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Dark Rover’s Gift by I.T. Lucas Finella and Din are really beginning to solidify their relationship, and she is starting to find a feeling of belonging in the village. This gets deeper still when Atzil offers her a bartender job at the Hobbit bar, and she becomes the most popular entertainment by telling entertaining fortunes for the customers when they offer up a personal item. Suddenly, Fenella is the main attraction on a nightly basis at the Hobbit.

The end leaves us with a mighty cliffhanger, one that makes me super anxious to dive into the next book.

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The Starfire Prophecy by Chantelle Kerr. Thank you to the NerdFam for this gifted ARC. This is Kerr’s debut novel, which will be released on June 10th. I found this book captivating from the first chapter. Sera is a strong and stubborn female main character. Keres is the hot, broody shadow angel of death who kidnaps a not-so-cooperative Sera. These two have such delightful banter and slow burn that I began to wonder if they were meant for each other at all.

Lulu is Sera’s best friend and is such a wonderful supporting character. She is always at Sera’s side when she needs her and really supports everyone. I really liked her character, though Sera was super stubborn about listening. There are some other side characters, some of whom are rather shady, while others are good about helping Sera once she finds her truth.

The ending was a shock for me, not in who took her or where she ended up, but that cliffhanger blew me away. I can’t wait for the next book.

#fantasyromance #

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The Devil and his Goddess by Sylver Michaela

This book is a dark fantasy romance about an incubus who has a love for the arts of music and dance. He and four other demon friends of his are in a rock band together, and while they are on a break, Perseus buys a ballet company, complete with studio, stage, office, practice rooms, and, of course, the company of dancers, among them Harper. Perseus is totally infatuated with Harper from the first glance!

Harper missed the welcome speech earlier in the day, but she made it to the masked welcome party and found a super hot man to dance with! And, whew, did he have some hot moves! But as she is walking back to her table, she doesn’t miss Mandy’s comment about how Harper is already all over the boss, which sent Harper into a tailspin! She quickly made her excuses and vacated the party ASAP!

I loved this story! It is pretty 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️, and there are several triggers, so if you are considering this book, be sure to check them out. I love how the author writes Perseus, starting out thinking of Harper as not more than a game, but he falls for her against his own nature; he just can’t help himself. And his love for her is beautiful and perfect and everything she needs when she needs it most. Then, when she was able, she loves him back just as fiercely.

I believe that the author is going to write a book for each of the demons in the band. Sounds like several more great books to come!

#dark fantasy romance

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Beneath the Cursed Veil by Aurelia Jane and Kel Carpenter

Thank you to the Nerdfam for this gifted ARC.

This fantasy romance had me hooked from the first page! With all the elements of an awesome reading experience that keeps you up late because you just have to read one more chapter! Complete with enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, royalty romance, fae, leprechauns, brownies, talking cat familiars, and so much more!

Meera owns an antique shop that could be doing better, and she needs a little help with the mortgage. She just happens to have a knack for finding things and occasionally takes a job from a not-so-legitimate leprechaun without understanding all the details before the magical agreement was made, only to find that she was too hasty in her agreement as it was not an object she was to find and deliver, but the Crown Prince! And since this was a magical agreement, there was no way out of it.

There is to be a masked ball at the palace, and she plans to attend, thinking this is her best shot at the Crown Prince. But as she is mingling, she comes across the man who has appeared in her dreams for the last several years. In her dreams, his face was always blurry, but she would never forget that voice. When their eyes meet, there is an instant connection. But there is a job to be done, so she sneaks back into the crowd, not knowing that the man was the king, and he is on a desperate search for her now.

There are so many twists and turns and unexpected events around every corner; I just never wanted this book to end! I love the banter and wit between the king and Meera “ See something you like, Siren?”, and our king is even a little snarky…

Corvo, the cat, is an especially delightful side character who is always reminding everyone that he is a god in cat form and happy to throw his opinions into every conversation! The next book is expected in June, and I am super stoked for it!

#beneaththecursedveil

#fantasyromance

#thenerdfam

@the Nerdfam

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The Inn on Harmony Island by Ann Marie Meyer

Thank you to the nerdfam for this gifted eARC.

This is a romance with a bit of a second-chance feel but with a whole lot of baggage for the main character to work through. It has a bit of a backstory that never gets a real clear understanding due to Shelby's trauma and need to avoid all talk of it.

Shelby lives in NY but comes home for her grandmother's funeral after being estranged from her for some years. When she returns home, thinking she was done with her past, she gets a call from Miles, her ex step brother, who tells her she has to come back for the reading of the will, or her grandmother's inn will go on the market and her ex-boyfriend's mother will try to purchase it. Shelby can't stand the thought of Missy having Charlotte's Inn and heads back home for the reading of the will and a few more surprises.

Shelby is a weak character who wants to hold on tightly to her anger and hurt from the past. She sees herself as broken and beyond repair and does things that are self-sabotaging. While Miles is trying to be accommodating and understanding to Shelby, even he gets exasperated with her at times. Shelby did seem to react well to Miles daughter Belle, but a 2-year-old isn't very challenging.

Abigail is an interesting side character and probably a good friend for Shelby, except for the trip to the pub. The pub/girls' night out was a complete disaster but ended in a good place for Shelby. Lastly, Bash was a very interesting character, and I would have liked more content about him.

In the end, we are left with quite the cliffhanger and the opportunity to go on to read the next book.

#thenerdfam

#theinnonharmonyisland

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Heir of Illusion by Madeline Taylor

Thank you to the Nerdfam for this gifted eARC

This book was absolutely excellent! And one of those fast paced, slow burn, wrap me up in some black velvet wings kinda book that I never wanted to end!

Ivy is a wraith who has the ability to disappear, but she is bound to a wretched king by a collar that he uses to force her to do his distasteful errands, while she plays the part of a happy lover. In truth she desperately seeks a way to freedom.

Thorn is the son of the God of death, and he has come to search for a relic. Though the 1st meeting between Ivy and Thorn didn’t go off so well, the second was much more interesting. Suddenly he shows up to meet with the king about a relic and now Ivy and Thorn are tasked together to find it.

This book is an adventure full of surprises, just when I thought it was going in one direction, suddenly it was headed off on a different path.there was some awesome side characters that were very well written. The story was left with a serious cliffy, in such a way that a second book could be written. I hope she does write a second book, because it would be a shame not to continue this fantastic story!

#thenerdfam

#heirofillusion

@thenerdfam

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The Fireman Protector by Kit O’Neal

I would like to thank the author for this gifted ARC.

This is a delightful story about a fireman who is a single father, and the owner of the local doggie cafe, who is a single mother. Each has an eight-year-old boy, and the boys are friends.

This story begins with a coffee mishap between Jamie and Joshua, and Joshua gets the short end of that stick. But the incident puts them on each other’s radar!

Then there is some push and pull between them. As if he really likes her but doesn’t know how to express it, and instead, he inadvertently pushes her away. And she does the same. They just can’t seem to get on the same page. Until a terrible tragedy happens, and Joshua decides he is done being afraid, gathers his courage, and tells her how he feels.

This is such a feel-good story that you just never want it to end! It kept me up till the early morning hours because I just couldn’t put it down. I am definitely looking forward to the next book that this author puts out because I really love her work!

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Dark Rebel’s Reckoning, book 93

I.T. Lucas's Children of the Gods series

This is the second book for Max and Kyra. It's nice to see their relationship growing and learning about Kyra's family. Also, watching her relationship with Jasmine bloom is great. However, it seems they just got home and are settling in, but are already getting ready for another mission.

The girls who came back with them are settling in pretty well but have many questions about their future. And with a little help from Max, Finella may even get to meet up with a long-lost acquaintance. This book has so much excitement to offer that I nearly read it all in one sitting. I can't wait for the next installment to come out!

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Usurper by J.M. Rose

I would like to thank the author for this gifted eARC.

This story was absolutely fantastic, and I would give it 10 stars if I could. It begins with a terribly tragic event as Dmitry, the crown prince, is being initiated as the future king by his father, the king, but it all goes terribly wrong when Dmitry bites his father because, well, they are vampires.

Of course, he is dragged off by the king's guard, whom Dmitry believed to be a mentor, while he is desperately trying to tell anyone who will listen that he wasn’t trying to kill his father. But the king’s guard, Yuri, is determined to make Dmitry into a villain who means the king harm. Yuri rushes Dmitry off to the dungeon for interrogation, where Dmitry’s father comes to tell him that he is no longer the crown prince and will be a servant; he is not to have contact with his siblings, and he is not to leave the palace grounds.

I love how this book shows how Dmitry grows and changes through his tragic fall from a privileged crown prince to a servant and how he copes with what that means. Not only had he been stripped of his titles, but now his brother has them.

He was sent away with only the clothes on his back. He had to make his own way among the people who served him only hours before, many of whom had known him since infancy. They gave him a room, shared meals with him, embraced him, and loved him.

And I ate up every chapter of this book! It was so hard to put this book down! I love that the author plans to write a series because this story cannot end.

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Ace of Betrayal by Jessica Jude

I would like to thank Jessica Jude for this gifted ARC.

This was a step away from the fantasy that I normally read, but, oh my, was it fantastic! So well-written, with characters you can sink your teeth into, and weekly poker night games with a side of revenge.

It all begins with a friend group that stays together through college and then one leaves without a word to any of the others, even her boyfriend.

Now, two years later, she has returned, and one of the friends she was trying to avoid sees her in the airport before she ever even gets settled in. And that friend, of course, can’t wait to tell the others!

The MFC Walker is a great character who initially is focused and determined to stay on course to get her research done, then get back to Cambridge, and finish her dissertation. But her friends have other plans for her, and they won’t take no for an answer! The romance between Walker and Heath is pretty spicy but doesn’t cross any hard lines. Probably 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️.

I felt like the revenge plot poker games were a unique idea, but what they planned for Walker was super immature considering it could impact her life long-term. Unlike the others that were annoying but temporary inconveniences. It was amazing to see the capacity they had to hurt others, though equally touching was their capacity to forgive. And a mighty cliff hanger makes me think there is more to come from this very talented author!

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Bound in Inked Fire by Ava Larksen. Thank you to the author for this gifted ARC. In a world where we only give 5 stars, this book shines brighter than any rating, deserving 20 stars on a scale from 1-5!!! This book is a masterpiece! With plenty of trigger warnings, be sure to check them out. From the beginning, Nelle and Graysen embark on a journey, forced into what Nelle thinks is a marriage contract, sealed with their own blood. Nelle is 7, Graysen is 13, and a blood bond is formed, giving them until she is 19 to be free. Then, he gets to visit once a week to get to know her before she becomes 20. Until then, Nelle is kept isolated on her father’s property, with interaction only with her family members and her dark magic that lives inside.

As they start visiting, neither is friendly, sharing little banter, until a weekend when her sister is having an engagement party, and Graysen sees it as an opportunity to watch and learn. Only, with all the events, Nelle keeps losing her temper, getting in trouble that he needs to bail her out of, and before they understand what’s happening, Nelle and Graysen are falling deeply in love! That is until one of his family members comes around and redirects him to focus on their purposes. Nelle and Graysen both have secrets that they are hiding from each other. Nelle is hiding her dark magic, which could get her and all of her family killed if discovered. Graysen is hiding his family’s plans for her and the truth of the document she signed. Of course, these secrets come out, some with good timing, some not so much.

I absolutely loved this book and am hoping for the author to write another because I just can’t see things going down the road they are headed. The characters were written so well that I feel like I know them! Congratulations to Ava Larksen on a book beautifully written by a most talented author! ✍️

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Timeborn by Sara Samuels Revamped edition

Thank you to the author for this gifted ARC.

First, I have to say that I am a huge fan of fantasy romance, but I don't read a lot of time travel-related books, save for Outlander, of course. So, I wasn't expecting this book to be so unbelievably fantastic! Once I started it, I just couldn't put it down. I found Olivia to be so relatable, even when she was irritatingly stubborn.

It begins in Olivia's young years when she is about 10 years old and witnesses her mother's murder in front of her family's antique shop. A significant event that she never gets past. Then, fast forward 14 years, she has been training to fight and in self-defense. And one day, her father springs the info on her that she was born under a special event that allows her to time travel/she is a Timeborn. While she takes off to let this sink in, her five-year boyfriend shows up with a gun and holds Daddy hostage. When she comes back, she learns of the boyftiend’s betrayal and his request for the dagger that appeared at her birth. She ends up cut by the dagger, a scripture is stated, and off into the past she goes.

She wakes up in the year 207 AD, and what a shock it is! She is captured by some soldiers who are not familiar with women who fight, and they present her to the Emperor, who gives her to one of his guards. She has to navigate this new world and build new relationships with people who live very differently than she is accustomed to. And it is quite the adventure!

This book was well-written and so very hard to put down. I am so excited to start the next book in this promising series by this very talented author!

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Monster of the Dagger Mountains by Meredith Heart. Thank you to the Nerdfam for this gifted ARC.

This was a fantastic read and a fast-moving narrative from the beginning, with a brief explanation of Kira's place at the tower, and then we jump right into the journey to the Dagger Mountains with the objective to retrieve the amulet from the godliller.

With Kira is a student of magic from the tower, and a group of mercenaries from the guild. Kira begins this journey believing she is part of the team, and that all the things she has been told by Fyrris, the exemplar, about her family history are true. But her whole world begins to change when she meets a stranger at the Golden Peaks Lodge. A meal, a bottle of wine, and a game of questions end with him slipping away the next morning before she even knew his name.

Watching the relationship grow between Kira and Reznyk was both touching and painful, as you see that Kira truly cares for Reznyk, but he can't let go of his suspicions and lack of trust enough to ask for her motives when she stumbles upon the hidden amulet, before he totally shuts down and sends her away in despair. But all is not lost, because even though Kira believes it is over, her love for him burns brightly. The tower thought they had Kira under their control. They thought Kira was weak and would bend to their will. They never saw Kira coming!

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The Forgotten Flame by Rea Alexandria presents a captivating narrative from the outset, replete with intrigue. The story begins in a small village where Kaelara, the daughter of a blacksmith, inadvertently awakens an ancient forge believed to be dormant, yet secretly harboring magic and awaiting the arrival of the Flamebearer to fulfill a prophecy.

This pivotal event sets in motion a chain of irreversible occurrences, as the king's Iron Guard descends upon the village the following day, intent on suppressing any magical practices or hiding anyone's magic, warning that those found guilty "will suffer for it." Kaelara's only choice is to run, leading the Iron Guard into a forest known for its haunting reputation, causing unease among the soldiers. However, Dain, the captain, has no fear and is determined to retrieve Kaelara.

Upon arriving at a clearing, Dain instructs his men to wait while he looks around, during which he stumbles upon an ancient, ruined forge. There, he discovers Kaelara, and as the forge awakens in response to her presence, he is faced with the realization that she possesses magical abilities, compelling him to make a choice.

This book proved to be a riveting, fast-paced read, despite considerable attention being devoted to Kaelara's journey of self-discovery, her acquisition of magical knowledge, and mastery of her powers. There is a detailed magic system and an extensive history of the Flamebearer, with comprehension unfolding progressively throughout the book. While the world-building is not extensive, it is sufficient to provide context. A subtle amount of romantic tension with occasional kissing scenes, though no real spicy scenes. Ultimately, this novel can be classified as fantasy adventure or epic fantasy, rather than romantic fantasy. The conclusion definitely leaves you wanting more, I am excited for the next book in this promising series

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Inked by Rachel Rener

When reading the description of this book, I was confident that it would be to my liking. However, I did not anticipate the extent of its entertainment value, humor, and captivating nature.

From the outset, this book proves to be a thrilling experience, much like a roller coaster ride.

Talia, the protagonist, is an average individual who seems to encounter every conceivable obstacle. Her misadventures commence when she exhausts her ink supply while working on a tattoo and seeks to borrow some from her boss, unaware that it possesses special properties. This becomes evident when the cobra tattoo on Roy's back side comes to life.

Talia, accompanied by her boss Zayn and the endearing familiar Biscuit, embarks on a journey to the fae realm to procure essential supplies, navigating numerous challenges along the way. Noteworthy is the characterization of Talia's Jewish mother, whose humor is particularly impressive.

This narrative was thoroughly delightful, and I am excited to start the next installment of this series from this talented author.

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Elemental Affections by Jamie Ryanne

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for thegifted eARC.

Elemental Affections is a captivating tale of Anadae, who has grown weary of her family obligations, arranged engagement, and prioritizing the happiness of others over her own. Consequently, she decides to leave it all behind, driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the world and prove to herself and others that she is capable of achieving her goals independently.

Anadae enrolls in a magical University program on scholarship and secures a position as a research assistant. However, she soon discovers that she will be working under the guidance of her former tutor and crush, who also happens to be a prince. During a masquerade party for new students, he adopts a glamour to alter the length and color of his hair, and Anadae is unaware of his true identity when they cross paths. Nevertheless, he is well aware of her presence and proves to be a welcome distraction when her ex appears.

Anadae and Ezzyn experience a somewhat rocky beginning, but they eventually find common ground in their research goals, which involve eliminating a contaminating poison from his homeland. As they work together, they unknowingly develop feelings for each other, despite claiming to have no expectations of one another. However, an unfortunate incident creates tension and complicated emotions between them.

I found this story to be exceptionally well-written. I appreciated Anadae's courage in leaving behind the familiar to pursue a life where she could make a meaningful contribution to a community in need. Furthermore, I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the research work they conducted and the specifics of how they utilized magic to separate the poison from the soil. The narrative was well-planned and thoughtfully executed.

#elementalaffections #thenerdfam

@thenerdfam

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Dark Princess Ascending, penned by I.T. Lucas, marks the 91st installment in The Children of the Gods series. The evolving relationship between Morelle and Brandon continues to unfold as they delve into Morelle's newly discovered abilities, while navigating the complexities of establishing trust. Meanwhile, Peter and Marina are preparing to tie the knot, but Peter's mother may potentially cast a shadow over Marina's special day. Although Catrina initially harbors reservations about her son's decision to marry, she begins to warm up to Marina after spending time with her. However, Catrina struggles to accept Marina's humanity. The clan embarks on a mission to gather intelligence on a crime/trafficking ring, with Drova tasked to observe and learn, yet she yearns to contribute meaningfully. Drova is eager to demonstrate her worth. This book proves to be an engaging read, replete with numerous plot developments and a captivating cliffhanger that leaves the reader eagerly anticipating the next installment