hookedbythatbook's reviews
3131 reviews

The Evil is spreading on Skye and our beloved Druids are barely staying ahead in this thrilling magical fight for survival. 

First of all, you, the reader, need to realize that this is book five in the Skye Druids series, which is one of many interconnected series, all part of Donna Grant’s Dark World. If you’re up to it, I’d say read it all, it’s well worth it. You can also start each series on its own, as long as you start that series at the beginning. Each book builds on the previous one. 

Now, Still of the Night focused on Ariah and Killian, who loved and subsequently lost each other in a series of unfortunate decisions. Something nudged Killian to return to Skye and to Ariah. The two of them were so sweet and hot and I loved that their reunion wasn’t drawn out. Any feelings of resentment were no match for the Evil that had been insinuating itself on the island and keeping the Druids on their toes. At some point, I was wondering when we would witness Ariah’s magic, and the story did not disappoint. Once Ariah decided to commit, nothing could bump her off course. 

The writing drew me in and soon I was immersed in the characters and the events. As usual, we are left with a sliver of hope, some resolution, and a boatload of unsolved mysteries. Clearly, I’m in this for the long haul. Ms. Grant, as long as you keep writing these books, I will read them. I may not like all of them equally, but I am invested. 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Roman has always been an interesting character ever since we first met him in the Kate Daniels series. It was fascinating to learn more about him personally, his powers, and his relationship to Chernobog. I loved his grumpy attitude that hid a very soft heart. The world created here of these gods and their servants were very well done and engaging. We were entertained with all kinds of new and spellbinding magic as well. I was hooked right from the start. It's not necessary to have read the Kate Daniels series first, you can jump into this one directly. 

Clearly Amelia was in desperate need of some kind of adventure to break the monotony of her life. She just went along with everything that Leopold said, not even a token resistance to be had. I suppose that just illustrated how well entrenched she was in society's expectations of her. Leopold had crushed on her for quite a while now and he was very solicitous towards her during the entire ordeal, despite his rough looks, upbringing, and current occupation. The majority of the story was the two of them interacting at his estate, with Leopold in contact with his friends to get updates on their case, and Amelia trying to figure out what she wants.

Overall, I liked this story just fine, I just wasn't that invested in them as a couple. The investigation into the duke was intriguing. This book is part of a series, but stands well on its own. I haven't read any of the previous books and this didn't bother me at all. 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Twist is a thrilling chase to find Silver’s tormentor before he can do more damage. 

I liked the addition of Logan to Silver’s life. Adam, Justus, and Simon met her at a low point and were instrumental in getting her back on her feet. The relationship between Silver and these three men were complicated and not always easily definable, whereas Logan viewed her very differently. 

Logan was super intense, volatile, and sometimes scary. He was possessive and protective about Silver, and it was a bit much at times. In fact, they were all hot-headed. They were very quick to “fight first, ask questions later”. 

The action was fast-paced, nail-biting, and very tense. This is a brutal world that doesn’t shy away from violence. Silver found herself in several vulnerable situations. She managed to retain plenty of her humanity while embracing her new identity. 

This book gave us more details about Mages and the Breed in general and I liked it more than the first one, which often happens with series like this. I can recommend this series if you like urban fantasy with magic and magical creatures. It is best to read them in order. 

 

Another excellent addition to this series that just further underscored the absolute evilness of Shoshanna Scott. It was truly mindboggling the lengths this woman went to to manipulate Auden. Remi and Auden didn't have the same explosive, immediate chemistry like some of the other couples, but I loved Remi's devotion and his determination to protect Auden's unborn child. It was also great to see this series expand to include even more groups of shifters and I also enjoyed the parts where they were working to fix the PsyNet. I think it's best to read these books in order, as there are story arcs that develop over several books.

The excellent world-building from the first book is expanded here, with exhilarating action and well-developed characters. 

I liked Rowan and Evee, as individuals and as a couple. Both had integrity in spades and a yearning to make up for past mistakes. They were very competitive, and neither wanted to cede the upper hand, but they had each other’s backs when it mattered most. 

The author made full use of the characters’ magical and physical abilities, which I always appreciate. As much as Rowan started this rescue mission on his own, he called in reinforcements when necessary, and it was fabulous seeing them all work together. Their familiars were so impudent and amusing. 

This book was quite harsh at times with more than one scene alluding to sexual assault and degradation. I’d say that it added gravitas to the bleak situation of the victims and the cruelty of their captors, but it was difficult to read. 

I can highly recommend this series if you like magic, suspense, and steamy romance. You don’t have to read them in order, but the first book does an excellent job of setting up this world and is well worth reading first. 

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 Human fragility and second-guessing get a firm boost of confidence in this bit of flirtatious, spirited fun.

Blake was maybe just the tiniest smidge immature, but he was also charming and endearing and there’s no way to not like this happy, hunky man. Exactly what Jess needed to bring balance to her anxiety and insecurities. But Blake’s happy-go-lucky surface was hiding plenty of pain and Jess was just the right person to give him a new outlook on life.

I am just such a sucker for this playful writing style, with the sexually charged banter, sneakily incorporating amazing character development. It is the kind of book that will have you glued to the pages until the very end and leave you wishing there was more.

This is a re-issue with a shiny new cover. I can highly recommend this series and the related series, Him, if you like a bit of snarky back-and-forth with your steamy romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Another excellent blend of myth, legend, suspense, and pure fantasy. I always love it when it's Mercy and Adam against the world, with the help of the pack and Mercy's odd collection of allies, of course. There were a lot of mythical elements in this story that didn't always make sense, but that didn't stop me from being engrossed in this tale of fate. I also liked that the story was told from various different viewpoints. It is definitely best to read the books in order.

 I liked that the author presented the racial diversity as just the way things are, without needing any explanations for how a person of colour came to be in the position they're in, considering the time period. This is just the way this world works. All the teenage angst and drama made this a very entertaining read. I also liked that Keston was the same age as Ela and not a lot older as you would usually find in historical romances. It did feel like they were a bit young for this level of intrigue and manipulation, but maybe that's just me. Keston was cowed by his father at 16, but suddenly at 19 he was strong enough to stand up to him? That's not a lot of time to mature that much, especially if you consider that these kids grew up fairly sheltered and spoilt, even if it was without a lot of unconditional love. But I'll quit my nitpicking now, and despite these reservations, I enjoyed the romance, the obvious attraction between Kes and Ela, and all the Machiavellian scheming. 

Emily Henry certainly has a knack for stories that are emotional and spellbinding. I loved how the chapter headings reflected Daphne's feelings at the time. Miles and Daphne slowly became friends first and then more, and it was so easy to be absorbed into their developing relationship. Daphne's growing friendship with Ashleigh was also front and center and I loved how that was the catalyst for Daphne to grow some wings and expand her circle on her own. There were some parts that was a bit slow and it was difficult to see what it contributed to the story, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book.