Book Review: The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert

Title: The Dragon's Bride

Author: Katee Robert

Series/Standalone: A Deal With A Demon (Book #1)

Genre: Fantasy, Monster Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 190

Publisher: Indie Published

Year Published: 2022

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)\

"Briar Rose might have a name out of a storybook, but she learned at a very young age that no prince was coming to save her. She'll have to save herself. Unfortunately, even that is an impossible task in her current situation- trapped in a terrifying marriage to a dangerous man.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is how she finds herself making a deal with a demon. Freedom from her husband... in return for seven years of service. 

She expects the service to be backbreaking and harsh. She doesn't expect to be put on an auction block in a room full of literal monsters and sold to the highest bidder.

To Sol.

A dragon.

He might seem kinder than his fearsome looks imply, but she knows better than to trust the way he wants to take care of her, or how invested he is in her pleasure. In her experience, if something seems too good to be true, it certainly is.

Falling for Sol is out of the question. She's suffered enough, and she has no intention of staying in this realm... even if she leaves her heart behind when she returns to normal life."

My Rating: 2/5

This was maybe my first foray into monster romance, and I really need someone who is a fan of the genre to tell me if this book is good for the genre or a bad example of the genre. It wasn't for me, it was a little too out of the realm of my comfort zone. Now was I entertained? Yes. Did I get the ick multiple times? Yes. Would I reread it? No, but I might try another one in the series. Anywho all that to say two stars for the two penises. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Title: Butcher & Blackbird

Author: Brynne Weaver

Series/Standalone: The Ruinous Love Trilogy (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance, Dark

Pages: 360

Publisher: Little Brown Book Group

Year Published: 2023

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

"Every serial killer needs a friend.

Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers, Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive- the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out fo a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?"

My Rating: 5/5

For me, this was a 5/5 for vibes alone. Somehow Brynne Weaver made a dark romance that gives romantic comedy vibes while giving love to those who enjoyed the premise of Dexter. I'm not sure how she came up with this concept. But this spice was great, the romance was fantastic and the plot was extremely entertaining. I would recommend reading the triggers before reading this book, but if it sounds like it would be for you and you want a good time; go for it!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight

Title: The Outliers

Author: Kimberly McCreight

Series/Standalone: The Outliers Series

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller 

Pages: 336

Publisher: HarperCollins

Year Published: 2016

Format: Hardcover (Own It)

"It all starts with a text: Please, Wylie, I need your help.

Wylie hasn't heard from Cassie in over a week, not since their last fight. But that doesn't matter. Cassie's in trouble, so Wylie  decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself.

This time it's different, though. Instead of telling Wylie where she is, Cassie sends cryptic clues. And instead of having Wylie come by herself, Jasper shows up saying Cassie sent him to help. Trusting the guy who sent Cassie off the rails doesn't feel right, but Wylie has no choice: she has to ignore her gut instinct and go with him.

But figuring out where Cassie is goes from difficult to dangerous, fast. As Wylie and Jasper heard farther and farther north into the dense woods of Maine. Wylie struggles to control her growing sense that something is really wrong. What isn't Cassie telling them? And could finding her be only the beginning?"

My Rating: 2/5

I knew nothing about this book going in (a trend, I know) and it was odd. THe beginning I was hooked, the middle I was a little bored, and the end I was just left wondering what the hell I had read. Not necessarily in a good way. I think that this book in many ways reminded me of Maximum Ride mixed with mystery and a tinge of thriller. Needless to say, not for me and I won't be continuing with the series. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Lore Olympus Vol. 7

Title: Lore Olympus Volume Seven

Author: Rachel Smythe 

Series/Standalone: Lore Olympus (Volume 7)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Romance, Mythology

Pages: 416

Publisher: Inklore

Year Published: 2024

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love- the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone gets a romantic modern update in the gorgeously illustrated, Eisner Award-winning Lore Olympus, including a brand new bonus short story!

An ingenious take on the Greek Pantheon, Lore Olympus is a modern update on the story of Hades and Persephone. Follow the propulsive love story of two Greek gods, told with lavish artwork and contemporary sensibilities.

This full-colour edition of Smythe's original Eisner Award-winning webcomic Lor Olympus features exclusive behind the scenes content and brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel."

My Rating: 5/5

I have loved this series for a while. I first found it on webtoons and then as they've been published, kept up with them in the bindup versions of the stories. I love Rachel Smythe's work and I think that her creative lense is fantastic. Her ability to work with drama, create cliff hangers and a slow-burn romance is fantastic. I can't wait to read the next instalment!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Title: Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Author: Elle Cosimano

Series/Standalone: Finlay Donovan Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Cozy Mystery

Pages: 355 

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Finlay Donovan is killing it... except, she's not really She's a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay's life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn't written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she's mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet.... Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a rea-life murder investigation.

Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity and heartfelt moment, Finlay Donovan is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.

My Rating: 4/5

This is such a fun concept. I love the idea that someone gets thrown into a world they know nothing about and watch them figure things out (almost floundering a few times). It has an excellent cozy mystery vibe and if the concept sounds interesting to you it's definitely worth the read. I would also say that the audiobook was excellent. The only reason that it lost a star for me is I felt it lagged a little in the middle.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Savage Lover by Sophie Lark

Title: Savage Lover

Author: Sophie Lark

Series/Standalone: Brutal Birthright Series (Book #3)

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction, Dark, Mafia

Pages: 338

Publisher: Indie/Self-Published

Year Published: 2020

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"Two people who believe they're unworthy of love.. until they meet each other.

Camille Rivera is drowning. Her father's sick, her brother's in deep with a dirty cop, and her mechanic shop is failing.

Nero Gallo is the neighborhood psychopath. As vicious as he is gorgeous, Camille has watched him burn through every girl in a ten-mile radius, breaking hearts and never, ever getting attached.

Which is why she can't believe it when Nero saves her from a seriously sticky situation. They've lived next to each other all their lives- is it possible she never really knew him at all?

Camille is about to learn that the only thing more dangerous than trusting Nero is falling for him."

My Rating: 4/5

I really enjoyed the start of this book. Sophie Lark does an amazing job of making each character feel unique and different from one another, which is saying something when you're reading a companion series one after another. I liked the smut, I liked the plot, but some parts of the book just felt disjointed to me. There were almost pieces missing, or parts that I thought would be expanded on that just weren't. I look forward to reading the rest of this series, but I am going to take a little break. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Stolen Heir by Sophie Lark

Title: Stolen Heir

Author: Sophie Lark

Series/Standalone: Brutal Birthright Series (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction, Mafia, Dark

Pages: 430

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2020

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"They murdered my father, so I stole their daughter....

She's my captive, my little ballerina who dances only for me.

Nessa is sweet and innocent. She doesn't deserve any of this. But that's how our world works- the wolves eat the lambs, no matter how gentle they may be.

I'll use her to get my revenge. Unless I give in to my hunger first..."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This wasn't as good for me as the first one in the series. Sometimes when authors pull out retellings I love them and other times it feels a little too in your face. This one was the later. I found that over and over the author appeared to be saying, "See it's a retelling, look it, did you forget the retelling aspect" and to that, I said woah, let me enjoy it for what it is. I will be continuing the series because the smut is great, the side characters are fascinating and the story overall is fantastic. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Title: Greenlights

Author: Matthew McConaughey

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

Pages: 289

Publisher: Crown

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"I've been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. how to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.

Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life's challenges- how to get relative with the inevitable- you can enjoy a state of a success I call "catching greenlights."

So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seems, felts and figured-outs, cools and shameful. Graces, truths, and beautifies of brutality. Getting away with, getting caught and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops.

Hopefully, it's medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears.

It's a love letter to life.

It's a guide to catching more greenlights- and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too.

Good luck."

My Rating: 3.5/5

I didn't know what to expect from this memoir, but it was certainly fascinating to hear about how this incredible author a) got his start and b) how he varied in his work while c) what he believes behind it all. In my teens, I mostly watched Matthew McConaughey in romantic comedies, and I had seen him in a few more dramatic roles since then, but hearing about his methods and also how he travelled and is a little bit of a hippy, was surprising. I had a good time reading it, but it wasn't a favourite, I would recommend if you want to know about the man behind the actor, or maybe need a kick in the ass to go and chase your dreams. Fun, entertaining and in some ways inspiring I enjoyed it overall.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

Title: Brutal Prince

Author: Sophie Lark

Series/Standalone: Brutal Birthright Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance, Dark, Mafia

Pages: 376

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2020

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"He's No Prince Charming....

Callum Griffin is the heir to the Irish Mafia. He's ruthless, arrogant and he wants to kill me. 

We got off on the wrong foot when I set a (very small) fire in his house.

Our families believe a marriage pact is the only thing that will prevent all-out warfare.

I think I might need to murder him while he sleeps.

This would all be a lot easier if Callum wasn't so damned good-looking.

But I've got a lockbox around my heart. Because even if I'm forced to marry him...

I could never love a brutal prince."

My Rating:5/5

I think this is the first romance that I've read that has fallen under the mafia category and I feel like it was a great starting pick. If you want something that lands right between contemporary and dark romance, this is it I think. It still has the shock value, the plot, the intrigue, but without as many triggers I would say it is a dark romance. I LOVED IT! I can't remember the last time I finished a book (that wasn't an audiobook) in such a short amount of time. I immediately resubscribed to Kindle Unlimited to binge this series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: Shame: Conception Pt. 1

Title: Shame: Conception: Part 1

Author: Lovern Kindzierski

Artist(s): John Bolton

Series/Standalone: Shame Series (Vol. 1)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Adult Fiction, Horror

Pages: 60

Publisher: Renegade Arts Entertainment

Year Published: 2011

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"When the purest woman on earth allows herself one selfish thought it is enough to conceive the most evil woman the world has ever known.

From the imaginations of award winning creators: Lovern Kindzierski, John Bolton and Todd Klein, is born the dark faery tale trilogy of shame."

My Rating: 1/5

I don't think I realized what this graphic novel was going to be, and after reading it, I'm still not sure I can describe it. The feeling of, "What the hell did I just win?" is still rattling around in my skull. I didn't find it to be in my wheelhouse and for that reason, I won't be continuing on with the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny