Tag: book review

Dark Romance, Erotica, Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Kiss Of The Basilisk (Split Or Swallow #1): by Lindsay Straube

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Publish Date: February 25th, 2025
Number of pages: 528 Pages
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre(s): Fantasy, Erotica, Romance

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

THIS BOOK IS NOT SAFE TO READ AT WORK. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

Twenty year old Temperance Verus has never been kissed. But that’s what the basilisk is for.

Along with thirteen other contestants, Tem must train with a basilisk to learn the power of seduction and win the prince’s hand in marriage. When Tem is matched with Caspen, the Serpent King, she realizes she might actually stand a chance. But with tensions rising between the basilisks and the humans, Tem is suddenly torn in two directions.

As her bond with Caspen deepens, so does her connection with the prince, Leo. And when she uncovers a terrible secret about the royal family, Tem finds herself caught between two neither of which she can survive without.

Guaranteed to make you blush (and then some), Split or Swallow is like if fanfic Draco Malfoy went on the Bachelor and had to compete with a snake. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? That’s because it is!!

~~~

…I don’t know if I’d necessarily call this book “unhinged” like so many are, unless thats a play words on how snakes can unhinge their jaws to eat large prey, then go off….ANYWAYS, I can say this book that I’ve been coining as the “snake porn” book was an entertaining journey no matter what any buzzword you want to also use!

This is like an oversexualized, Slytherin-esque with lots of snake shifters, adult version of the YA romance series, The Selection or the tv show The Bachelor, where there’s all these girls in the kingdom who are literally selected and made to compete for the hand (and heart?) of the prince, who is in his height of glory over all these girls fawning over him like he’s Justin-freakin-Beiber in his prime…but the twist? All the girls are being “trained” by the basilisk shifters, who are not exactly slaves but their kind lost some war long ago and so now they serve the royal family…Hey, I didn’t write it!

But yes, the basilisk shifters are to “train” these young women and help them learn the ways of seduction and how to please a man…so yes you can guess there is HELLA sex in this book. Temperance Verus, or Tem for short, is our FMC and she’s selected to be amongst this latest harem, and she’s paired with Caspen, a smoking hot (sometimes literally) basilisk shifter. From lots of spicy lessons, they develop feelings for each other, but Tem also finds herself drawn to the royal prince whom she’s trying to marry, so how’s a girl supposed to choose????

While this twisty love triangle is forming, there is also definitely some tension rising amongst the basilisks and the humans and war could definitely be on the horizon!

So despite this book not being as unhinged as the hype made it out to be, I did find myself really enjoying this one! It was fun, it was WEIRD, it was hella spicy, and most importantly it really kept my attention all throughout. Sure there were some major clichés with the cast like the beautiful mean girl rival, the slutty gay best friend, and the arrogant prince and the evil king who’s just evil for the sake of being evil, BUT it’s still actually an enjoyable story!

It’s one of those things where I feel like you can really like this one if you go in knowing not to take it seriously and if you’re into the dark and spicy romantasy books and slight monster erotica-ness to it too!

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Love Triangle! I don’t care what anyone else says to this, I’m a fan of a love triangle arc when it’s done right! There are plenty of books where it isn’t, but this one was fun because at the end of it, part of me truly questions who Tem will end up with! I mean, obviously I’d ideally love it to become poly or just why choose/reverse harem
  2. The Spice Lessons! I actually enjoyed the aspect of this story of Caspen and Tem’s relationship building off the “lessons” Caspen bestows upon her throughout the first chunk of the book. It of course led to A LOT of smutty goodness in the story, and I’m now questioning if this book is going to be my gateway drug into monster romance…

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. The Cliché Cast of Characters…The one thing I was really mehhhhh about was that the cast of characters for this felt very cliché….we had the slutty gay best friend, the mean girl rival fighting for the hand of the prince, the “not like most girls” FMC makes for a pretty unoriginal cast of characters. Luckily the book is still fun to read, but most of these characters defs just felt like copy and pasted character archetypes we’ve seen so many other times.
  2. The Ending…The ending wasn’t necessarily bad, but I’m also definitely questioning where it’s going to take the story into the next book for sure. Like it’s definitely a choice to say the least.

Conclusion:

Overall, It was a fun and entertaining, but also sexually WILD story. Obviously don’t expect the next literary masterpiece with this, but spicy/smutty book lovers who enjoy some romantasy shenanigans with a sprinkle of monster romance too will find this book to be pretty fun! Just don’t go in taking it too seriously and just have fun with it is all I can suggest!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, Romance

My Review: Salt Kiss (Lyonesse #1): by Sierra Simone

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Publish Date: September 12th, 2023
Number of Pages: 352 Pages
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre(s): Erotica, LGBTQIA+

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

There is something alive about the hatred at least. A breathing inside the jealousy. When I first came to Lyonesse, I felt like a puppet of myself, a collection of traits without anything deeper to animate them: alertness, discipline, longing, regret. A shell of dried sinew and bone and no heart. I feel now. Even if it’s misery, obsession, jealousy, I feel them all, and no matter how awfully things have turned out, I can’t doubt that Mark had something to do with that.”

— Sierra Simone, “Salt Kiss”

What It’s About:

The official blurb:

Tristan Thomas is lost. After leaving the Army, the young former soldier is in limbo. Until, that is, he’s hired by Mark Trevena, the owner of Lyonesse—DC’s ultra-secret club—to be Mark’s new bodyguard. He’s drawn into Mark’s dark, seductive world of power and desire, and slowly drawn to Mark himself, even though Mark is everything Tristan knows he shouldn’t want: cruel and wicked and shamelessly amoral.

But protecting Mark isn’t Tristan’s only duty: soon, Mark asks him to guard his soon-to-be bride as she travels home from Ireland on Mark’s yacht. Tristan is jealous—and hurt to learn that the object of his obsession is engaged—but the soldier in him is made to obey orders, and he goes to fetch Mark’s bride for him.

Isolde Laurence is nothing like Tristan expected, however. Young, quiet, and sharp, she’s being pushed into this marriage by her family, and as the two travel back to America, Tristan finds himself fascinated with Isolde and the glimpses he gets of the lonely but determined woman behind her reserve. And the fascination is mutual: one night, while sailing under the cold stars, they share a searing kiss.

From there, it’s a fast fall into the forbidden. But in Mark Trevena’s world, the fall is only the beginning…

The Lyonesse trilogy is a queer, kinky contemporary retelling of the legend of Tristan and Isolde, set in the same world as the New Camelot series. Readers will not have to read New Camelot to enjoy Lyonesse, although readers who enjoyed New Camelot will find all the things they loved about the trilogy here: MMF ménage, plenty of the angsty forbidden, and a sweeping retelling of a familiar story.

~~~

So if you’ve also read The New Camelot trilogy by Sierra Simone, you’ll of course understand why I say that she is my QUEEN of smut because of those books! I mean, Greer and Embry and Ash just *swoon* so when I heard that she was making ANOTHER MMF trilogy, and that it would be set in the same world as New Camelot, my attention was GRABBED!

With this book you get the same vibes and aesthetics that made New Camelot so wonderful: political intrigue, forbidden romance, high society kink, Washington DC secrets, shocking revellations and plot twists, and of course lots and lots of spicy smut!

And like how NC was a Arthurian retelling, so is this one…This story revolves around Tristan Thomas, who’s left the army after some unknown tragedy he’s still recovering from, is lost and doesn’t know where life will take him…but then accepts a strange job as the personal bodyguard of Mark Trevena, his new step-uncle and the arcane owner of an ultra secretive night club that only the world’s elite can enter and play. Tristan soon realizes he had no idea what he signed up for with this position and is exposed to a dark underbelly of the top 1% who make all the decisions of the world…

Much later in the story, Tristan is sent on a mission to watch over Mark’s betrothed on a yacht trip from Ireland, and he soon realizes that by meeting Isolde, he found himself torn between two lovers….or is he???

Honestly, if you enjoyed her previous trilogy, I see no reason why you wouldn’t love this one too! Tristan is a great main character to follow through this first installment as we’re introduced to this dark underworld of the ultra elite and as he battles his conflicting feelings for Mark and eventually also Isolde.

Mark is an absolute enigma and such a tight-lipped mystery, he’s truly an interesting character too, and Isolde too, but for different reasons. Isolde wasn’t in the book as much as I’d hoped so I was disappointed with that, but there’s other books so I have to remember that!

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. It’s Familiar But Still Feels New! It very much feels like a New Camelot spinoff with familiar tropes, character arcs, dynamics, but it doesn’t feel like a carbon copy all the same. It definitely feels unique enough to stand on its own
  2. This Book is Mostly MM! This book that will be the first in a trilogy focuses mainly on Tristan and his developing relationship with Mark, so there’s mostly a lot of spicy MM scenes, so no complaints whatsoever from me!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Isolde Doesn’t Appear Until Much Later…Isolde doesn’t make an appearance until like 2/3rds into the book, and I actually wish she had shown up way earlier. Granted, she steals the show when she does finally appear, but again why does it take until like the 75% point for this to happen??

~~~

Conclusion:

Overall, another incredible and ultra smutty book by my QUEEN of spice herself! This was a wonderful book written by her whether you’ve read the before-mentioned trilogy or not. There’s maybe like one reference to the previous trilogy in the book? Other than that it’s very able to be read on its own!

But I digress WHY wouldn’t you read that series too?? I really enjoyed both and hope you do too if you give Sierra Simone a chance!

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Dark Romance, Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Paranormal, Romance, sci-fi

My Review: Tragic Bonds (Bonds That Tie #5): by J. Bree

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Publish Date: June 28th, 2022
Number of Pages: 470 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): Fantasy, Reverse Harem, Paranormal Romance, New Adult Romance

**Warning!! This review contains spoilers for this review and previous books in the series, so continue reading on at your own risk! You’ve officially been warned!!**

To see my review of book 1 – Broken Bonds – Click HERE

To see my review of book 2 – Savage Bonds – Click HERE

To see my review of book 3 – Blood Bonds – Click HERE

To see my review of book 4 – Forced Bonds – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 3.75 Stars

Recovery isn’t about wiping the board clean. Recovery is learning how to function around all of the scars and open wounds inside of us.”

— J.Bree, “Tragic Bonds”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Nothing will ever be the same again. Our Bonded Group has been torn apart, and the monsters are now the prey. But we’re not going to just wait around for our enemy to strike; the blood on his hands is unforgivable, and the god living inside of me wants her revenge paid in blood.

And a thousand souls.

We have been pushed to the limit, tested in ways that have devastating outcomes, and paid the ultimate price. Can we recover from such losses? Is the promise of a world without our enemy worth the sacrifices we’ve made? Can we prove to everyone, and ourselves, that together our bonds are unbroken?

**Tragic Bonds is a full-length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It’s recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations. Book 5 in the 6 book series.**

~~~

My GAWD with these cliffhanger endings! That last one was WILD! But we FINALLY get to see what the freakin’ deal with Nox is all about and why he was such a moody, broody A-hole throughout the series…and woah, that’s a lot of trauma to unload!

That was for sure the main….highlight? Not sure if it’s a highlight because it gets pretty dark and intense with learning about Nox’s dark past, but it’s definitely a huge noteworthy moment not only for this book but for the whole dang series.

I’m loving the idea of exploring the bonded sides of each them as separate beings/deities and how they have their own personalities…like the bonded side of Oli is still a stone-cold vicious bitch and I love her for her bloodthirst! It’s been a slow journey to learn more about these “upside-down” versions of the characters, but it’s also been very fun!

There’s not much to add at this point that isn’t spoilery, so Imma keep it brief and say the usual remarks I’ve made still stick with this one too: there are high exciting moments throughout but at the same time it feels very repetitive in other areas. The romance is great and I still love how the author manages to make each relationship feel unique and different from the rest of them amongst North, Gabe, Atlas, Gryphon, and Nox all with Oli. She makes it feel very organic and natural and realistic with the weariness and tension and doubt that rises up amongst them, but there’s still a mutual respect and understanding too because they know as a bonded group they have to learn to coexist either way.

And just like all the other books, holy CRAP THAT ending!! Jbree is a master at those juicy cliffhangers!

~~~

Not even death can keep us apart. Every part of you belongs to me, and I will tear any man apart who dares to get in my way. Bond or not.”

— J.Bree, “Tragic Bonds”

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. All the Main Characters! I love the main six characters so much by now, of course some more than others….despite everything, Gryphon is still my number one guy with that dirty mouth of his!
  2. Learning Nox’s Dark History! Whats crazy is you go into this disturbing part right as you start the book too! Like you are dragged into the dark and see it firsthand so this book will instantly grab you and keep you locked in its talons if you’ve made it this far.
  3. Learning More History On the Bonded! As we’ve become aware of the bonded beings being literally a whole other presence inside the main six characters, it was good to get more answers on the history of this part of the worldbuilding/lore/magic system!
  4. That Cliffhanger Ending! Another crazy one that’ll make you want to start the next book instantly just like the others!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Too Many Side Characters…The minor characters/side cast feels very overcrowded by this point in my opinion, there’s just so many? I get overwhelmed when there’s too many faces/names to remember.
  2. Too Repetitive…It’s become apparent the overarching plot feels very repetitive by this point and that does make part of the story drag in parts for me, its more the characters that keep me attached to it by this point. I feel like this series could’ve been condensed down to like 5 books? I know why it’s 6 so each main character can get the cover attention and for aesthetics, but part of me wonders if that’s why it feels like it drags on more and more at this point in the series?

~~~

Conclusion:

Overall, like all the other books in this series, there are some major high points this one brings to the whole series, but there is also the nagging repetitiveness I know I bring up almost every review now…. I’m even getting annoyed at myself for how often I bring it up.

The plot to me is so-so by now, but the characters are really what do it for me! I love this cast of characters and their dynamics amongst each other and how they develop over the course of this series.

As we now move onto the final book, here’s hoping it all ends on a good note!

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Paranormal, Romance

My Review: A Soul of Ash and Blood (Blood and Ash #5): by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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***Warning!! This review will contain spoilers from the previous books in the series, so continue reading this review with caution. You’ve officially been warned!!***

To see my review of book #1 – From Blood and Ash – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire – Click HERE

To see my review of book #3 – A Crown of Gilded Bones – Click HERE

To see my review of book #4 – The War of Two Queens – Click HERE

To see my review of the Prequel book #1 – A Shadow In the Ember – Click HERE

To see my Fancast/Dreamcast of the series so far – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 3 Stars

~~~

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Only his memories can save her…

A great primal power has risen. The Queen of Flesh and Fire has become the Primal of Blood and Bone—the true Primal of Life and Death. And the battle Casteel, Poppy, and their allies have been fighting has only just begun. Gods are awakening across Iliseeum and the mortal realm, readying for the war to come.

But when Poppy falls into stasis, Cas faces the very real possibility that the dire, unexpected consequences of what she is becoming could take her away from him. Cas is given some advice, though—something he plans to cling to as he waits to see her beautiful eyes open once more: Talk to her.

And so, he does. He reminds Poppy how their journey began, revealing things about himself that only Kieran knows in the process. But it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll wake to or exactly how much of the realm and Cas will have changed when she does.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout revisits Poppy and Casteel’s epic love story in the next installment of the Blood and Ash series. But this time, Hawke gets to tell the tale.

~~~

Okay in all honesty….while I loved this book for having it go back to the iconic first book in the series and explore integral scenes from Casteel’s perspective, not a whole lot actually happens here…it was nice to read, but at the same time felt like it was also stalling or kinda fluffy filler….

….and yes, I am saying that even as a HUGE fan of this series.

It’s a toss up because it was absolutely wonderful to go back and revisit the first book where it all started and nostalgia and all that, BUT at the same time at this point in the series it’s not exactly wanted…like we are DEEP IN IT by now with all that’s going on in these books so this book being kind of like a giant pause like it is just….ehhhhhh?

Not to say I didn’t enjoy it of course because Casteel Da’Neer is absolute GOALS and can get it any way he wants, any day he wants, you get the picture!

My impatient ass just want to see what happens next in this series already!!!!!

Not to completely drive folks away from it though! We do have some extra juicy Casteel content at the end that may make it worth it all for you! And no, it’s actually not involving a spicy scene, shocking I know!

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. We Get Casteel’s Perspective From Book 1! I did immensely enjoy going back to all the scenes in book 1 with a new perspective! Like the Red Pearl Scene, The wall scene, Discovering Willa Colyn’s diary, the Willow tree….such a great trip down memory lane!
  2. Casteel Gains….Something! Yes, he gains a new ability or power! That is all I’m going to say on it to not ruin the surprise!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Not A Whole Lot Happens In Current Time In This Book…Most of the book is the flashbacks/visions Cas sends to Poppy of their scenes in the first book while she’s in a coma to help her regain herself, and while we’re mainly immersed in those memories from his side of things, basically the whole book is Casteel sitting at Poppy’s bedside telling her these stories.

Conclusion:

Overall, it was a nice filler book to tide us over while JLA works her patooty off to keep making this series as amazing as it is, but like I said before: at this point in the series, it may not be the most wanted thing from the fans.

I myself as a big FBAA fan feel torn about this one because while it’s so cool to see book one from a whole new perspective, especially one like my Casserole’s, what I would’ve REALLY preferred was more content moving the series forward in current time of events if that makes sense.

It feels almost a bit like Tower of Dawn in the Throne of Glass series, it’s a good book but a pause on the series all the same and then we have to wait another year to REALLY see what happens next!

Still, I’m so hooked into this series, this just make me more antsy for the next book to come out and see what else can possibly happen to Poppy and Cas and Kieran and the rest of them…

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr #1): by Helen Sheuerer

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Publish Date: February 12th, 2023
Number of Pages: 548 Pages
Publisher: Alchemy
Genre(s): Fantasy, New Adult Romance

Total Star Rating: 3.5 Stars

A true man won’t cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. A true man will help sharpen your sword, guard your back and fight at your side, in the face of whatever darkness comes.”

— Helen Scheuerer, “Blood & Steel”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher, BLOOD & STEEL is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn spice, found family, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters.

With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.

Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

If you like fierce sword-wielding heroines and brooding, tortured heroes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy adventure.

Blood & Steel is the gripping first book in the heart-pounding, epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr.

~~~

This was a book that several of my fellow romantasy fans have told me “You absolutely need to read this one!” And I gotta say for the most part they were absolutely right! It was actually a really decent start to what can be a pretty epic fantasy adventure story!

It felt like a good mix of The Witcher and Throne of Glass in my opinion, both of which are amazing fantasy stories in their own right.

This story revolves around Althea Zoltaire, a young woman who’s destined to perish on her 27th birthday, so she’s trying to make the most of it until that happens, but also she’s basically going to also be like “Bitch, I don’t wanna,” and say fuck it all to that nonsense. Women are forbidden to go to arms as an actual warrior because of some historic event that took place before the start of this book, but Althea is “Fuck the patriarchy,” and tries just about everything she can to become one anyways.

In comes Wilder Hawthorne *drool* who is a master swordsman and who reluctantly becomes her guide/mentor and while they be doing battles outside with swords and shields against other humans and monstrous shadow wraiths, they be fighting them internal romantic feelings for each other while they also can’t stand eachother!

Oooooooo we loves to see it

~~~

It doesn’t matter who stands against you… What matters most is who stands with you.”

— Helen Sheuerer, “Blood & Steel”

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Found Family Trope! You meet other characters like Cal, Kipp, Wren, and Torj who just make it feel like such a well rounded cast of characters, and I definitely say pay attention to the group relationships and dynamics, it’s just so wonderful!
  2. The Slow Burn Romance! The romance between Wilder and Althea was so wonderfully done in this book…it was a slow-burn for sure, but man are those so satisfying when they finally give into their feelings! Thinking back on it, I loved seeing their relationship grow throughout the book and change like it did!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. It’s Very Slow Paced…It can be very slow paced throughout, or at least it was for me. It IS the first book in the series and its about setting the scene and introducing the world and building it from the ground up, and Ill admit my impatient ass would have me like GIVE ME SPICE ALREADY!!

~~~

Conclusion:

Overall, this is an incredibly decent start to what could be considered another romantasy series to be considered a classic or a staple of the subgenre! I am hooked, and I think fellow fans of series like Throne of Glass, From Blood & Ash and even the Netflix show The Witcher–or maybe even the books too, I haven’t read those yet–will enjoy these!

I will of course be excited to keep reading these books to see how it progresses and to see what happens next!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell