City of Love is an intriguing world of parallel universes, magic, and danger. I thought it had an easy flow to it and was digestible, even when some oCity of Love is an intriguing world of parallel universes, magic, and danger. I thought it had an easy flow to it and was digestible, even when some of the world building was complicated. The main characters were endearing. I had a few sticking points, but I’m glad that I tried this new to me author. As a caveat to this review - I read this right before I got sick for days (and I’m still on the mend) so while most of it is very clear, nuances are a little fuzzy. Please also don’t be discouraged by a 3 star rating if you were interested.
The story starts with an introduction to Lexi (h) as she’s struggling to function at work. Poor Lexi lives in our world, but is overwhelmed with abilities to see the future she doesn’t completely understand. She can’t maintain consistency in her daily living due to the number of visions that she gets and how they affect her physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes it’s fun to think about how life would be if we could see into the future, but Lexi’s experience is pretty bleak and frustrating, even with loved ones. She does see an unknown man in her recent visions who seems as if he’s going to mean something important to her.
We then meet Gideon (H), who exists in a world that is parallel to ours. Similar in history, but with the two worlds having diverged when it comes to whether the Industrial Revolution happened or not. Gideon’s world has a lack of modernity, but they also have an abundance of magic. His magic and brilliance in particular helped establish portals that connect our two worlds, allowing for some discourse, though the parallel world remains mostly hidden, esp from governments. Even with oversight though, tension is bubbling over the connection between the two worlds.
Written in third person, multi-POV (including some villain POVs). No ow/om drama and both are experienced (not much info is given on their past histories that I can recall, though they did have at least one conversation about the H’s past).
The existence of magic in Gideon’s world is what leads to Lexi’s introduction to the secret of the parallel worlds, hoping that others may be able to assist her in controlling her visions. When Lexi and Gideon meet, a powerful connection sparks, just as a serious danger to both worlds presents itself. Lexi and Gideon made for dynamic main characters, which was necessary given that the situations they faced aren’t limited to affecting only them and their potential romance. They’re falling in love, but they’re also dodging and weaving from unknowns and attacks.
These two do find something special in each other, which was lovely given the weight each of them carried on their shoulders. Their chemistry was excellent and the steamy scenes were good. The way that their individual backgrounds and motivations shaped how they approached their potential romance made sense. Their relationship development does depend too greatly on that magical connection though and it made for less organic moments imo because they could literally sense what the other one was feeling (I do love this particular feature during steamy times, gotta give props for that).
Some more natural moments are present still (and sweet), but I couldn’t help wondering if their magical connection didn’t exist, how things would have progressed differently. Which also wasn’t helped by pressure from a forced timeline thanks to the source of angst in their budding romance. The two of them literally exist in different worlds and it’s more complicated than just walking through a door in this particular world building.
Another part of the story that I struggled with was the presentation of the villains. There was a sense of substantial power and danger surrounding an entity that rears up, which then felt more like all bark and little bite with how events played out. I’m not one to want my main characters to be tortured or go through the wringer, don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t feel the presence of the bad guys as much as I think I was meant to. They’re manipulating and trying to harm Gideon’s world and Lexi, but the confrontations involving bad guys didn’t have the oomph I expected. I also figured out a specific villain very early and I wish that had remained a mystery. Villains aside, the other side characters delivered and I definitely was curious about one specifically for a possible future romance.
I don’t want to give anything away for the final act of the book so I’ll say that the major plot points come to a head and hard decisions are made, with some sacrifices happening. I’m not a huge fan of sacrificial actions personally, but I understand why the author made the choices that they did. One of the characters has to then make a choice and once that was made, there’s a bit more hoop jumping but then their HEA. The epilogue is only a short jump ahead and a cute moment, however we get insight into the future that Lexi sees that’s a beautiful HEA for them. I still had some questions and there are threads dangling because this world could be continued. I would read more by this author and I like that this story stood out from many of the other new releases recently. ...more
I read Live, Laugh, Lurk when it was originally included in an anthology some time ago and I've been waiting for the author to rer3.5 stars rounded up
I read Live, Laugh, Lurk when it was originally included in an anthology some time ago and I've been waiting for the author to rerelease it on its own, so I was pretty happy to get to snuggle in a blanket and read this cozy mothman romance with extra added. This is character-focused, low stakes, and sweet. No big plot or any villains, unless mysteriously appearing frogs are villainous (they're not).
Lilith's (h) new to town and is there to manage a nursery that her uncle bought, even though she prefers the city to the quieter college town that she's ended up in. Her rental unit is in a building with a presence she can sense and hear at times, but it takes her time to realize that she's noticing a somewhat awkward mothman neighbor. Alistair (H) is preciously adorable once you get to know him. He's got an intimidating physical appearance but is a sweetheart who loves lamps and plants. The two have a couple of interesting encounters around town/the building and strike up a friendship until their mutual attraction eventually becomes more.
Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om dram and I don't recall either of their histories being addressed, but I had the impression that H was likely inexperienced.
I loved all the little moments in this book like Lilith first appreciating Alistair's love of plants, Patrick the frog constantly breaking into her apartment, her love of the way that Alistair smells, and the two of them doing yoga and her admiring his booty. There are some clunkier sections since we're in Lilith's head a good bit and it does take forever for them to cross the friendship line. But the actual crossing of the line was funny and hot. Mothman equipment is, uh, substantial. I did wish that there was more than the one scene however, even if only a shorter other scene.
I also would have liked more fleshing out of both characters' backgrounds with this being expanded a bit. We do get some info on both, including seeing her parents and meeting his best friends, there just could have been more. Seeing Alistair's friends though was esp fun, having read their stories already. This is a fantasy world that's connected to the human world and some other races and dynamics are mentioned but the world building isn't heavy. Most of the book is just Lilith and Alistair.
The ending is HFN with them living together and planning to babysit for his best friend. It's a cute moment and they're talking about the future so I was happy with where we leave them off. I'm hoping maybe the author will continue to write in this world, it's a fun one!...more
This had a cozy feel, a lot of tenderness and sweetness, plotting for revenge, and some emotional turns. I really liked it and how Tomorrow (h) was deThis had a cozy feel, a lot of tenderness and sweetness, plotting for revenge, and some emotional turns. I really liked it and how Tomorrow (h) was determined to claim her inheritance AND have her evil family held responsible for attempting to murder her. All while being true to her values (ie. she won't let the H eat her cousin in his dragon form, disappointingly). She's essentially taken shelter in a brothel because it's under the protection of the queen of that province and she's developed a sweet friendship with the owners.
It's there that she chooses to approach Darko (H) with the proposal of a fake relationship to satisfy the executor of her father's will. Darko is intimidating on the outside, but with a heart for those in need and a desire to not let others down the way that he feels he let those in his care down during a prior war. Darko is immediately enamored with Tomorrow's sunshiney personality and quirks, while she sees the value in this big, protective dragon. The fake element of their relationship felt like it lasted just a minute honestly, but as is common with this author's books that I've read, more is happening with the characters that they have to tackle than you might first think. I shed some tears y'all, even knowing that there was assuredly a HEA for the couple. The book follows the couple as they establish their courting, respond to attacks, consult with allies, and fall in love (there's also a mate bond in play so the love part happens pretty quickly/easily).
Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and both are experienced (it's just mentioned that the h had prior lovers and I don't recall any mention of the H's history).
Tomorrow is struggling for most of the book with continuing effects from an initial attempt on her life so she's often fatigued and has some other negative repercussions. But she's such a sweetheart with a brightness to her. Darko was also a marshmallow for her from wrapping his tail around her while they slept (yes, the tail does more than that) to giving her pretty gowns to showing her his hoard (the magic associated with the hoard wasn't anything I'd read before and that hoard was special). Darko's also never completely processed his trauma and that comes up at times, as well as his hoarding instincts when it comes to Tomorrow herself. I felt like the emotional intimacy was well-developed since they have to be open to each other early on, but they also both took time to open up to each other about their deeper wounds. Given their relationship dynamic, it wasn't surprising that they had nice physical chemistry too. There are a few steamy scenes, including the tail, though the full act isn't til later. Also, it bears mentioning that we do see Darko in full dragon form.
The side characters were fun, esp the brothel owners and Darko's sister. The fairy children were precious esp one in particular. The queen was in a duet at the start of the series and she's an interesting character, very different from the typical queen and I appreciated that she popped in a couple times here. Another couple also make an appearance who appeared to also have a book earlier in the series, but this book still stands alone nicely and the cameos aren't overwhelming. The world building and different races are a bit confusing, but not so much that you get terribly lost and can't enjoy the current story.
The pace is slow in terms of building up their "fake" relationship. The bits of action related to Tomorrow's family and the danger they pose was solid. The emotional turn that I didn't expect isn't introduced immediately, but it's then resolved without dragging out too much thank goodness, though this didn't lessen the heart aching scenes. I enjoyed the final conflict and ultimate solution to Tomorrow's evil family/inheritance issue, including how Darko had to make up for overstepping, even if his mate was in peril. The epilogue is just a week later and a last bit of adorableness with Darko being sweet and them being in love. I'm not sure if there are more coming in this series, but I liked where this couple was left.
Trigger warnings: lingering side effects due to illness, attempted murder, mentions of loss during war, some violence...more
I enjoy these 1011 Dark nights novellas to help try out different authors, esp when I'm not sure where to start in their backlists. Dragon Revealed stI enjoy these 1011 Dark nights novellas to help try out different authors, esp when I'm not sure where to start in their backlists. Dragon Revealed starts a new series, but is connected to a whole lot of other happenings from prior books. I didn't feel lost though, since the focus of the book remained on what was happening in this new realm, just with small references to individuals from previous series.
Both the h and H were interesting characters, both passionate about their responsibilities. The h is very single-minded at first and the H challenges her to question the information that's been presented to her over the years, as well as if he should truly be considered her enemy. There's also a hefty dose of attraction/lust that occurs on both sides, even while the H is technically the h's prisoner still. Because she spends long periods of time questioning him and then bouncing info off of him in the dungeon, it did feel organic when they began to give in to that attraction in small doses, but the deeper feelings that are declared close to the end felt sudden, even with mates being in the equation.
Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and both were experienced (H seemed more experienced and had recently been with a woman, prior to being captured, though no explicit scenes of him with her or recollections given; both H and h have been alive for a long time, though H much longer).
When the action picked up in the book is kind of when I began to like it less. Maybe because the pacing was slower to start and then the climax felt rushed, like pieces that had been unknown suddenly had a place to go. Except we also don't get answers on some big questions. Magic also solves so much and was very conveniently timed here. The plot regarding what was actually happening in this realm started off strong and then left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied. However, this is meant to be a taste of what's to come in the series so I have to assume that other books more fully develop the mortal side vs. the dragon side of the realm, as well as showing consequences for the events that occur in this story and providing more depth and answers.
The ending is HFN for the couple with no real info given on what their life is going to look like, which was disappointing. They're already in love and will be together, but I wanted more closure, even knowing that they're very likely to be side characters in other books. Kind of a mixed bag, but I did like the writing style and the ideas were intriguing, including the world building. I might try more by this author....more
I needed more here to feel like this was a complete story. It started out well with an intro to the h as a human prison therapist to monsters and the I needed more here to feel like this was a complete story. It started out well with an intro to the h as a human prison therapist to monsters and the hybrid-monster H having recently been transferred there. I liked that he was immediately protective of her as his fated mate and she felt a draw to him. She doesn’t immediately know he’s her fated mate, but she was told she’d have a monster mate. Then it became too chaotic and fast for me, even the steamy times unfortunately. I ended the story with many questions from world building to fallout from the climax to where they were in the epilogue. Just wasn’t the right fit for me but other monster readers might like it as a quick read.
Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and no mention of past sexual history. ...more
As a note about this series - there's an intro from a historical record to start the book to provide the background of the series3.5 stars rounded up
As a note about this series - there's an intro from a historical record to start the book to provide the background of the series. I jumped into this one without reading the others because this was the one that intrigued me the most and I wasn't lost on what was happening. The rest of the siblings actually play very little part in this book.
Liliana (h) and Micah (H) were driving forces of personality in this fantasy story. Each was shaped by their circumstances in fascinating ways and both were protective and giving, though Micah was also selfish when it came specifically to Liliana. Liliana especially had such a strength of will and character, always pushing herself despite the odds stacked against her and her own perceived weaknesses thanks to the torturous upbringing she survived. Micah was an interesting foil to her with the blankness of his childhood memories and lack of care as an adult for what was expected or “normal”, he did what he wanted, but he was also the right person to be a guardian.
These two are their realm’s best chance at defeating a power hungry sorcerer, though Micah has no idea and Liliana has tasked herself with slowly reminding him of his past so he can save and claim the future. She just had no idea he was also going to claim her along the way lol. Both are also powerful, each in their own right, even when Liliana thought she wasn’t.
Written in third person, mostly dual POV with one small part in the villain’s POV. No ow/om drama and both are inexperienced and each other’s firsts.
I really enjoyed this as a standalone with the bits of worldbuilding and how resilient the main characters were. I never knew what to expect from Micah and neither did Liliana. I did wish that there had been less mentions of her father in her head once it was established how often he used her and beat her down (sometimes literally). She was an odd mix of accepting of herself but then hyper focused on her faults (she’s not attractive and it gets mentioned repeatedly, yay for the fact that Micah could care less though). I did love the way Micah was immediately fascinated with Liliana, how his remembering was incorporated, and how his armor was connected. Also, the steam was well done, including his curiosity over her body and how he’d try to be sly about investigating that.
I did think the author’s writing in this one didn’t flow quite the way it does in some of her other books I’ve read. Magic is also a handy solution to pretty much everything, even when their backs are against a wall and you think they’re tapped out. Also, it always frustrates me a bit when I read a book and the transitions between scenes/POV aren't clearly delineated and unfortunately that happens here. I'd finish a paragraph and start the next one, only to realize it was the next day and a new POV.
Micah’s servants were such great characters and even the mouse that Liliana befriended was special. The magical beings in this world were plentiful and while most were tools of the villain, they still made for an engaging supporting cast when introduced.
The climax did not go as I expected at all and I was a little disappointed how the final showdown occurred, though the end of it was super emotional. I wish that more had been involved however. The epilogue is their HEA a little bit later and was very sweet. Micah was just so gone for her and I will always eat that dynamic up....more
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