katvou's reviews
374 reviews

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

“The darkness will always come when you call. Cirque Obscurum’s doors will always be open to you should you wish for it.”
“Our fates are tied to the cards. We answer to them, and now, so do I.”
“Cirque Obscurum is no ordinary circus. This is where monsters come to play. Tell me your nightmares.”

I loved this book and devoured it in one sitting.

I loved the dynamic and relationship development between the FMC, Ember, and the four MMCs: Diamond, Spade, Heart, and Club. All of them had different but difficult backgrounds and their own demons that they had to fight. I loved how the MMCs helped Ember to overcome her traumas and become more powerful and confident.

The circus itself was really interesting, and I loved the mystical, magical elements and how the cards played a big role in the story.

The plot was intense from start to finish, and there weren’t any dull moments. The pacing was quite fast but never felt rushed, and there was also time to explain and explore things.

Overall, a great read, perfect for readers who enjoy dark romance with circus vibes and heavy themes.

Please check the trigger warnings before reading; your mental health matters.



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️

A Desolate Spring is the first book in the Isle of Aestus series.

The book follows Billie, who has the ability to see into other people's minds just by touching them, which leaves her scared to touch others and wanting to isolate.

I liked Billie as a main character. She was a multi-dimensional character with a difficult past. I enjoyed how well-developed and thought-out she was as a character. I also liked how she was able to learn more about her abilities and become more confident.

I liked the found family aspect and the friendships between the characters.

The pacing was slower around the beginning of the book with a lot of world-building, and I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story. However, after about 100 pages, the pace picked up, and I couldn’t put the book down.

The plot was interesting and had multiple layers. Towards the end, there were multiple plot twists I didn’t see coming.

I was a bit confused with the ending because there were so many questions left unanswered. Hopefully, those will be answered in the coming books. 

Overall a different & interesting read. I can’t wait to read more!



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

DNF after 66 pages (17%)

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I had a hard time getting into the story.

I found the FMC, Aileen, and her “friends” (girl, they are not your friends if they keep insulting you every chance they get) to be quite annoying.

How Aileen was turned into a vampire didn’t make any sense to me. And there was this weird waiting list for people who wanted to be turned? I’m just confused.

The blurb sounded interesting, but the book wasn’t for me.

I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️,5

“Welcome to the Great Bazaar. Let the show begin.”

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were some parts I liked, but at the same time, there were parts that I personally didn’t enjoy.

To be honest, the first 100 pages were a struggle to get through. The plot wasn’t moving forward, and there was basically nothing happening (other than some spice, but that didn’t move the plot anywhere). However, after that, the story got more interesting.

I would have loved to see more character and world-building. For example, a war was mentioned multiple times, but it was never explained. I also would have loved to learn more about Owen as a character—his past, his powers, etc. He seemed like an interesting character. As it stands, the characters unfortunately felt a bit shallow.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending and would have preferred a bigger event to conclude the story.

Overall, I think the story had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me.

I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️

“You know, it’s not very professional of you to keep threatening me with a good time.”
“Maybe if you wanted me to be quieter, you shouldn’t make me scream.”

Fast and easy-to-read sapphic fantasy romance with a brat/brat tamer relationship.

I enjoyed the banter and chemistry between the main characters, Tahlia and Delilah. I also liked how supportive they were of each other and how they helped each other with their traumatic pasts.

I liked the characters, but for some reason, I had a hard time getting into the story, especially with the pacing being quite slow at the beginning.

There were multiple spicy scenes, but the spice wasn’t the whole point of the plot.

Overall, it was a fun read with interesting characters.



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 / 🌶️

“Villains have stories too. They have families and friends and motivations, same as you girl. The only difference is the villain is willing to risk everything to get what they need. Even themselves.”
“From stardust we came, to stardust we remain.”

Pirate romantasy book filled with action and adventure.

I enjoyed the world-building and character introductions. Lillian seemed like an interesting FMC, she was resilient and feisty with a compelling backstory. I would have loved to learn more about her past.

I liked the found family aspect, the banter between the characters, and the dynamics & friendships among the crew members.

I felt that some elements could have been explained a bit more. For example, I would have preferred to learn more about the crew’s mission and what motivated them.

Additionally, I would have liked the pacing to be more consistent throughout the book. Some parts in the middle felt slower, while others, especially towards the end, seemed a bit rushed.

Overall an interesting and easy-to-read story with action, adventure, and pirates.



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️

“All I wanted was one night, one night to have fun and feel free.”
“Are you ready to show everyone why you’re my queen?”
“Ready to join the mile high club?”

Midnight Whispers is the third book in the Midnight Manor series. The book is a Cinderella retelling and focuses on the youngest Voss brother, Nero. 

I liked the relationship development and dynamic between Nero and Cinder. Their relationship started as a dancer and a stalker but ended up being so much more.

I liked Cinder's character development, how she gained more confidence throughout the book, and was able to chase her dreams.

Nero seemed like a really interesting character too, with his history of fixating on women and stalking them. Some little parts of him and his previous relationships were shown in the previous two books, but I would have loved to learn even more about him.

I loved seeing the characters from the previous two books being a part of the story too, and I can’t wait to read the fourth book in the series.

The pacing was a bit inconsistent at times; parts of the book were quite slow, but some things, especially towards the end, felt slightly rushed. But overall, it was a great, well-written continuation of the series.



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 / 🌶️

Tangled Power is the second book in the Compass Points series and picks up right where the first book ended.

The book continues to follow the characters from the first book and reveals interesting new information about their pasts. I enjoyed the relationship development between Luc and Rose. They are both interesting and complex characters. 

I also loved learning more about the other two compass points, Juliette and Carter. I enjoyed the friendship development between all the compass points. It was great to see how they were able to put their differences aside and work together as a team.

The book was easy to read, fast-paced, and action-packed from start to finish. 

I can’t wait to read what happens next!

I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ / 🌶️

“I’m no one’s property. I’m not yours to keep or give away.”
“When you come undone, I want you to be looking at me.”

Lost Heir is the second book in the Blood Weaver trilogy and picks up right where the previous book ends.

The story continues to follow Leila, Marcellus, Caelan, and Ronan, and there’s also some new characters. I again liked Leila as a main character; she’s strong and fierce and doesn’t need anyone to save her.
I also enjoyed Ronan as a character and liked seeing the friendship and possible relationship between him and Leila develop.

I wasn’t a fan of Caelan, and he got on my nerves a few times. The possible love triangle wasn’t my favorite trope, but in my opinion, it worked well for the plot.

The pacing was fast but didn’t feel rushed. The plot was interesting, with a lot of secrets, revelations, and drama, keeping me entertained and interested from start to finish.

I can’t wait to read what happens next!



I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️

“And what if I wanted to do more than just make your heart race?”

“I’m protecting you because you’re mine, do you understand?”

Fast paced & adventurous fantasy romance with interesting magic system. Good start to a series.

Leila seemed like an interesting character. She was fierce, strong, and protective. A little bit of her past was revealed throughout the story, and I hope that we learn more about her and her history in the following books.

I’m personally not a huge fan of love triangles, but I think it worked okay in this book, and I’m interested to see who Leila ends up with.

I enjoyed the friendship between Leila and Selene and would love to see more of them together.

The magic system seemed interesting, and I would like to learn more about it.

The pacing was fast and at times felt a bit rushed. Also, there was some repetition, like Leila being captured multiple times and a few scenes that came out of nowhere and didn’t really make a lot of sense to me.

An interesting start to a series. Can’t wait to read the next book!