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corvinascloud's reviews
874 reviews
Corrupted Heart by Jagger Cole
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this was very reminiscent of my favorite stories from the dark hearts series, just not as original. like i keep saying, these books all sound the same; the fmc's inner monologue consisted of the same exact thoughts over and over again (that she needs psychiatric help because of her sexual tastes, which is nothing new, i've read that in every book by this man), the first 3 sex scenes were the exact same, from the location to the act itself, every single thing about it. the plot was a combination of others the author has written before, and i guessed correctly the twists and the ending. the novelty has worn off. the only reason why i enjoyed this book so much was kratos, and even that it's because he's another variation of gavan, which is my baby. the only distinctive characteristic of his was how he hides himself and wears a good boy mask around his family and friends, which was a nice touch.
Poisonous Kiss by Jagger Cole
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
technically, i did finish this book, i just didn’t read it in its entirety because around chapter 8/10 i just started to skim and only paid attention to the dialogue. still, from what little i read at the start i still managed to figure out the entire plot of the book. why? because just like what happens with rina kent’s books, jagger cole writes the same thing over and over again. his characters and stories all blend into one. always the same variation of the same plots, same twists, same traumas. which is worse is that for some reason the trauma depicted is always, without a fault in the almost ten of his books i’ve read, sexual assault or csa. and out of all of those, only in one book it wasn’t the fmc that had been assaulted which rubs me the wrong way. like, at what point does it start being somewhat questionable this almost need to portray women being violated? the only reason i even “completed” this was because the next book is finally about a character that should’ve had his own book in his families series (which this one is a spin-off of), but the author wanted to squeeze everything out of his readers, understandably so to some degree. however, if he does the same thing with taylor and doesn’t give her a book now just to use her as a ploy for a new series, my ocd be damned because i won’t be picking it up.
Mr. Wicked by Marni Mann
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
for almost 70% of the book this man baby got on my last damn nerve; having mommy issues is no excuse to be disrespectful, dismissive and inconsiderate. he could have no ability whatsoever to fall in love, he could even mask his feelings in any way that felt safe for him, but the amount of unnecessary hurt he caused was beyond ridiculous. just go to therapy. yes, the fmc was naïve and let him get away with everything, she was delusional and should have set boundaries after the first time he walked all over her, but she was barely an adult, the age gap and mentality between them very noticeable. but then that plot twist changed my perspective of him, of them. and i really enjoyed the ending.
Mr. Hook-up by Marni Mann
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i love a good pen-pals romance, in any variation, like it was in this case with the anonymous dating app. i also love a good second chance so it was a win-win, no matter how hard i took the ghosting plot line. anything to make possible that moment when they realize that the person that they’re falling far is so familiar because they’ve loved them all along and the angst from supposedly liking two people at the same time gives place to a confession.
The Rebel by Marni Mann
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i'll admit that when i started reading this book i was a little confused because it felt like it was going to be the same tropes and conflict as the previous one, but the one eighty this took was very unpredictable. the feuding families were so believable, truly, that felt like some romeo and juliet star crossed lovers i was not expecting at all. but my favorite part about this story was how the fmc was the one who pursued and fought for the relationship, that groveled, it was refreshing.
The Playboy by Marni Mann
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
another marni mann series, another band of brothers with different dynamics between old characters and new. she does it like no other, this continuos timeline combining together both families and groups of friends, but it always feels fresh. yes, all these books follow the same formula but they're never repetitive. yes, i know what to expect from her - delicious banter, scorching tension - and it never fails to bring a smile to my face the entire time i read. i especially liked this one because jo is probably my favorite fmc of hers, and she had a big role in this book; all the parallels to her own story made it all the more special.
Pulse by Adriana Locke
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
adriana locke never fails me; every now and then, when i need a pallet cleanser from dark romance and am feeling particularly depressed i pick up her books, and they never once have not brought me joy. the fact that this book, this series really, started off with the one and only lincoln landry, my all-time favorite character of hers, just made it all the more comforting. i missed him and the landry family, so this spin-off is like coming home.
The Souls We Claim by S. Cole
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
will this series ever stop surprising me? another installment with a completely different dynamic from anything i've ever read in a mc romance. it wasn't even a surprise pregnancy, rather the mmc took guardianship of his baby half-sister when his father and the mother of the child were murdered by his other half-brother and then the sister of said mother entered the picture. it sounds like a recipe for disaster but it just made sense for both characters, it was right. they both needed that "wake-up" call for different reasons. and when they came together for the kid and each other, the change in both their lives was beautiful. and like every single time, the way the club not only welcomed but embraced the fmc, the way she fit in seamlessly like she always belonged there even though her sister didn't have the best history with the brothers really spoke volumes.
Reclaiming You by A.E. Nalle
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“when you’re the other half of my soul. my heart only beats because you allow it,”
i don’t know what it says about me, but i need mc romances to emotionally destroy me. and this book surely did. there were different layers of darkness to this story, different sides of trauma. this wasn’t just charged with sexual tension, there was an added depth to the unsettling atmosphere that made the book even more captivating, haunting even. yes, there was the element of found family that distinguishes motorcycle club romances, but even between the different dynamics there was this underlying current of something sinister in the best way possible; this animosity between two brothers, albeit one sided that spoke to so much potential (of both their backstories and future); the foreshadowing of internal conflict within the ranks because of a brother’s best friend pairing. i thoroughly enjoyed how each member already had something of their own aside from the established role in the club, that they’re personalities were so strong from the get-go without having to wait for their respective book to get a glimpse of who they are. but nothing could have shadowed the two main characters, no matter how well-crafted every single detail about everything else was. the second chance love was simply perfection, i loved how the fmc was the one to end things the first time around and her reasoning behind it (hidden identity is a favorite trope of mine, and when the girl is the secretive one it makes it all the better), i loved even more that she groveled in a way that not only made sense for her character individually but the space she took over in the mmc’s life, specifically the club, since she had already been a part of it in the past. i especially appreciated how the brothers didn’t shy away from being protective over their boy and how the male lead was unapologetic about his heartbreak. there was nothing i didn’t like. and that ending? the tease of a mc x mafia crossover? that’s my love language the author was speaking.