lollylovesbooks's reviews
699 reviews

Katee Robert writing a series about queer pirates in a fantasy world... as soon as I heard this was happening I was excited, and  it didn't disappoint.
Hunt on Dark Waters is the first book in the Crimson Sails series, which mostly takes place in Threshold - a realm with portals to all other realms.
Evie is a witch with a thieving habit, who accidentally portals to the sea in Threshold while trying to escape her vampire ex-lover-not-girlfriend. She's fished out of the water by Bowen and his crew, who give her a simple choice: join the crew and hunt monsters, or be killed.
And so we have a captor/captive romance with a whole heap of forced proximity. The romance thread starts with lust woven into the hatred, and adds grudging respect over time. Because it's Katee Robert writing, the steamy scenes are obviously top notch.
For the rest of the story, we have Bowen doing a lot of soul searching on his place in the world and the rules he's been brought up with. This book does a lot of heavy lifting to set up the world and series, which does make the plot balance feel a bit off at times. But it's also made me excited for the rest of the series.
I absolutely adored the bisexual rep in this book - Evie started the book with a female lover, flirted with non-binary characters, and ended up in a relationship with a male character. Side character rep is also found in heaps.
Read this if you like steamy fantasy romance, and think that monster hunters are the real monsters.
I received a free digital ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful story of friendship and love. Perfectly fitting for these two amazing characters.

This sci fi romance is set aboard a space station, between Ari, the station master's daughter, and the slave her father has forced upon her.
I found this setup and dynamic interesting - Ari doesn't want a slave and doesn't know how to act with a slave, but has no control over the situation.
The whole book is from Ari's point of view, which means as readers we see things through her innocent lense while also being far more aware of what's happening around her.
I loved how "Assistant" made sure Ari was physically looked after, and the romance itself felt natural.
Sapphic, space, pirates, steamy, forbidden, forced proximity.
So glad I finally read it.
I received a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cassie isn't in a great position financially, so takes up a suspicious offer for a cheap room advertised by a stranger called Frederick. He is gorgeous but weird - seeming to have no idea how the real world operates.
This was very much a paranormal rom com, and was very light-hearted and funny. Definitely laughed out loud several times while reading.
Both Cassie and Frederick are great characters. Cassie's passion for art and staying true to herself shone through - I'd love to work at that library! And Frederick's enthusiasm for learning about normal things was so well done - him learning the internet was particularly funny.
I loved how the whole story is told from Cassie's point of view, but at the start of each chapter there are emails, texts, letters or diary entries from Fredrick's point of view. It gave little insights into him that you could then watch Cassie discover.
And I have to give a shout out to Reggie, who was a hilarious side character (there was definitely set up for him to get a book in future).
Definitely read this if you're looking for a fun time with some vampires.

This was a book I didn't realise how much I needed!
Ariel is struggling with life after getting out of a toxic relationship, and so clicks on an internet ad promising to fulfill her wishes - not expecting to wake up in a fantasy world with fairies, witches, trolls and minotaurs. Plus a very grumpy orc who reluctantly agrees to help her get back home.
We have some beautiful forced proximity as they travel together, and I love the way the chemistry between Ariel and Orakh develops.
Both characters have development arcs, but I particularly liked Ariel's as she worked to regain her trust in herself and what she wanted.
Oh, and this book is super spicy, including BDSM. I loved that they actually addressed the size difference issue too!
Please check triggers before reading this one, because of what Ariel has been through.
This was my first book by Tabitha Black and definitely won't be my last.