Guest Review: Wicked Lovely (The Black Blade Chronicles #1) by J.K. Hogan

Darkness grows in the realm of Taleth. To the west, a power-hungry despot schemes to conquer kingdoms and territories alike by chasing an ancient elven prophecy that could give him the power to rule all. In the east, after a prince’s murder goes years unanswered, a princess learns there was much more to her brother’s death—and to her life—than she realized.

The House of Kjenelach is shaken to its foundation when Princess Sigrid is stolen away. Her faithful guardian, Sir Senne Clayward, reluctantly accepts help from his nemesis, a notorious halfling mercenary of questionable morals—but indispensable tracking skills—called Kasimir vas Hjardar.

Kasimir makes his living hunting monsters, both creatures and men. While he exists outside the law, he lives by his own unassailable code of honor. At the top of that list: never harm a child. When he turns down a contract to kidnap Sigrid and later finds out she was taken by someone else, he offers his help to the prickly knight tasked with protecting her.

Together, they embark upon a journey across the continent to save Sigrid and foil King Prosper’s plans to conquer Taleth. The way is fraught with dangers and pitfalls, from supernatural beasts to Senne’s deathly fear of magic, but they must not fail, for Sigrid may very well be the savior of the realm: the long prophesied Aisnellach Fuil. Somehow, the two men must set their differences aside and work together to rescue Sigrid, and possibly find love along the way.

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

Prophecies, magic, action and adventure with just a dash of romance? Count me in!

The prologue starts the book off with a bang. I was hooked right away. The plot is fairly action-packed and while there were no shocking turns, "Wicked Lovely" still proved to be an enjoyable page turner.

The setting is a bit generic. There's so many Fantasy books set in a world that's heavily inspired by the Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Some of the creatures we encounter seem to be vaguely influenced by Irish mythology. Kasimir is a halfling, which in itself isn't exactly innovative. But unlike all the other halflings I've encountered so far, he's not half human and half something else.

I'm usually not a huge fan of the enemies to lovers trope and this book certainly had a bit of that. It wasn't overdone, though, and since we got both Kasimir's and Senne's pov, I could relate to their actions and the animosity in the beginning. I didn't particularly care for the sex scenes, however. Since they were on the move a lot, hygiene wasn't exactly great. Not many baths for these two. And I'm sorry, but I just think rimming after a few days of hard riding and no bath to be found is just kind of gross.

Sigrid also gets her own pov, but not as often as the guys. From what there is, she seems a bit stereotypical. The wild princess who doesn't want to be a princess and doesn't behave like one at all. But she's only 15 and teenagers tend to rebel anyway.

The world building was good, but not great. I would have liked a bit more depth, but there are a lot of elements I really enjoyed.

Overall "Wicked Lovely" was a good read. Not amazing, but definitely enough to keep me interested in the series. I'm looking forward to part 2!

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Review: Dream Demon by Samantha Cayto

Sometimes nightmares turn into dreams come true.

Colby is new to the BDSM scene and longs for a Master to take control and show him the pleasure that can be found in pain. When he receives a Halloween invitation to play from a mysterious man, he takes the risk of delving into an unknown world.

Sebastian is a blood demon masquerading as a human Dom. Unlike others of his kind, he strives to fill his need ethically instead of preying on humans. He seeks consent to satisfy his urges and knows how to woo Colby with patience. The only thing he fears is whether or not his new sub will be able to accept him as he truly is.

Trusting Sebastian is easy, even as Colby’s dreams are plagued by an unknown shadow that attracts him as much as it scares him. Sebastian needs to build trust before revealing his true nature. He thinks he has all the time he wants, but he’s about to learn that even demons cannot control their fate.

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of blood, pain and wax play.

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

First of all: that reader advisory doesn't cover half the stuff going on here. Dream Demon has some heavy BDSM content, but it's all consensual. There's also some past physical abuse implied and a homophobic family environment.

Honestly, I didn't expect a deep, meaningful plot with amazing world building. What I did expect was some hot BDSM with a Fantasy elements mixed in. And that's what I got.

The sex and BDSM scenes were really hot. Again, not for the faint of heart, Colby and Sebastian aren't just playing around with some handcuffs. There was a lot of sex and BDSM and not much else. And sometimes, that's just what I want.

Sometimes the writing felt a little awkward. Colby constantly refers to Sebastian as "the Master". That just kind of threw me. Going with just "Master" or maybe later "my Master" would have felt much more natural. There were also some spelling/grammar mistake that hinted at sloppy editing, which is a real shame.

I do always expect at least some world building in a Fantasy book, but here we got none. The love story was a bit fast for me, but I didn't exactly want a truly heartwarming love story from this book, so I wasn't bothered too much.

Honestly, "Dream Demon" is a hot, quick read. Not much depth or even plot to be found and sometimes the writing was a bit off. Overall, I still enjoyed myself though. If you go into this with the right expectations, I do absolutely recommend it.

If there's a sequel with Sebastian's demon friend, I might just read that one as well.


I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Review: Phlous Reborn by Austin Miller

A CREATURE OF MYTH HAS BEEN REBORN IN THE MODERN WORLD. A LUCKY ACCIDENT, OR ARE THE FATES SERVING THE SCHEMES OF A VENGEFUL GOD?

Red inherits an unexpected destiny from his grandfather -- an ancient vial of Dionysian wine, which, when ingested, begins his transformation into the centaur, Pholus. Gifted with an incredible physique, a never-sated sexual hunger, and the ability to seduce anyone, Red’s new blessings change his world, until the price has to be paid.

For Pholus’ actions have awakened Heracles, the god that killed him, and Red soon finds himself in a very different reality, with real life-and-death consequences for his friends and lover! Will Pholus save them, or will he shoot himself in the foot as he has so many times in the past?

Mixing erotica, humor, mystery, action, and unexpected thrills and chills, PHOLUS REBORN is an adventure novel set against a mythological backdrop that challenges the concepts of identity and self-perception.

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

Okay, so "Pholus Reborn" was essentially 300 pages of porn, with a splash of Greek mythology to make for more interesting sex scenes.

There's nothing wrong with porn. Everybody likes to read a bit of porn now and then. But 300 pages of porn with nothing much else going on was just too much. It didn't help that many of the sex scenes didn't really work for me.

I didn't particularly care for Red. He's an aimless pothead who just kind of drifts through the plot and lets himself be steered by everybody around him. He doesn't seem to do much of anything, other than smoke weed and have sex. And sometimes he gets drunk.

Some of the sex scenes actively made me uncomfortable. The centaurs can seduce anybody with their pheromones, their victims are completely helpless. Most of the time the sexual partners were already willing in the first place, but there were a couple of occasion where the consent was rather dubious. What really bothered me here was not the fact that the dubcon was in there, it was the way it was written. Red and his friends didn't even bat an eye at it and it was never addressed as such. It was just normal, they're hot, so everybody must be glad to be allowed to have sex with them.

The rest of the sex was fairly repetitive. It was all about the huge cocks and the incredibly hot bodies. No connection at all, not even between the few couples that eventually started to evolve.

The one thing I found kind of interesting was the mythology part. But there was no subtle integration into the plot, it was just a huge info dump at the beginning of a chapter. We get what seemed like a Wikipedia article on the topic of the upcoming chapter and that's just no fun to read.

So, you know, if you're in the mood for a lot of porn with guys that are hung like horses and mostly love themselves, go for it. Just don't expect any sort of real plot or romance.

A copy provided for an honest review.

Guest Review: Foxfire in the Snow (The Alchemical Duology #1) by J.S. Fields

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the queen’s alchemist is just within reach. But on the day of the fair, Sorin’s mother goes missing, along with the Queen and hundreds of guild masters, forcing Sorin into a woodcutting inheritance they never wanted.

With guild legacy at stake, Sorin puts apprentice dreams on hold to embark on a journey with the royal daughter to find their mothers and stop the hemorrhaging of guild masters. Princess Magda, an estranged childhood friend, tests Sorin’s patience—and boundaries. But it’s not just a princess that stands between Sorin and their goals. To save the country of Sorpsi, Sorin must define their place between magic and alchemy or risk losing Sorpsi to rising industrialization and a dark magic that will destroy Sorin’s chance to choose their own future.

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

Before we begin, a little TW: Sorin struggles with a lot of dysphoria and there's quite a bit of misgendering going on, so if that's something that bothers you, beware. Nobody's openly hostile or anything, people around them just don't get it, simply put.

In the book, Sorin doesn't use any pronouns at all, but to make things easier for reviewing purposes, I'll just go with they/them. Interestingly enough, I didn't even realize this lack of pronouns until I tried talking about the book. So it worked really well and didn't feel forced at all.

Foxfire in the Snow is actually the second book by this author I've read and just like "Ardulum: First Don", it didn't quite work for me.

Sorin's struggle with their gender identity was really well done and even as a cis woman, I was able to relate. It's essential to the story and I really enjoyed that part. The romance was also well done and fit perfectly with Sorin's troubles.

What didn't quite work for me was the Fantasy part. I really missed depth in world building. Ther was no clear explanation how witches work, if that's something everybody can learn or something that can only be inherited. Sorin hates witches, but I'd still expect some basic knowledge about them.

Magda was always eager to point that she's not a princess, but the royal heir, but there was no explanation as to what the difference is. I was also wondering how marriage and heirs would be handled. Magda is openly lesbian and with her mother gone missing, I would have expected some information on that. Would Magda be expected to enter a political marriage with a man to get biological heirs or can she just adopt an heir of her choosing? There was also zero mention of her father, which was a bit odd.

So, if you're looking for the story of a non-binary person finding their way in life, with a bit of fantasy mixed in, this is the book for you. For me, there just wasn't enough fantasy, so I won't bother with part 2 either.

A copy provided for an honest review.

Guest Review: Far Patrol by Alex Powell

Will war tear their family and their country apart? 

Ignius Lockden and their companion Kathely are ready for adventure. Joining Far Patrol was only going to be the beginning—they were right, but in all the wrong ways. Suddenly, there’s a war on the horizon and the two of them are stuck in the middle. Ignius wants to do what’s right, but it isn’t easy to tell what actions will lead to the correct ending. How is one young dragon supposed to change the course of history?

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

When I read the blurb of "Far Patrol", I got really excited. A non-binary, asexual dragon fantasy adventure? That's bound to be awesome! Sadly, the book couldn't live up to my high hopes.

First of all: This is not an adventure at all and Far Patrol doesn't play a very important role. The actual story is about a society in upheaval, possibly facing civil war, and the experience of two young, privileged people. Still sounds interesting and different, but again, the execution just didn't really work. Somehow, it all just really dragged. I didn't feel any connection to any of the characters, nor did I ever feel excited about what was going on. The many, many names didn't help things either. At times, I was really confused who was a dragon and who a human and what their relationship with Ignius was.

Dragons are a non-binary species and in theory it totally made sense. Why should a lizard-like Fantasy animal adhere to the way most mammals reproduce? But once more, the execution was lacking. It all felt forced. Why name your non-binary dragons Jack and Mary and call them mother and father? On that note, I would have liked to learn more about how the dragons reproduce. They hatch from eggs, but that's it. There's even a completely fade-to-black sex scene that told us exactly nothing.

I didn't like the extremely negative way that Ignius' asexuality was portrayed. They have very negative feelings about their lack of sexual and romantic interest and the supporting characters aren't exactly helping either. I just wished for someone to actually tell them it's okay to not want sex. Instead, there's this constant negativity and nobody ever just accepts that Ignius isn't interested in sex and romantic relationships. It's fine if your MC isn't feeling great about their sexual orientation, but at least give me one supportive person. And that courtship thing was just a complete disaster. I hated the way Ignius handled the whole thing.

The humans felt rather decorative and didn't really get their own personality. I didn't really feel the close bond between Ignius and Kathely either. Ignius was just constantly in their own head and didn't seem to care that much about anybody else.

Long story short: Great idea, but very disappointing execution. No adventure and excitement to be found anywhere. A real shame.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Review: The Prince and the Ice King (Gemstone Kingdoms #1) by Amanda Meuwissen

Every Winter Solstice, the Emerald Kingdom sends the dreaded Ice King a sacrifice—a corrupt soul, a criminal, a deviant, or someone touched by magic. Prince Reardon has always loathed this tradition, partly because he dreams of love with another man instead of a future queen.

Then Reardon’s best friend is discovered as a witch and sent to the Frozen Kingdom as tribute.

Reardon sets out to rescue him, willing to battle and kill the Ice King if that’s what it takes. But nothing could prepare him for what he finds in the Frozen Kingdom—a cursed land filled with magic… and a camaraderie Reardon has never known. Over this strange, warm community presides the enigmatic Ice King himself, a man his subjects call Jack. A man with skin made of ice, whose very touch can stop a beating heart.

A man Reardon finds himself inexplicably drawn to.

Jack doesn’t trust Reardon. But when Reardon begins spending long days with him, vowing to prove himself and break the curse, Jack begins to hope. Can love and forgiveness melt the ice around Jack’s heart?

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

There's two types of books that get a low rating from me: books that are just plain bad and books that just aren't for me. The Prince and the Ice King definitely belongs to the latter category. I can see its appeal and it wasn't badly written, but it had a lot of elements that I personally just don't care for.

The whole story is obviously inspired by Beauty and the Beast and while I usually love fairy tale retellings, that's one of the only fairy tales I don't like.

Reardon is your stereotypical naive, innocent virgin. He's a crown prince set to take over the kingdom in a few years. Yet he's incredibly trusting and believes pretty much everything he's told.

Jack is your stereotypical "beast". Brooding and callous with a frightening exterior, yet deeply troubled and so very full of guilt and shame. He pushes everybody away and doesn't trust strangers.

The love story fits the "opposites attract" trope. Not one of my favourites and it all felt a little insta-love to me. Okay, it does take a few weeks for the relationship to really start, but the attraction is immediate. And then they're are all in for a HEA for the rest of eternity. It lacked development, there was no slow getting to know each other, it just instantly went from 0 to 100.

There wasn't much plot to speak of outside of the love story. Sure, there's a quest to find out the truth about the death of Reardon's mother and toward the end there's betrayal and an epic battle, but the main focus was very clearly the romance. I was actually a little bored at times.

I would have liked a little more world building as well. Just how does magic work? Is it hereditary? Is there just random ambient magic and some people have it and some don't?

The ending was picture book perfect, everybody involved found their HEA, every side character gets their love interest and everything is perfect. There's one villain and he's purely evil, with no redeeming factors whatsoever. Again, not my cup of tea.

Long story short: If you're into "Beauty and the Beast" and want romance over Fantasy, then give it a shot. If you want a good Fantasy story with some romance and plenty of action, then don't bother. Like I said above, "The Prince and the Ice King" isn't badly written or anything, it just wasn't for me.

After the main story ended, there was a short preview for book two, which is set in a different kingdom with different protagonists. And while I didn't much care for "The Prince and the Ice King", I'm actually tempted to give the second part a try. I've read other books by Meuwissen and actually quite liked them. The next part seems to have more actual magic in it and an interesting setting.

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Review: The Demon's in the Details by Meghan Maslow

Can a sexy demon really spin straw into gold?

Poe Dupin, raven shifter and thief extraordinaire, is in trouble with a capital ‘T.’ Not only did he get his wing caught in the cookie jar during his latest heist, but his loser stepdad, the alpha, seems determined to run their roost into the ground. And Baltimore is many things, but forgiving is not on the list.

When his stepdad puts the roost in peril, Poe sees no choice but to bargain with Charm City’s only demon, Tommy Tittoti. Rumors are that Tommy eats the souls of those foolish enough to try. Three strikes and you’re out. But really, Poe wasn’t using his soul anyway. And if it saves his roost? Worth it.

Tommy isn’t what Poe expects. Demon—huge, horned, hairy, and scary, right? Nope. Blond, gorgeous, with a bubble butt, and a lilting drawl that beckons Poe to come play. Total hookup-app fantasy material. Even if he is a murder twink.

Poe’s no angel, but Tommy . . . well he’s more devil than demon. Yet, Poe just can’t seem to keep his feathers out of the fire. As one bargain turns into two, and then a third tragedy strikes the ravens, Poe finds himself falling for a guy who may very literally be the death of him. Or maybe the flames will burn them both.

The Demon’s in the Details is a fast-paced, roller coaster of a romance with a guaranteed HEA and lots of steam. Shenanigans include: a gold object that is definitely not a ring, a best friend who’s trigger-happy, and a demon who’s got a few surprises up his, uh, sleeve.

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

I was really looking forward to The Demon's in the Details and it sure didn't disappoint.

I've read and enjoyed Meghan Maslow's "Starfig Investigations" series and this book has a similar feel to it. It was fun, hot and hard to put down.

Poe and Tommy are both very likable. I loved how Poe was willing to do everything for his roost. And Tommy was great too. I mean, who doesn't like a bossy murder twink? They could have done with a bit more in-depth character development, though. They felt a tiny bit shallow at times.

The sex scenes were scorching hot. I really loved the relationship dynamic.

I love a good shifter story, especially if it has unusual shifters. Raven shifters definitely count as unusual for me, this was my first book with them. There was also a minor character that shifted into a housecat, which was great for a cat person like me. Sadly, Poe spent the vast majority of the book in human form, which was a bit disappointing.

The world building was interesting, though it too could have used more depth. There are a lot of different Fantasy elements here, so the author clearly put some serious thought into this version of Baltimore.

I really hope this will become a series. Maslow once again came up with a very unique set of characters in a very unique universe and I'd love to read more.

"The Demon's in the Details" was a fun, wild ride with lots of hot sex and a super fast read. A little more depth would have elevated this book from "really good" to "great", but other than that, I have no complaints.

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Review: Rare Vigilance (Whitethorn Agency #1) by M.A. Grant

Everything has a price. Especially the truth.

From the author of Prince of Air and Darkness comes the first in a thrilling new paranormal series.

Former marine Atlas Kinkaid knows not to ask questions about the clients he protects at the behest of the elite Whitethorn security agency. Just like he doesn’t like anyone asking about his scars—scars left by a mysterious attack that haunts his every waking moment.

Consumed by the need to find out what happened to him, Atlas takes a job providing security to Cristian Slava, the indolent—and gorgeous—son of a notorious businessman. Cristian seems to be just another entitled client, but when nights at the club turn into secret meetings and people start going missing, Atlas realizes there’s more to Cristian—and to protecting him—than meets the eye.

But the same people who are after Cristian have something Atlas desperately craves: they know exactly what happened the fateful night he was attacked—and are willing to tell him everything…

For a price.

Reviewer: Free Dreamer

Now, neither the blurb, nor the cover give any hint that "Rare Vigilance" actually has vampires in it. I read a few reviews before starting the book, so I was prepared. We also have a traumatized MC suffering from PTSD and there's some violence going on, so beware.

I really enjoyed this book. The romance is very slow, just how I like it. For the most part there's just a vibe between the two, but nothing happens. They don't even talk about it for the most part. But still, you can feel the tension rising and when they eventually do act on it, it was totally worth the wait.

With the romance being so slow, there's plenty of other plot left. And that sure isn't slow. It's fast-paced action with some mystery elements. Like I said above, it does get violent, but it fit the story and wasn't over the top.

Cristian at first comes off as a typical rich brat, shallow and carefree and a bit of a jerk. But as the story progresses, his true character is slowly revealed and he becomes quite likeable.

Atlas was a bit stereotypical. Ex-military left with PTSD and scars hiding under a prickly exterior. But he does have his unique quirks and I liked him from the beginning.

The vampire part took a while to develop, just not as long as the romance. It could have done with a bit more worldbuilding, but seeing how much Atlas hates vampires at first, it makes sense he doesn't care all that much about their history and origins. And this is only part one of a new series, so I'm hoping for more details in the future books.

So, overall, "Rare Vigilance" was a really enjoyable, fast-paced paranormal action with a dash of romance. It's on the darker side and a bit violent and I'm very much looking forward to part two.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.