw this book frequently recommended alongside it. While I don’t know that I loved this one quite as much as that one, I will say that Richards is a phenomenal writer who exemplifies the art of showing rather than telling. I love seeing characters grow, and Richards isn’t afraid to show the ups and downs that come along with that growth.

That being said, Luke’s grovel in this one is pretty good, but I dropped a star because I felt like we needed more page time afterwards to really see him change. I think the author tried to accomplish this with the epilogue, but I just feel like I needed a little more to really buy into it. I especially adored the first half of this book. Luke and Lizzie’s banter is hilarious. 

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Luke is 33, Lizzie is 26
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
There’s some drama with Luke’s former fling after Luke and Lizzie are married. Luke was a rake and was hooking up with her casually. She wants to continue doing so now that he’s married, but Luke rejects her. Luke is also hung up on his dead wife. He’s no longer in love with her, but he was in love with her when he married her. She cheated on him and broke his heart.
Separation:
None.
Triggers:
Lizzie’s father is an alcoholic and a deadbeat. Some general mentions of Lizzie’s dead mother.
HEA/HFN?:
HEA. Epilogue fast forwards to show the future. Married with children.
 
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Exit, Pursued by a Baron by Aydra Richards

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emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Genres: Adult Fiction, Historical, Regency, Romance
Tropes:
Possessive Hero, No 3rd Act Breakup, Secret Relationship, Second Chance Romance


Second chance romances are kind of hard to get right for me. The couple’s issue has to be believable, but not so serious that I can’t buy their reconciliation. And of course, if the hero is the one who messed up, I need an adequate grovel, which this book delivers in spades. Marcus spends about half the book trying to make amends to Lydia for unceremoniously dumping her five years ago (and ruining her reputation in the process). I kind of hated him in the first half, but by the end, I really did believe the couple was in love.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Marcus is 33, Lydia’s age is not mentioned.

Cheating:
None.

Other OM/OW:
None.

Separation:
This is a second chance romance, so the couple was together before the book started, and has now been apart for 5 years. Neither has been with anyone else.

Triggers:
None.

HEA/HFN?:
HEA. Married and pregnant by the end.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 This book took me a little while to get into, to the point where I almost DNF. The writing style is very dense and just very wordy, plus the world-building is kind of slow going. But once things started falling into place, it hooked me. 

I felt like the main romance between the two main characters, Elspeth and Ravyn, was just okay. I liked that Ravyn isn’t your stereotypical Alpha Male, but I also felt like we never quite got to know him that well, either. In my opinion, where this book really shines is world-building and storytelling. The atmosphere is really well done, very creepy and tense at times, and I loved the detail about magic being tied to cards. (Though they’re not the only source of magic, which is a major conflict in the book.) Definitely planning on reading book 2.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Elspeth is 20, I didn’t catch Ravyn’s age.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
There's brief mention of another character Elspeth kissed once three years ago. He's interested in courting her now, but she's not interested in him and shuts him down.
Separation:
Separated at the end of the book. Cliffhanger.
Triggers:
Mention of past death of a parent (Elspeth’s mother). Elspeth’s father is alive but a relatively deadbeat dad.
HEA/HFN?:
No, cliffhanger at the end of the book.
 
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Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

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dark funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Dark Romance, Suspense
Tropes:
Friends to Lovers, Possessive Hero, Praise Kink, Serial Killers
 

Well, this one knocked me out of my book slump! It sat on my TBR for a while due to the premise, but I’m glad I gave it a shot. The romance itself between the two characters is actually kind of…sweet? The hero is 100% gone for the heroine almost immediately, which I absolutely love in a hero. I can’t wait for book 2.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Heroine is 23, didn’t catch hero’s age.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
None.
Separation:
The book spans the course of four years or so, but neither is with anyone else after their first meeting.
Triggers:
The author’s list here is pretty spot-on. Definitely review the list if you have concerns about violence. I will say, there is NO violence between the hero and heroine.
HEA/HFN?:
HEA, married by the end.
 
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Bride by Ali Hazelwood

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.5

Genres: Adult Fiction, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural, Urban Fantasy
Tropes: Fated Mates, Forced Proximity, Magic, Marriage of Convenience, Shapeshifters, Vampires, Omegaverse

I didn’t find this book to be all that similar to Hazelwood’s other books, and that may or may not be a good thing to other readers. I found it very reminiscent of urban fantasy books from ten years ago or so, just with much more romance than the genre typically features. And I am a huge urban fantasy fan, so that probably explains a little why I adored this book.

Misery and Lowe are hilarious. Lowe is a well-developed and nuanced hero. Misery is pretty calculating, and I actually wouldn’t have minded seeing her get even more ruthless/bloodthirsty, but I suppose Hazelwood wanted to be careful to keep her likable, especially since this leans more paranormal romance than urban fantasy.

I do feel like the book would have actually benefited from being a dual POV in this case. The third act breakup is basically out of nowhere, and it honestly doesn’t make sense. It gets resolved fairly quickly, thankfully, but a dual POV would have helped explain Lowe’s reasoning. 

I’ve seen some complaints that the couple spends too much time apart or there isn’t enough romance, but I didn’t get that vibe at all. I guess it depends on what you’re comparing it to. The first sex scene is at
50%
and
there’s four scenes total,
so the second half is very spicy. The first half is mostly the couple getting to know each other, which IMO makes sense in the context of them initially being enemies.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Misery is 25, Lowe is also mid-20s. I can’t remember if they specify his exact age.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
None.
Separation:
Unfortunately, the third act breakup comes out of left field. Lowe denies that they are fated mates when Misery confronts him about it, and the couple is apart for a few weeks. Neither is with anyone else, and the conflict is resolved fairly quickly. That being said, I don’t feel like this added anything to the book and if anything, it detracted from it.
Triggers:
Misery’s dad is pretty cold toward his daughter, borderline toxic. Otherwise none.
HEA/HFN?:
Somewhere in between. Misery and Lowe are married and fated mates, so nobody is going anywhere, but for some reason, the book doesn’t actually depict the mating ceremony. Lowe and Misery are planning it at the end of the book. I feel like the mating ceremony should have been included to make it a full HEA.

 
Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, Slow Burn, Magic


This book gets better as it goes. It was pretty rough in the beginning. Lots of info-dumping, and while the writing can be very clever, the long and meandering sentences can also be pretty unclear and confusing sometimes, too. I saw another review say that the book would have benefited from the heavy hand of an editor, and I unfortunately agree. 

I know that doesn’t sound like a rave review, but all that being said, once this book gets good, it gets very good. Damian, the hero, is funny as hell. He kind of seems like he’s fallen into being evil due to his circumstances (his dad is a demon), but he’s not all that evil, especially to the heroine, Amma. It may or may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m a sucker for a hero who’s wrapped around the heroine’s little finger and will burn the world down for her, and that’s very much their vibe. 

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Amma is 25, Damian is late 20s IIRC
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
We eventually learn that Amma is betrothed against her will, but she doesn’t have feelings for him, and he’s basically an antagonist/villain. Some vague references to an ex-girlfriend of Damian’s (she doesn’t appear in the book), as well as some very vague references to what was essentially a FWB-type situation in the past between Amma and OM. That’s over, and neither has any feelings for each other now.
Separation:
The couple is briefly separated by circumstances when they return to Amma's hometown. The separation is relatively short. I'd describe it as more of an external conflict they're both working to address, rather than any kind of break up.
Triggers:
It’s heavily implied that Amma’s fiance raped her at one point prior to the book. 
Some general descriptions of violence, though none between Damian and Amma.
HEA/HFN?:
Cliffhanger, this is the first of a completed three book series.
 
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Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.
Too many random side characters to keep track of.
The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

 Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Tropes: Fake Relationship, Forced Proximity, Friends to Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, Magic, Omegaverse, Praise Kink, Shapeshifters, Workplace/Office
Moods: Funny, Lighthearted

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson is a cute, fluffy, smutty fake-dating book with werewolves, though tbh, the werewolves thing is pretty minimal and is basically just there to explain the omegaverse thing. I’m not usually a fan of omegaverse, but I gave this a shot, and I’m glad I did. A lot of the omegaverse stuff is pretty toned down for more mainstream romance audiences, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on what you like. 

I dropped a star for two reasons, under spoiler tags below:
  • Reason 1: that break up at 80% was SO. STUPID. The couple was doing so well at communicating…until they weren’t. Grrr. Yet another “I have to break up with you for your own good and lie to you” conflict. At least it was resolved fairly quickly.
  • Reason 2: We didn’t see the mating?? I actually had to reread the last 20% to see if I missed it. What? Who skips over the mating/wedding in a romance novel?

Otherwise, though, a really cute, enjoyable book.

Safety Stats:
Ages:
Mackenzie is 29, Noah is 36.
Cheating:
None.
Other OM/OW:
None.
Separation:
Temporary break up (see above). Neither is with anybody else, though OM does confess his feelings to Mackenzie. She doesn’t reciprocate.
Triggers:
None.
HEA/HFN?:
HEA. Mated by the end (see above).
 
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