caroline peckham

Book Review: Wild Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary #4)

Rating: 4 stars

Freedom never tasted so bitter.

A stolen love. A strangled curse. A heart of sin. And a fate touched in moonlight.

My men weave a tangled web around my soul, and I’ve formed a pack that will go to death and back for me.

The moon hangs low over my heart as the call of the endless sky draws me closer and I find myself lost in the abyss that was waiting for me out here.

Fate has left a bitter taste on my tongue, the haunting echoes of the past mocking me at every turn. But I’m not a pup anymore. And I won’t let another ten years pass without mending the rift in my heart.

Darkness draws near enough to devour me but I have forged a pack of wild creatures at my back and I won’t be pulled into the grip of despair.

I’ll find the stars in this endless night and force them to hear me howl.

I am Rosalie Oscura and I will claim my happy ending, even if I have to claw it from the hands of destiny itself.

This is the final installment in the Darkmore Penitentiary series.

This series is set in the world of Solaria five years after Zodiac Academy and ten years after Dark Fae and book one was previously published as Darkmore Penitentiary. There is some character crossover but all series can be read independent of each other without spoilers. The female lead will end up with more than one love interest.

I reread the previous books in this series before I read this last book, Wild Wolf since it had been a while since I had picked up the Darkmore Penitentiary series. And I’m glad I did as this book does a wonderful job of bringing you back into the world of its characters and the story told within its pages. Like with its predecessors, this book didn’t disappoint as it was a good way to end this series that I had come to enjoy.

What I enjoyed about reading Wild Wolf is that there was quite a bit of character development between all of the guys Rosalie cared about. I felt like they were all starting to get along once they were out of the prison, like they finally understood why Rosalie cared about each of them. I felt like I saw this through all of the guys working together to help Roary with what he was going through and then once again when they all fought together against the main antagonists. I especially enjoyed seeing Cain and Roary develop a good relationship with each other as the book went on because I wasn’t expecting it, so it was nice to see. I also enjoyed the connection between Sin Wilder and some of the characters from Zodiac Academy as it was a twist in his character that I wasn’t expecting but was happy to see as I felt like Sin deserved to find out where he came from and I’m glad that was included here.

I also enjoyed seeing the connection between Cain’s past and Zodiac Academy concerning the main antagonists involved. It made me feel like with this last book in the series, the authors were connecting all of these series together that are set in Solaria, and I enjoyed it immensely. I will say though that I was disappointed in how easily the antagonists are defeated here because I was expecting more of a fight than what ends up happening. But I am glad with how things turn out in this book.

What I also enjoyed with Wild Wolf was the story itself. I was curious to find out what would happen once they got out of prison and this book didn’t disappoint. Yes, what happens to Roary is terrible and I wish it didn’t have to happen after everything he had already been through in these books. But at the same time, I’m glad it did because it brought all of the characters together when I wasn’t sure how that was going to happen. I also felt like there were a lot of good moments in this book with these characters that made this book even more enjoyable for me to read and I was glad that I decided to finish reading this series.

If I had to choose anything with regards to Wild Wolf that I didn’t particularly enjoy it would have to be with how Hastings’ character is portrayed. I initially liked his character in this series but didn’t like that his character was in this book to provide comedic relief. Especially because I felt like his chapters weren’t necessary as they didn’t add anything to the plot of the story. I felt like he was just in this book as a distraction from what was going on and I feel like nothing he did help Rosalie and the rest of the characters. If anything, I feel bad for him in this series because he gets used by Rosalie while she’s in the prison and then once he leaves the prison, he is used again as a way to distract from what Rosalie and the rest of the characters are going through. Don’t get me wrong, I overall like his character. Just not the way he ends up portrayed in this book like he’s weak and can’t handle doing things on his own.

What I also didn’t enjoy with this book is what Roary goes through as I feel like saving him and helping him get what he’s lost takes over as the main plot of this book. Yes, I enjoyed it because his struggle here results in deeper character development for Cain, Sin, and Ethan. But at the same time, the focus ends up being on saving him with what’s going on versus stopping the antagonists from doing what they did to him to others. And I feel like it doesn’t end up mattering anyway because while he gets what he lost back, he also has something else that none of the other characters in this world have and I feel like it’s never explained what this truly means.

But as a whole, I enjoyed reading Wild Wolf. It was a good last book for this series, and it was nice to see all of the characters working together and to see them all get the happy ending they truly deserve.

March 16, 2025 0

Book Review: Age of Vampires Series (Books 5-7)

After I enjoyed reading the first four books in the Age of Vampires series, I knew I wanted to continue reading this series to see what would happen next with these characters and their story. I also knew I wanted to write about them here on my blog like I did with the first four books as I’ve found I enjoy writing reviews on a series this way. So to get started with the last books in this series, let me share my thoughts with you about Forsaken Relic.

Forsaken Relic (Age of Vampires #5)

Rating: 4.5 stars

The curse will destroy us all.

I’m changed beyond return, my life torn apart by the god who forced this fate upon me. Now I’m a creature of ruin and bloodshed, but the price I’ve paid comes with the sweetest of gifts.

The prince who claimed my heart has seized me once again, but this time, I’m on equal ground. I’m strong enough to fight at his side and face the wrath of our enemies, but some dark plot is brewing in the city, and I fear what’s coming.

Because it feels like an unforgiving storm.

My sister is lost, and I don’t know if we will ever be whole again. Will she love me as she once had, or will her newfound hunger be the death of us?

Though I’ve reclaimed my freedom, the taste of it is bittersweet. Because without my twin, nothing feels right.

And even though I can finally claim the man my soul aches for, I’m afraid of the darkness seeping into my life.

The threat of gods and monsters is mounting upon us by the hour, and time is running out to save us all.

***This is a dark, fantasy romance series by the authors of Zodiac Academy with all the enemies to lovers vibes – don’t go expecting a sweet vampire with sparkling skin and a tendency to watch you sleeping. These vampires are savage and bloodthirsty, and the slayer who hunts them will stab first and ask questions later. This war-torn fantasy world is a brutal bi*ch and only those 18+ have a chance at surviving the darkness lurking between these pages. There’s no well-meaning vampires snacking on Bambies instead of babies, and if they get their teeth into you, you’ll be damn lucky to escape with your life and panties intact. So grab hold of your slayer blade (wooden stakes have too many splinters) and get ready to defy the gods, because this is going to be one helluva ride***

With the way Wrathful Mortals ended, I had a feeling this book was going to be a page-turner for me. And I was right as this book didn’t disappoint. If anything, this book quickly became one of my favorites in the series so far. What I enjoyed about reading Forsaken Relic is that we continue to get more backstory on these characters. But we also get some character development too as these characters finally realize who the real enemy is that’s been responsible for all of the terrible things that happened in their lives.

And I love it. The vampires and slayers, while not perfectly getting along initially (which is to be expected) have a lot of wonderful interactions in this book with each other that I can’t help but enjoy. It’s especially nice to see because we finally see them starting to realize that they need to work together as there are bigger threats to them than each other.

One of which becomes a big part of the story in this book as she looks to get Magnar and Erik along with looking to kill Callie and Montana. While Valentina isn’t my favorite character in the series, she makes for a wonderful antagonist with the way these authors have written her into this story. She wasn’t someone I expected to play the type of role that she ended up playing here. But at the same time, I had a feeling there was going to be a character who wasn’t happy with the way the world was run or who craved a power they didn’t have and would try and get it. And the way these authors wrote Valentina’s character in this series was wonderfully done.

I also enjoyed reading Forsaken Relic because of the balance between the story and character development. Most of this book centers around Montana and the change that has happened to her due to what happened in Wrathful Mortals. As a result of this change, we also start to see character development in the slayers regarding their thoughts about vampires now that Callie’s sister has become one. Especially since her becoming one turns out to be a part of the prophecy they are all trying to solve to break the curse. I feel like she was able to help the slayers and vampires in the story begin to break common ground to work together with each other against Valentina and the Gods who are set on them fighting against each other.

If I had to choose anything with this book I didn’t necessarily enjoy it would have to be the ending. I both loved and hated it. What I enjoyed about the ending is that it held me in suspense and made me want to continue reading the series to see what would happen next. I also enjoyed it because it was a wonderful way for the authors to get the slayers and vampires to work together since both groups had a shared enemy take someone they cared about. I also disliked it though because of how much the Gods in this series continue to interfere in their lives no matter how much these characters have done for them.

As a whole though, Forsaken Relic was an enjoyable read for me. I enjoyed the way the story was written and the character development between the vampires and slayers that happened here was wonderful to see. I’m really happy to see everyone finally starting to work together in this series and am excited to see how this continues.

Ravaged Souls (Age of Vampires #6)

Rating: 4 stars

The gods have turned on us. The man I love has been poisoned against me, his heart twisted by the gods he served faithfully for so many years.

Running feels like abandoning him but staying can only end in death. Time is slipping by like sand through grasping hands and no matter what choices we make, these wicked deities seem set upon our destruction.

I’ve changed so much from the frightened girl I used to be, but now that I know the most desperate desires of my feral heart, I will do whatever it takes to save the man I claimed for my own.

I only hope I can get to him before the forces at play break him for good.

This new life of mine was such a fleeting victory, the tainted love I’d found becoming something unimaginably pure.

The key to the curse seemed so close at hand but now all we had come to rely upon has been scattered to the wind.

Answers evade us like starlight in the clouds but the more stones we uncover, the clearer our path becomes.

I only hope that we can find a way to follow it before the monster breathing down our necks sinks her ragged claws into us and all chance for salvation is lost.

With the way Forsaken Relic ended, this book had me in a vice grip to discover what would happen next. I wasn’t overall happy with the last book’s ending, but I wanted to continue reading to see how Erik and Magnar were going to get out of the situation they found themselves in with Valentina. I know the rest of their comrades were trying with all their power to do what they could to save them, but it just seemed no matter what they did here it wasn’t enough.

What happened in Ravaged Souls that resulted in them being released from under Valentina’s control is one of the few times I found myself okay with one of the Gods interfering with their lives. I don’t know if it’s because the characters called on this God for help and he helped them without too much fuss, but I appreciated that a God in this series helped the characters for once. I felt like it was one of the first times since reading this series that I felt like a God helped out the characters in a way that actually helped them.

What I enjoyed with reading this book was how Valentina kidnapping Erik and Magnar brought the slayers and vampires together in a united cause to rescue those they cared about. I felt like it allowed for more character development with everyone as they were all united to save Erik and Magnar and get rid of a threat. I also felt like it allowed character development between Erik and Magnar too because of them both being able to connect because of what happened to them while under Valentina’s influence. I also enjoyed continuing to see the interactions in this book between the vampires and slayers. In particular, I enjoyed seeing the banter that went on between Julis and Clarice here as I felt like the authors were hinting at the two of them becoming something more, which I felt excited about as I felt like they were characters that both deserved it.

I also enjoyed reading Ravaged Souls because there was some backstory here about a woman Fabian once loved. Throughout the books in this series before this one, there had never been mention of Fabian finding love with someone else, so I was excited to see this here. I was hoping (though things with that relationship didn’t go well) that this would allow him to find someone better suited for him than Callie. I also enjoyed seeing this because it showed that Fabian and Callie could get along and be friends. And I loved being introduced to Chickoa’s character too as a love interest for Fabian as she’s someone not to mess with and you could see why he loved her.

I have mixed feelings about the way this book ended. It was very sad because one of the Gods killed characters in the series that I thought would be with the group until the end. But it was also intense because the characters ended up fighting this God in retaliation for her killing them. And the fight these characters got into with this God resulted in a big change that happened with two of the characters in this series that I wasn’t expecting to have an impact on the events that happen in the last book in this series.

As a whole though, Ravaged Souls was a fantastic read for me. I felt like all the characters continued to go through immense character development here and it was great to see the vampires and slayers work together and get along the way they do in this book. It made me excited and hopeful to see how they’ll continue to develop in the last book in the series, Devious Gods.

Devious Gods (Age of Vampires #7)

Rating: 4.5 stars

All paths lead to this end. Ruin chases close on our heels and the price we have paid for a chance at our salvation is higher than any of us could have presumed.

I have claimed a love so brutal that I fear losing it might destroy not just me but the world I have fought so desperately to save.

The gods watch us more closely than ever, urging us to fulfil the task our destiny demands. We only have to make it to the end of this road, but I fear what we might find when we reach that final destination.

I am no longer the girl born to ruin and ash, but a woman set on a path of salvation with my heart in the clutches of a monster.

Our eyes are finally open to the true enemies of our kind and now that we have managed to unite against all odds, we are determined to see the games of the gods end.

Time is running out and fate calls our name on a tumultuous wind. Let’s pray that we can answer it before damnation claims us all.

This book was a good way to end the Age of Vampires series. The story and character development were so wonderfully done that when I finished this book, I was sad that it had all ended. What I enjoyed about Devious Gods was seeing these characters all continuing to work together to solve the prophecy that centers around Montana and Callie. I also enjoyed the slayers getting to see how difficult it is for vampires to resist drinking blood through how the curse impacts Magnar as he struggles to accept what he’s now become. I feel like the slayers are finally giving an understanding of how severe the blood lust a vampire experiences can be and how difficult it can be for them to resist drinking blood which allows them to understand better what Erik and the rest of them have been dealing with for thousands of years.

It was also nice to see grief portrayed in this story through the struggles Erik and Montana face in their relationship in this book. Once the events at the end of Ravaged Souls finally sink in, you can see Erik struggling with the truth of losing someone he cares about and how it impacts how he is around Montana. While I was not too fond of it because of how much they cared about each other, I also understood what was going on here and was glad to see this in Devious Gods. I think a lot of it had to do with being able to relate to what Erik was going through and understanding Montana’s perspective as she was trying to be there for the man she loved even when he was trying to push her away. At the same time, I was glad when their issues were resolved because I disliked seeing them at odds with each other and you could also see how it made their relationship stronger.

There were also a lot of good moments with everyone’s character development here that made this such an amazing read for me. You get to see Julius and Clarice finally give into the feelings you know they have for each other and finally see Fabian happy with the woman he fell in love with. I also enjoyed the peaceful moments these characters had together before Montana and Callie completed the prophecy, my favorite being seeing them all hanging out and swimming at the beach. I especially enjoyed the character development between Erik and Magnar in Devious Gods as they’ve gone from hating each other at the beginning of this series to seeing each other as brothers who had a lot more in common than they realized. I especially enjoyed seeing them working together near the end of the book once the prophecy is fulfilled when they realize what the cost of the prophecy ended up being.

Devious Gods was a marvelous way to end this serious as it had my emotions all over the place but in a good way. If there was anything I had to choose about this story that I wasn’t pleased about was that I felt like there were some loose ends that weren’t completely tied up and I felt like one of the character’s deaths that happens in this book was too quick for my liking. But as a whole, I enjoyed reading this last book in this series.

As a whole, I enjoyed reading the Age of Vampires series. I do feel like with the way the series starts out it took me a little bit to enjoy it more than other book series by these authors. But I feel like the story and character development progressed with each book to such a level that it made up to me my initial feelings when I first started reading these books. To where I’m now sad that I’ve finished reading this series and have to say goodbye to these characters.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my review of the last three books in the Age of Vampires series! If you enjoyed reading my review of these books in the series, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below or check out another one of my blog posts.

September 12, 2024 0

Book Review: Age of Vampires Series (Books 1-4)

For my reviews on the Age of Vampires series, I’ve decided to split it into two reviews. There’s a total of seven books in this series so I figured it made sense to start with the first four books in the series, then have my next review of the series encompass the last three books. So to get started, let me share my thoughts on the first book in the series called Eternal Reign.

Eternal Reign (Age of Vampires #1)

Rating: 3.5 stars

The vampire prince has never claimed a human. Until now.

My whole life I’ve been nothing but a means to an end; livestock kept caged for the production of blood. I’ve stared through fences at the promise of freedom countless times, but the only way anyone escapes this hell is in the hands of a bloodsucker.

The annual testing is about to begin, and those who pass are never seen again. So fu*k that. My twin and I decided to risk it all. To run before the royals could claim us.

Turns out, that dream expired fast. Because when an original vampire decides to own you, there’s nowhere in this ruined world left to escape to.

I’m at his mercy now, trapped in his castle, destined to become his creature, and forced into a dangerous game of rivalry between the seductive vampire princes.

His beauty is a weapon I wasn’t prepared for, his cruelty a bane that strikes fear in the hearts of all, and his company a sin I’m going to spend my life repenting.

I need to get back to my sister, but she’s caught in a trap of her own, tangled up with the last slayer to walk this earth and following his path towards vengeance. She’s at his mercy too, the man with violence tattooed across his skin, death trailing his footsteps as he stalks his prey – who just so happen to be the royal vampires who hold me captive.

The gods are toying with us all, placing my twin and I on opposite sides of an ancient war. And in the end, I fear there won’t be any victors left standing.

So I’m going to play a game of my own, let my captor use me as his puppet until I find my moment to strike.

Let this hell-born ritual of lust, lies and blood begin.

While I enjoyed reading Eternal Reign, it wasn’t my favorite book to start off a series that I’ve read by these authors. But before I go into all of that, I’d like to start off talking about what I enjoyed with reading this book.

What I enjoyed about this book was the main protagonists, Callie and Montana. I enjoyed seeing the story told from these twin’s perspectives as everything they knew about the world they’re a part of begins turning on its head. For Callie this happened when she discovers that there are beings that can actually kill the vampires that’ve been holding humans captive for so long. And for Montana, this happens when she finds herself held captive in the clutches of the royal vampires and has to participate in a dangerous game of manipulation and seduction. I enjoyed seeing their perspectives as they are both on opposite sides of a war that started between two enemies long before their birth but are trying everything they can within their power to be reunited with each other. I also enjoyed meeting other characters in the story that as the reader I don’t get their perspective of but was very curious learning about as I read, Magnus and Erik. Both these guys play a central role in Callie and Montana’s lives in Eternal Reign and I’m interested to see how their lives continue to intersect.

I also enjoyed all of these characters in this book because I found the relationships between them interesting to read. Considering that Magnus and Erik are on opposite sides of a war, it was interesting seeing their relationship between the twin sisters both of whom are doing everything they can to be reunited with each other. I’m interested in seeing how these relationships develop as I continue reading this series as right now I don’t know how either relationship is truly going to work out yet.

What I also enjoyed about this first book in the Age of Vampires series was learning more about the world all these characters are in. I found the way this world is dominated by vampires and how they treat humans alarming. It was interesting seeing humans as nothing more than livestock, but I didn’t enjoy it either as I felt like these vampires should be treating the humans who they take from better than they do. It’s an extremely dark world for humans that I never would want to be a part of, even with what the royal vampires do with the humans they choose. At the same time though, I found myself interested in wanting to learn more about it and found the history of this world interesting to learn about.

What I didn’t enjoy regarding this first book in the series was that I felt like it was slow moving for being the first book in a series. Don’t get me wrong, the overall premise of the story is interesting and I’m eager as I read these books to find out what happens next with these characters. But I felt like as a reader it started off pretty slow and didn’t pick up for me as much until close to the middle and end of the book. I also wanted to know more about how this world came to be too and while there was a little bit of background of that here, I wanted more than what was given.

Overall despite how slow-moving this book was for me with this series, I really enjoyed reading Eternal Reign and am excited to also share my thoughts regarding the next book in the series, Immortal Prince.

Immortal Prince (Age of Vampires #2)

Rating: 4 stars

The immortal prince must fall.

I’m on a quest to reach my sister, to claim her from the clutches of the vampires who seized my family and end the immortal life of the prince who claimed her.

But the path this dark slayer is taking me on is rife with danger, though the kind he weaves is fast becoming my favourite temptation.

Familiars watch us from the shadows, and one wrong move could see the vampires stalking us in the dark. But they aren’t my only concern anymore, because the gods of old are waking, and now one of them has their sights set on us.

No matter what fate throws our way, I will rescue my family, even if it costs me everything.

I fear this game will end in blood.

I’m so deeply involved in Erik Belvedere’s cunning plans, and the cost is rising by the hour. I’ll do anything I can to protect my family, but this ritual only ends one way.

A human bride for a vampire prince.

And the game is getting more deadly. Elite vampires are showing up dead in the city, and I’m sure I’ve seen the killer before…

If only I could act on logic, maybe this wouldn’t be so impossible. But I’m starting to crave the monster who holds me captive.

If I can’t break free of his allure, how will I ever save myself and those I love?

This book does a wonderful job picking up where Eternal Reign left off, and I enjoyed it more than its predecessor as I felt like I was given more story than I wanted. This book gave me the details I wanted regarding how vampires came to be in this world, and I enjoyed it. I also find it interesting the role Gods play in this world and finding out about the prophecy that sounds like it may be about the characters who I’m reading about.

Immortal Prince gave me everything I was looking for, and I was excited to read it. Its pacing picked up immensely, giving light in providing the information regarding vampires I wanted from the beginning of this series. But also plot-wise with Callie working with Magnar to rescue her sister from the royals and learning about what being a slayer is and Montana’s relationship with Erik as she navigates the world of vampires. And I also enjoyed the start of the romance with these characters too as I felt like we saw more of these character’s personalities come out as the book progressed.

What really excited me about reading this book though was getting chapters from Erik and Magnar’s perspectives, the two guys on opposing sides. I enjoyed reading their chapters because they gave me the history of their kind and described to me what happened thousands of years ago before the events leading up to the books in this series. And I enjoyed that because I wanted to know how Erik became the vampire we see and how Magnar became a slayer destined to destroy their kind.

If I had to choose anything regarding Immortal Prince I didn’t particularly enjoy was the ending. While I found it interesting because of the big decision Callie ends up making, I also felt sad for her and Montana too for losing one of the people they care about the most. While it makes sense from a story perspective that his character isn’t going to play an important role in this series, I felt sad for them that they had to lose him when he played such a huge role in their lives. Also as someone who’s lost someone important to them, I felt like I could relate and was sad to see it happen even though I had a feeling it was going to. I did find it interesting though once Callie makes her choice how she is able to connect to her sister and how they are able to communicate to each other about what they’ve been going through since they were separated from each other.

I enjoyed this second book in the Age of Vampires series because it gave me everything I was looking for from Eternal Reign and made me excited to continue with reading the next book in the series, Infernal Creatures, to see what’s going to happen next.

Infernal Creatures (Age of Vampires #3)

Rating: 4 stars

While Callie struggles with the binds of the slayer’s vow, Montana faces a wedding which will deliver her into the hands of the vampire royals forever.

As the murders escalate in New York City, it seems Montana is their next target. And as Callie races there to rescue her, she finds herself in the hands of the gods…

Can Callie make it to New York before all hope is lost? And will Montana be able to tear herself away from her fiancee before the wedding, even though she’s captivated by him?

This book does a wonderful job picking up where its predecessor, Immortal Prince, left off as Callie continues her search for her sister with the help of Magnar. I felt like while reading this story everything was really picking up for these characters and was excited to see what would happen next.

And boy, does this book not disappoint. Especially with seeing the relationships between the main characters continuing to develop and Callie beginning to see the consequences of her actions with regards to the choice she makes at the end of the previous book. It was enjoyable to see Callie’s character develop here as she comes into her own now that she’s taken the oath to become a slayer.

I especially enjoyed seeing more of the Gods in this one and seeing how they interact with the slayers and vampires when it comes to the events that transpired here. I definitely wasn’t prepared for how the Gods in this series heavily involve themselves with the slayers and vampires, but it definitely makes this series interesting to me. While I don’t necessarily appreciate all of the decisions they make as it feels like they force choices on these characters, I’m excited to see how everyone in these books navigates everything that gets thrown their way as the series continues.

I continue to enjoy the romance in this series, even with the relationships slowly forming between the main characters and I was happy to see Julius and Magnar reunited. I continue to enjoy the relationships between Callie and Magnar and Montana and Erik even though this book does a wonderful job at throwing obstacles in these relationships. And I love continuing to read the backstory of the slayers and vampires from before the events in this series transpire as I feel like I’m continuing to get a better understanding of what happened up until this point.

If I had to choose anything with Infernal Creatures I didn’t enjoy it would have to be the ending.

While it hooked me to continue reading this series to see what’s going to happen next, I wasn’t fond of it because of the way the God’s interfere with these character’s free will. I feel like they keep putting obstacles in everyone’s way that isn’t helpful for these characters and the choices they want to make for themselves. If anything, I am convinced that the villains in these books aren’t who we think. And with the way this book ends with these characters, I truly feel like I’ve hit the mark on that.

But even with the ending, I found this book an enjoyable read in the Age of Vampires series. Excited to read the next book to see what will happen next with these characters.

Wrathful Mortals (Age of Vampires #4)

Rating: 3 stars

The gods play havoc with our souls.

I’m torn in two.

The mark of the gods has bound me to my mortal enemy, and not even the most desperate yearnings of my heart can break this tie. Between the slayer’s vow and the cruel tricks of Idun, my free will has been stolen from me. All I can hope for now, is that my sister and I can find a path to salvation, but it feels as though we’re walking a path to our ruin instead.

I made my choice, and there’s no turning back. The world has finally offered me the liberty I craved, so why does my heart keep begging me to return to the monster I left behind? I sense a danger brewing on the horizon, something coming this way that we can’t escape. And even as my thoughts settle on a faraway land where we can leave our hellish past behind for good, I fear it won’t be that easy.

The games of the gods have only just begun.

This one wasn’t my favorite of the books in this series that I’ve read so far. While I enjoyed seeing how the ending of Infernal Creatures impacted the direction of this book, I felt like it was very slow-moving compared to its predecessors.

As the reader, you see how the choices made in the previous book impacted on the events that take place here but that’s it. The plot itself here goes nowhere other than the characters escaping from the vampires to figure out their next move after what happened at the wedding. You also get to see a little bit of justice for Callie and Montana’s dad with regards to what happens with Wolfe, but that’s really it. Most of the development when it comes to the plot in Wrathful Mortals doesn’t take place until the end of the book, which is the part of this book in the series I enjoyed the most.

The story here that I did enjoy was seeing how the bonds created at the wedding impacted the relationships between Montana and Erik and Callie and Magnar. I found that interesting because even with the bond Callie has, I enjoyed seeing her fighting it and also beginning to understand the vampires more. If anything, I felt like this book showed development between sisters Callie and Montana because of the events that happened in previous books, which I enjoyed seeing as Montana can open her sister’s eyes to the truth about the vampires she has come to know. If anything, what I enjoyed most when reading Wrathful Mortals was continuing to see all of the relationships in the story shift and change and am excited to see this continue in the rest of the books in this series.

I also continued to enjoy reading the chapters from Erik and Magnar’s lives one thousand years ago. This is because you get to continue to understand more the choices both men make and how they impact their lives. It’s interesting because you get a better sense of both men and what was happening during that time that influenced the decisions they made.

But if I had to choose my favorite thing when reading this fourth book in the series, it would have to be the ending. I enjoyed the ending of this book because I felt like the buildup between the vampires and slayers finally came to a head and I also felt like more aspects of the story were finally revealed with regards to the prophecy that’s mentioned in this series. I especially enjoyed it when Callie discovers an item she owns can actually be used for them to hide themselves from the Gods, which ends up impacting a lot of things I wasn’t expecting, which I really liked seeing. I also feel like the ending just further confirmed my suspicions regarding the Gods and their role in the war of vampires verses slayers and all the choices they were making with regards to the sides the two Gods in this book were backing. If anything, the ending in this book in the series intrigued me enough to continue reading to see how the fight would go between these characters and is so far my favorite ending out of the books in this series that I’ve read so far.

As a whole, I enjoyed reading Wrathful Mortals because of the character development, the background story we continue to get regarding Magnar and Erik from a thousand years ago and the way this book ends. But at the same time, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the rest of the books in this series because it felt like the plot moved slower in comparison to the rest of the books in the series I’ve read so far. I feel like this book didn’t add all that much to the story other than giving us more character development of the main characters in the series. But still enjoyed it because of how much I enjoy these characters and wanting to find out what’s going to happen next.

As a whole, I’ve enjoyed reading these first four books in the Age of Vampires series. Yes, there are some books in the series I’ve enjoyed reading more than others but that’s to be expected when reading a book series with this many books and a variety of characters in the story. Can’t wait to continue with reading the rest of the books in this series and sharing my thoughts with you!

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my review of the first four books in the Age of Vampires series! If you enjoyed reading my review of these books in the series, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below or check out another one of my blog posts.

September 1, 2024 1

Book Review: Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy #9)

Rating: 4.5 stars

Orphans. Changelings. Princesses. Queens.

We are all and nothing now, our fate weighed on the scales of the stars and counterbalanced by the forces that oppose us. The shadow of the false king spreads as thick as oil across the kingdom we were born to rule, and none remain untouched by its darkness. Our crowns lay within reach if only we can claim them. All souls are at risk now and when the final battle dawns, a new regime will rise. The time for the true reckoning is upon us and we have proven ourselves as savage as our father, as brutal as our mother, and as wild as the Elements which roar through our veins. We can only hope it is enough. When the last sword strikes the final death in this game of fate and fortune, only one side will be victorious. The Starfall Legion charges at first light. And our destiny rides upon our shoulders as we rush into the end. All hail the True Queens. May our rule last longer than this night.

This is a dark fantasy romance – don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride.

As sad as I am that this series is now over, I couldn’t be any happier with the way this book turned out. I feel like the authors did a wonderful job in Restless Stars with tying all of the loose ends together, and giving these characters the ending they all deserve.

What I enjoyed about reading this last book in the series was seeing everything come together. I feel like this book gave me everything I needed with this being the last book in the Zodiac Academy series but in a way that made sense. This book also did a wonderful job at pulling at my emotions during certain moments in the story as I was reading just because of how much I was enjoying those moments and the way the characters were acting during them. Any moments in particular that involved the main cast of characters really had me in this book because it was wonderful seeing their love for each other in this book and seeing all of them together.

What I also loved about Restless Stars is seeing justice being served when it comes to Lionel. While at times I felt like this book dragged out too much for this moment to happen, when it finally did I was so happy and relieved because I feel like he got exactly what he deserved. Granted, how quickly it happened wasn’t my favorite, but I did love the end result from it, knowing he’s never going to know any peace because of the choices he made due to his greed for power. It wasn’t completely the end I was hoping for, but I was still happy with it because he was finally gone.

I also personally feel like out of the endings I’ve read in series by these authors, this one hands down is my favorite. All of the main characters get the happy ending they deserve, and it was nice to see it for them. It also felt realistic for these characters as I could very easily imagine it as I was reading it.

If I had to choose anything from Restless Stars I didn’t enjoy it was how much the plot dragged out in the story. While I did overall enjoy the story here, I feel like the middle of the book leading up to the final battle dragged on at times. I know there were some things that needed to happen before the climax of the story took place, but I feel like there were a lot of unnecessary chapters in this book that didn’t add anything to the story being told that made the plot drag for me. Yes, I enjoyed a lot of the sweeter moments when development in relationships took place, but there were some chapters that could’ve been left out because they didn’t add anything more to the story.

Overall though, I enjoyed reading the last book in the Zodiac Academy series, Restless Stars. While I’m sad to have finished a series I’ve enjoyed very much, I’ve already started doing a reread of Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and will be doing a reread of this series as well which will make finishing this book not as sad to me. As a whole, I highly recommend reading this series for anyone who enjoys dark fantasy, paranormal romance with well-developed characters.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my review of Restless Stars! If you enjoyed my review of this book, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below or check out another one of my blog posts.

May 1, 2024 0

Book Review: The Harlequin Crew Series

After having read the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series and Dead Men Walking duet, I figured I might as well continuing reading books set in the same world. Since I’ve enjoyed the books I’ve read in this world so far, I figured I might as well give The Harlequin Crew series a try to see how much I enjoy it. So to kick these reviews off, let me start by talking about the first book in the series, Sinners’ Playground.

Sinners’ Playground (The Harlequin Crew #1)

Rating: 4.5 stars

Dead girls don’t feel pain. But they like the taste of vengeance.

Maybe that’s why I came back to my hometown. Because it sure as hell wasn’t for the surf. But what else was I supposed to do when I found myself in Sunset Cove with twenty bucks to my name, the key to my enemies’ secrets hanging around my neck and a mouth full of grave dirt that wouldn’t wash clean?

I hate the Harlequin boys.

But this is the perfect opportunity to take what they owe me. Because once upon a time, they broke my heart, stole my life, and sent me away from everything I’d ever known.

Fox, JJ, Chase, and Maverick. The four names tattooed onto my heart more permanently than any of the ink on my skin. They don’t just live in this town anymore, they rule it. And the view here may be beautiful, but the sun, sea and sand hide dark secrets.

The gangs. The lies. The violence.

It all lurks beneath a veil so thin that once you’ve seen through it, you can never close your eyes to the truth again.

But I don’t plan on closing my eyes. I have four devils set in my sights. And this dead girl no longer has anything to lose.

This is an enemies to lovers contemporary series where the girl will end up with multiple love interests and all of the characters are in their late twenties. Trigger warning: this series features gangs, violence, dark romance, and jealous/possessive themes.

This book is a wonderful start to this series as I was immediately hooked to Rogue’s story and the story of the boys who stole her heart and broke it. What I enjoyed most is the overall story, the setting of Sunset Cove, and all of the characters that as a reader I’m introduced to.

What I enjoyed about the plot is that from the beginning, it hooks you in. The main female protagonist, Rogue, is a dead girl walking who returns to her hometown of Sunset Cove after ten years, promising to get revenge on the boys who broke her heart and kill the man who tried to kill her. Of course, doing those things isn’t going to be an easy task as she was told if she ever came back to Sunset Cove again, she was as good as dead. And the guy who tried to kill her is the leader of a dangerous gang called the Dead Dogs and an enemy of the Harlequin Crew, the gang that rules over Sunset Cove and whose leader is one of the boys who broke Rogue’s heart ten years ago. I enjoyed the plot in Sinners’ Playground because I knew there was no way Rogue was going to be back in Sunset Cove again without the guys she once loved knowing she was back and was interested to see how everything played out for everyone in this book. And where the plot went once Rogue was back didn’t disappoint, keeping me on my toes and continuing to read to see what would happen next.

What I also enjoyed about Sinners’ Playground was the setting of Sunset Cove. It’s interesting reading a book series that takes place in a beach town that’s run by a gang. But I also like it too because I love going to the beach. So even though Sunset Cove is rough around the edges, I feel like I enjoy this setting for this series because I feel like I can imagine a lot of what’s happening in the story pretty vividly. And even though it’s not a typical beach town, I still feel like Sunset Cove could be an interesting town to go to for vacation.

I also love the characters as well. I felt like as far as female protagonists go, Rogue is an overall badass. Now I’m not going to say I agree with all of the choices she makes because I do sometimes feel like she makes terrible decisions. But I also understand that she’s used to depending only on herself ever since she was made to leave Sunset Cove ten years ago, and she doesn’t want anyone trying to control what she does even when she’s being told it’s for her own good. So I actually feel like I understand a lot of the choices she makes, even the really terrible ones. And considering all of what she’s been through, I don’t blame her for the way she acts towards these guys when she’s back in town and they know she’s there. But I feel like she’s a wonderful female protagonist and enjoy her character here. I also like JJ and Maverick as well because I feel like out of the guys she knew, both of them seem to understand her the most regarding what she wants. Which I find crazy, considering how much Maverick hates Fox and his crew because of what happened that resulted in Rogue leaving ten years ago. I also find them to be the most interesting characters out of the boys Rogue used to love out of the four in the group. Their background and stories interest me the most as well, which I think helps as I want to understand what they both went through during the time Rogue was no longer in Sunset Cove.

If I had to choose anything with regards to what I dislike from reading this first book in The Harlequin Crew series, Sinners’ Playground, it would have to be the way Fox and Chase act when Rogue returns. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely like both their characters because I know the way they act in this book isn’t going to last for the whole series. But I wasn’t fond of them in this book when I was reading it. What I didn’t like about Fox here is how controlling he is when it comes to Rogue and how much he freaks out whenever she manages to get away. It’s not like I don’t understand that he’s trying to protect her, both from his father Luther who is the one who promised her death if she ever returns to Sunset Cove, and from the man who tried to kill her even though she hasn’t told him in this book yet who the one responsible is. But at the same time, I feel like he goes way too overboard with it sometimes. I also don’t like how possessive he acts with her by claiming her as his girl when she hasn’t agreed to be with him at all. I know he did it to offer her protection in his gang, but it’s just too controlling for my tastes so I don’t like him all that much because of it.

With Chase, what I dislike is how much he hates Rogue even though he’s one of the people responsible for her leaving Sunset Cove. While I get a lot of his hate has to do with how much his heart hasn’t fully healed from her absence and not wanting her to destroy the lives of the people he considers family, I also find it frustrating. Because I know from reading the chapters from his perspective how much he actually still loves her, whether he truly wants to admit it or not. And instead of admitting those feelings and facing them, he’s determined to get her out of Sunset Cove and making sure she doesn’t want to come back. His overall hatred for her is what results in the way Sinners’ Playground ends, and while I don’t necessarily hate the ending of this book, I hate how much Chase is giving into the hatred he feels towards Rogue because his plans to get her away from the men he calls family is only going to end up backfiring and hurting the people he cares about the most more than anything.

Despite how much I dislike Fox and Chase and the way they treat Rogue in this book, I enjoyed reading the first book in this series and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next in the second book in the series, Dead Man’s Isle.

Dead Man’s Isle (The Harlequin Crew #2)

Rating: 4.5 stars

I’m the girl who no one wanted. Or the one who got away. Depending on who you ask.

Either way, betrayal and heartache have been my friends for far too long and it’s time for me to start over.

I gave the Harlequin boys a chance to change. A chance to prove that history wasn’t just set to repeat itself. But they failed with spectacular colours.

Maybe it’s time for me to stop running. After all, Sunset Cove has been living under the Harlequins’ thumb for far too long. It’s time to set our demons free and let them burn this place to the ground. Who knows if I’ll survive the fallout? But I guess I’ll soon find out if dead girls can die twice.

This is an enemies to lovers contemporary series where the girl will end up with multiple love interests and all of the characters are in their late twenties.

Just like Sinners’ Playground, I enjoyed reading Dead Man’s Isle immensely. What I enjoyed with this book is that I felt like I got more of a peak into Maverick’s character. A lot of the chapters from his perspective gave a lot of insight into what his life was like after Rogue left and how he started up his gang against the Harlequin Crew. And I enjoyed reading his chapters because I felt like I had a better understanding of his vendetta against the guys he used to see as his brothers. I also felt bad for him too though because you could clearly see how dark his life had become and how much pain he had in life once Rogue was gone.

What I also enjoyed about this book was how it picked up where its predecessor left off. In this book in the series, you start to see some of the consequences of one of the character’s actions from the decisions he made at the end of the last book. You also see Rogue make a lot of big decisions here that initially surprised me but then didn’t when I thought further about them. I understood she made these choices so that she could continue living in Sunset Cove and get back at her ex who tried to kill her. And I’m here for it because I’m interested to see how she gets back at Shawn for everything he put her through before she came back to Sunset Cove.

What I enjoyed about everything that happened in this book is that I feel like the plot keeps picking up. The main plot in this book focuses on the rivalry between the Dead Dogs and Harlequin Crew and the war that both gangs are in with each other while Rogue continues working on her plan to destroy the men who broke her heart. I enjoyed every minute of this story because things just get more intense and take a turn I don’t expect. So I find myself becoming enamored with the story and excited to see what will happen next as these guys fight for Sunset Cove and to keep Rogue safe from Shawn.

I also enjoyed continuing to see her relationships with Maverick and JJ. Even though it’s clear how much these two guys still dislike each other, it’s also clear to see how much they both care about Rogue and making her happy too. I also enjoyed Rogue’s relationships with Fox and Chase in this book too more than I did in Sinners’ Playground. What I enjoyed with Fox’s character in Dead Man’s Isle is the references made to other books that I’ve read before (one of which is another series by these authors) as he decides to read some of the romance books that JJ has to see what he can do to win Rogue over. I still don’t like how controlling he acts towards Rogue in this book, but I don’t feel like it’s quite as bad as the first book in the series. With Chase, you could see the guilt he felt over the big decision he made that ruined his relationship with Rogue. And I felt bad for him because of how much he was beating himself up over it, especially felt bad too when Fox and JJ discovered what he’d done. I know a big part of it for me is that his character is someone I can relate to because of what he’s been through, and I understand his feelings when it comes to Rogue and feeling like he’s not enough for her. He goes through so much in this book and with the way this book ends, I know he’s about to go through a whole lot more trauma than he deserves.

If I had to choose anything about Dead Man’s Isle that I dislike it would have to be Shawn’s character. Don’t get me wrong, he makes for a wonderful villain in this series. But I hate him as a whole so much. He reminds me of some guys I’ve dealt with before in the past with regards to the way he treats women. He’s also just a really annoying character as well as he’s one of those villains that just opens his mouth and talks a lot when he’s coming out on top. And I really really am excited to continue reading the books in this series to see Rogue and the guys she loves bring about his death and downfall. Because I know when it comes, everything these characters have been through because of him will be worth it.

Overall though, I enjoyed reading Dead Man’s Isle. It does a wonderful job picking up where its predecessor left off, gives me more insight into one of my favorite characters from these books, shows me more of a relationship between two of the guys Rogue loves, and shows some character development between two of the guys I wasn’t as fond of in this book’s predecessor. And while I hate Shawn’s character despite how good of a villain he truly is, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Carnival Hill to see how this series continues to play out.

Carnival Hill (The Harlequin Crew #3)

Rating: 4.5 stars

I thought that I was broken before, but my damage never tasted as bitter as this.

The Harlequin boys are more than just a memory now. More than a daydream of our youth and an idea to cling onto. They’re my greatest weakness and my biggest regret, but I’ve started to realise that coming back to Sunset Cove was always my fate.

My heart beats to the turn of the tide here. My skin only warms beneath this sun. And my soul will only ever be home on these streets and with the men who grew out of my memories.

But nothing is the same as I remember and the time for childish games is coming to an end.

I may want to pretend that the last ten years never happened, but the nightmare I lost myself in has followed me home and I can’t keep ignoring the things I once did to survive.

The question is, will my mistakes be the end of me and my boys? Will the choices I made then change everything now? And will the life I never wanted steal away my only chance at the life I’m afraid to wish for?

I really enjoyed reading the third book in The Harlequin Crew series, Carnival Hill. What I enjoyed about reading this book was the plot continuing to do a wonderful job of continuing where its predecessor left off and the character development Chase and Fox go through. The plot in this book in the series shows extremely well how serious this war is between the Harlequins versus the Dead Dogs. Shawn is out for all of their blood and won’t stop coming after them until he gets what he wants. And he puts our heroes (especially our boy Chase) through hell. This book in the series is extremely dark as everyone realizes how big of a threat fucking Shawn is to their unit. And I loved every minute reading it to see where the story would go for this cast of characters as I rooted for them to bring Shawn to his end.

I also love the character development between two of the guys in the series that give Rogue the most trouble as they both realize what they’ve been doing when it comes to her is wrong. I also think what helps for my enjoyment of the character development here is that Chase did a lot for everyone in this book. He went through so much trauma in this book that I found myself having to hold back tears after he was able to escape it. And even when he escaped from it, he was still dealing with what he went through even though he was no longer dealing with it. And even though it was terrible to behold, I enjoyed it for his character because it strengthened his relationship with Rogue. While Fox at times here still acts all overprotective/possessive, I did find him more enduring and not as overbearing as in the previous novels. I think it’s because I understand him with it even though it’s not completely okay either. But I’m excited to continue to see his character develop and realize he doesn’t need to be that way with the people he loves.

Let’s not forget too the amount of character development Rogue goes through in Carnival Hill. Yes, there continue to be times where she doesn’t make the best decisions, but I have a hard time being annoyed with it because of the strength she shows in this book. She knows what Shawn is like and still makes the big sacrifice she makes at the end of this book even though she knows what will happen to her for making this choice. While I wasn’t overall happy with the ending in this book, I understood why Rogue made that choice regarding the men she loves. It made sense to me because if she felt like she stood a chance of being able to end this war without losing her guys, why not take it? It was painful to read and see how it played out and I was very sad about it, but I understood what Rogue was trying to do. I hated how it made all of them feel when they watched the video she made, but I understood it all the same. I feel like her making this choice, knowing what it could cost her made me love her character even more as I understood very well what she was getting herself back into but doing it because of how much she loved the men that made up the center of her world.

I also love the development between Rogue’s guys. I know I saw some of it as well in Dead Man’s Isle, but I enjoyed it even more here. Especially when they are working together in moments where you wouldn’t expect it. The best example that comes to mind here is Maverick being the one who saves Chase from Shawn and brings him back to JJ and Fox. Didn’t expect that to happen until it did and hearing Maverick’s thoughts on it made me realize how much I love their dynamic and how it’s coming together for them. Especially since you can see in this book that Maverick is no longer fighting his feelings when it comes to his friends he grew up with regarding when one of them ends up still being alive. I feel like his relationships with JJ and Chase (hell, even Fox near the end) develop well here and I was happy to see them all together. I’ve also found Fox’s dad, Luther, to be an enjoyable character in these books recently and enjoyed his presence in this book. His relationship with both Fox and Rogue I enjoy seeing and am excited to continue to see more of his character as these books go on.

I know I already mentioned this earlier, but I really hated the way this book ended. Yes, I understood the reasoning behind what Rogue does, but it doesn’t make it any easier to read. I would say it was my least favorite ending with these books so far. But I’m also looking to cheer Rogue on in her quest to kill Shawn and do whatever it takes to accomplish that task. At the same time though, seeing how Rogue hurts the guys she loves was really difficult because I knew them believing her lies will cost her in her quest for vengeance.

But despite the ending, I enjoyed reading Carnival Hill and was excited to read the next book in the series, Paradise Lagoon despite how much darker I knew things were about to get for Rogue and her guys.

Paradise Lagoon (The Harlequin Crew #4)

Rating: 5 stars

I made my choice. I took the hard way out. Now all of our fates are riding on the dice I’m about to throw and luck never was on our side.

I was whole once, with my boys in this slice of paradise we’d carved out for ourselves, but in the time that we were parted we grew up. Grew apart. And as much as I might have yearned to reclaim that girl with the sand between her toes and the sun on her cheeks, it’s time I admit that I spent too long in the shadows to ever truly be her again.

My heart may be breaking for the men I left behind, but I know that I can make that pain count for something, because I’m no fool believing the pretty promises of a mad man.

No. I’m the assassin he just opened his fortress to. And now that I’m inside, I intend to repay him for every moment of suffering he has inflicted upon me and my boys.

Shawn Mackenzie thought he killed me once upon a time. Now this dead girl is back to return the favour.

Out of the books in the series so far, this one is my favorite. All of the characters in this series went through a lot of character development in this book and I enjoyed it. Especially Fox as even though he was still a little stubborn and hard headed, he truly realized the error of his ways when it came to being overbearing with Rogue. And Chase finally realized the error of his ways when it came to Rogue and in this book, began to do the right thing when it came to their relationship once everyone was back together again. JJ and Maverick’s character development in this book came through both of them continuing to get along with each other and working together to get Chase into their group. But they also had character development through forgiving Rogue’s actions at the end of Carnival Hill and doing what they could to help Rogue through what she went through because of Shawn. Rogue’s character development in this book is great because she realizes how strong she really is and how much these guys truly care for her. Yes, she and Chase still have some trauma that they are dealing with because of Shawn, but they both also realize they have people in their lives who love and care about them that they can go to for support.

In comparison to the other books in this series, Paradise Lagoon was really dark and touched on some heavy subject matter, such as sexual assault, rape, and abuse. But then it also had some light moments too where you could see all of these characters’ love for each other shining through. I saw this especially through Luther’s relationship with his sons, Fox and Maverick. You can see how much he cares about Fox and Maverick in this book and realize the error of the choices he made that resulted in their fractured relationship with each other. You also see development in Fox and Maverick’s relationship with each other too. When this series started, they both hated each other because of what happened that resulted in Rogue leaving Sunset Cove. But now that the truth has come to light regarding who was responsible for Maverick’s trauma, you start to see these two working on building a better relationship with each other.

I also enjoyed reading chapters in this book from Luther’s perspective. I feel like you learn a lot about him through his chapters and enjoyed getting to read his thoughts on everything going on in his gang. I especially enjoy his chapters when it comes to interacting with one of the leaders in the cartel that’s in this book, Carmen. I find their interactions interesting because it feels like there might be more between the two of them than the working relationship that’s being portrayed. I also enjoy their interactions because I like Carmen’s character and enjoy seeing her in this book as I last saw her in the Dead Men Walking duet. Granted, she does make an appearance in previous books in this series too but seeing her and Luther’s interactions I enjoy so wanted to make note of it here since they interact a bit in this book.

Speaking of characters from other books, Brooklyn, Mateo, Brutus, and Niall from the duet also make an appearance in this book. And Tatum and some of her guys from Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep have also made more than one appearance in this series too. But in this book, I enjoyed seeing all of these characters again because of the relationships they develop with some of the main characters in this series. The way Brooklyn and Fox interacted in this book for example, I found to be one of my favorite moments because I never expected the two of them to end up getting along in the way they do. With Tatum and her guys, I enjoy seeing their interactions with Rogue and her guys in this book because you see Tatum and Rogue’s friendship growing in this book. And with their friendship, you get to see these characters and how they interact with each other, and I love it because of how much I enjoyed reading the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series.

Even the ending to Paradise Lagoon was great. It left me hanging, wanting to know what was going to happen next and how the story of these characters was going to come to an end in the next book in the series in their fight against Shawn. Overall a good book with a lot happening that made me excited to read the last book, Gallows Bridge to see how this story would end.

Gallows Bridge (The Harlequin Crew #5)

Rating: 4 stars

Every story comes to an end eventually. Maybe ours was never meant to have a happy ending.

I was back in my hometown at last, surrounded by the boys I’ve loved for my entire life, and I’d finally had everything I’d ever wanted. But fate never was kind to this dead girl, and we aren’t done fighting to claim our happily ever after.

This might not be a fairy tale, but I swear on all I am that I’ll defeat the villain of our story before it’s done. The only question left to answer is whether or not we’ll all live to see him die.

I’ll do whatever it takes to get revenge for everything Shawn has taken from us and claim the ending we deserve. But it’s gonna be one hell of a ride to get there.

This is the final book in the Harlequin Crew series. Beware of dark themes, devious villains, and beautiful men with blackened souls. This series is part of the United States of Anarchy universe and there are some characters which cross over with other series in this world including Kings of Quarantine and The Death Club, but each dark and twisted tale can be read independently.

As a whole, I enjoyed the way this series comes to an end. It was nice to see Rogue and her guys finally have an upper hand in their fight against Shawn and see how they get back at him. But I will also say this is my least favorite book in this series because there were some aspects here I didn’t quite like too because they didn’t make sense to me, which I will get into shortly.

What I enjoyed with this book was seeing everyone finally together. I feel like Fox finally realizes here how much Rogue cares not just about him but all of the guys in their group and starts accepting it. He gets character development here that I wasn’t expecting when he realizes that while he can’t always be in control of the people around him, there are times when he can and that’s okay. I also enjoyed seeing them all together because with some of the flashbacks, you get an idea of what their dynamic was like before, and seeing them as adults you realize their dynamic hasn’t changed even after all the years apart. I felt like I was seeing them as their younger selves, and I was happy that they could have each other in their lives again like they used to. I also enjoyed how things came together for the blood relatives of Chase and JJ in this one. It was nice that Chase’s dad finally got what he deserved, and it was nice to see JJ’s mom happy as I felt like these family dynamics concluded the way they needed to for these characters.

What I also enjoyed about Gallows Bridge was seeing the characters from the other books in the series I mentioned during my review of Paradise Lagoon. I enjoyed seeing them here too because I felt like they all played an important role with what was going on in this final book and enjoyed seeing them all being in each other’s lives. How they help Rogue, JJ, Fox, Chase, and Maverick here was great and I was happy to see it.

I also enjoyed them getting back at Shawn for everything he put these characters through in this series and some of the epilogue too. What I enjoyed about them getting back at Shawn was that they basically did what he did to Chase in Carnival Hill but for a longer time. While I wasn’t at all expecting that (though I know they wanted to make him suffer for everything he’d put them through), I found their revenge on him great and was interested to see how they were going to end his life. And that didn’t disappoint me either because I felt like he needed an end that guaranteed he wasn’t coming back and how that happened here I felt like was a good way for that. I also enjoyed some aspects of the epilogue too though not all of it. What I enjoyed with the epilogue is what ends up happening to Sinners’ Playground as I wasn’t expecting that place to end up making a recovery the way it does. It surprised me, but in a good way as I knew that place played such a big part in these character’s lives that it was nice to see they could have that place back again. I didn’t really care too much for any of the other epilogue chapters because it didn’t make sense to me considering how much Rogue and the rest of the characters were against that happening in the first place. I also wasn’t fond of it because of how JJ, Chase, and Maverick reacted to the news, especially with everything these characters had been through up to this point in the series with Rogue. It’s not like I don’t understand why since that’s something none of them wanted either, but it rubbed me the wrong way because it almost felt like they were considering abandoning Rogue because of it and that bothered me.

What I didn’t care about regarding Gallows Bridge was the plot as a whole. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been wanting Shawn’s death since I started this series and was excited for it to finally happen. But the events leading up to it here just felt off to me. What probably doesn’t help is that I feel like Shawn himself changes course with regard to what he’s going to do when it comes to the Harlequin Crew and Rogue. From the start of the series, he was going after all of them because he wanted to take over Sunset Cove and break Rogue. But then in this book, he changes direction and decides he’s going to kill Rogue because he knows it’s going to hurt these guys. It’s not that I don’t understand why considering how things go down at the beginning of this book. But it felt like once he made that his plan, he didn’t think through everything when it came to planning that to happen. Yes, he had some ideas that he executed successfully in order to try and get what he wanted. But I feel like he didn’t think through the whole thing and come up with a backup plan in case his initial plan went wrong. I feel like if anything, it just proved Rogue’s point when it came to their relationship and him needing to make her feel like he was the center of her world. I also feel like it’s what resulted in his downfall as he had plenty of opportunities to get away from them once he was outnumbered in the beginning of this book. But he chooses not to and decides to continue going after them by looking to kill Rogue instead.

Besides the execution of the plot, I also felt like it took a while to get to the part in the story where they get the upper hand against Shawn. I think a big part of it is because a lot of Gallows Bridge was more focused on character development between Rogue and her guys than on killing Shawn. I say this because a majority of the book I saw these character’s interactions with each other more than anything happening with finding Shawn and killing him. While I didn’t mind it, I feel like Shawn didn’t play as prominent a role as the villain in this book as he did the rest of the series as he wasn’t in this book quite as much until the last bit. And since he’s the main villain in this series, it didn’t make sense to me that he was gone for a majority of this book until the climax of the story.

What I also didn’t enjoy with this book was Luther. More specifically, his absence in this book once one of Carmen’s men saves his and Fox’s life. Since there were a couple chapters from his perspective, I expected him to have more involvement here like he did the rest of the books in this series. But instead, he takes off at one point and leaves Rogue and the guys to handle Shawn. As a whole, I like his character and seeing his interactions with Carmen and was just surprised how absent he was in this book when he was heavily involved with what went on in Sunset Cove before.

But as a whole, even though this book isn’t my favorite in this series, I’ve enjoyed reading The Harlequin Crew series. I enjoy Rogue as the main female lead and how strong she was through everything she went through here and I love the guys she surrounds herself with and getting to read their story. I loved getting to be in Sunset Cove as it made a wonderful setting for everything that happens here and seeing all of the character development these characters get through to get their happy ending. This series got really dark but there were a lot of heartfelt moments with these characters that made this story enjoyable to read. I also enjoyed getting to see some of my favorite characters again from Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep and Dead Men Walking and seeing them interact with the characters here. And I’m glad I read these books because I enjoyed them so much and highly recommend this series to anyone wanting to read a dark romance series that takes place in a beach town with mob and gangster violence as a part of the story.

Thank you so much for reading my review of The Harlequin Crew series! If you enjoyed reading my review of this series, please leave a comment below and check out another one of my blog posts.

March 30, 2024 0

Book Review: Dead Men Walking Duet

After finishing reading Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series and reviewing it, I decided to read this duet as I heard one of the character’s perspectives was someone from the series who’s character I enjoyed meeting. The duet also takes place in that series’ world so was looking forward to reading this duet and see how I enjoy it. So let me begin by reviewing The Death Club, the first book in this duet.

The Death Club (Dead Men Walking #1)

Rating: 3 stars

Chaos. Carnage. Killing. The three Cs that make my life complete.

I know killing technically doesn’t start with a C – but wouldn’t life be better if it did? Just like it would be better if the Devil was my boyfriend, Santa wasn’t a d*ck and I didn’t live under a bridge.

I wished for my life to improve, but it didn’t. I was kidnapped, sold, sold again, stuck in a death game, sold AGAIN and now I’m living in a serial killer’s basement.

Oh, and there’s another dude down here who lives in a cage and doesn’t talk. I call him Dead Man on account of his soulless eyes. He either wants to kiss me or choke me out. I can’t decide which I want most.

Anyways, my hot, tattooed, muscular insane Irish captor thinks I might make a good hit woman once he trains me up. Which is a freaking insult by the way as I’m already the best killer in town. Ask anyone. Except the cops. Don’t ask them or they’ll send me back to that creepy asylum where they gave me the crazy pills. But shh, that’s a secret.

Want to know another one? I quite like it here. Every day is anarchy and that’s my favorite flavor.

So I think I’m gonna join The Death Club and let my freak flag fly.

This is a brand new dark menage series set in the same world as the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series with character crossover. Each series can be read independent of each other, and the lead female character will end up with more than one love interest.

This book is an interesting start to this duet. However, The Death Club isn’t my favorite read out of the books by these authors I’ve read so far. What I enjoyed about it though was the characters and their development as this book went on.

It was nice to read chapters from Niall’s perspective. Especially the chapters that crossed over from Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep because I was able to read his thoughts at that time when those events happened. I enjoyed his character in those books, so I was really excited to read and learn more about his character in this book and he didn’t disappoint. I also enjoyed the perspectives of Brooklyn and Mateo because I feel like they are interesting characters with interesting stories. And I enjoyed seeing Brooklyn’s dynamic with these two guys as this book went on because you can see how much she cares about both men and how much they also care about her. I especially enjoyed Brooklyn’s character because her thoughts and dialogue remind me a lot of how I am, so it was nice to read a character who reminded me a little of myself. I also enjoyed her development because you see her begin to trust these guys as the story goes on since she reveals to them the truth as to what happened to her that made her the way she is.

What I also enjoyed about The Death Club was the suspense that happened with regards to going after the people that helped destroy Brooklyn’s life. I felt like the moments in this book that really stood out to me and made this book an enjoyable read for me was when these characters went off killing people. I felt those moments here really stood out to me because you found out more about these characters and there were moments where things could’ve gone horribly wrong but then didn’t. I also enjoyed the way this book ended because the two characters who really didn’t like each other had no choice but to work together and I love that was something that happened here. Especially because I didn’t feel like I knew how things would play out considering everything I knew up to that point in this story. But seeing them working together was such a wonderful thing that I was really happy to see.

I would say my biggest complaint concerning reading The Death Club though is the story itself. The book starts off interestingly when these characters are introduced, and I see what happens to them that leads to the particular moment in the story. But then I feel like once Niall offers to train Brooklyn to be a killer like him, the story doesn’t really go anywhere for a majority of the book. There ends up being a whole lot of either Brooklyn or Mateo attempting to end Niall’s life and being unsuccessful but that’s really it for most of the plot. The way Niall attempts to train Brooklyn to be a killer is interesting but then whenever she doesn’t do things EXACTLY the way he wants, he accuses her of not being cut out for killing and wonders why he bothers with teaching her anything. And this happens EVERY time he’s training her, no matter what she does just because she’s not doing things the way he wants her to.

Overall I enjoyed reading The Death Club because I find these fucked up characters to be interesting. But the plot doesn’t go anywhere a majority of the time until near the end when Brooklyn leaves and decides to go after two of the people who hurt her on her own and what happens after that as well. I found each of the characters interesting, just wish there had been more with the plot besides when these characters go off and kill that added to the story. But because of how much I enjoyed these characters and the way this book ended, I also read Society of Psychos to see how this duet would end.

Society of Psychos (Dead Men Walking #2)

Rating: 3 stars

I’m the prince of death. A son of carnage born of wicked deeds and sin-filled nightmares. Nobody understood me. Until her.

My Spider. The wild girl I claimed from a sea of violent men. But others want her too…

The enemies who lurk within my walls seek to steal her from my grasp. They’re my captives, but maybe they’re the answer to my greatest fear too. Because the Grim Reaper shadows every move I make, and he’s always watching her.

Perhaps I need a ring of warriors to surround my little psycho and protect her from death’s claws. Because now she’s stolen my black heart, I can’t fail her like I’ve failed before.

This is a dark romance series where the main character will end up with more than one love interest. This series is set in the United States of Anarchy universe. All the series in this world can be read independently but if you’d like to enjoy the crossover characters then you may also want to check out Kings of Quarantine and The Harlequin Crew.

This was a good way to end this duet as I felt like this book did a wonderful job at picking up where The Death Club ended. It also gave us another character in the story that I wasn’t expecting but that I found myself wanting to know more about since he wasn’t in the first book.

I felt like this book did a wonderful job at tying all of the loose ends together with these characters and going after the people who ruined Brooklyn’s life. I continued to enjoy reading Niall, Mateo and Brooklyn’s perspectives and seeing how this story was going to play out. Angry Jack was an interesting addition to their group, especially when Mateo is the one who uncovers his story and how he ends up in the institution where he met Brooklyn. I would say I especially enjoyed the dynamic here between Mateo and Angry Jack as I feel they have a whole lot in common than you expect.

I also love that I finally see development between the guys Brooklyn cares about. Both Mateo and Angry Jack have a reason to hurt Niall but because of Brooklyn, I feel like that quickly changes here when they all work together to go after the people who ruined Brooklyn’s life. And I feel like Niall undergoes quite a bit of development in Society of Psychos when he realizes his relationship with Brooklyn isn’t like his last one and he actually starts to let go of his past.

If there’s anything with this book that I have criticism for, it’s the same criticism I had for The Death Club. Don’t get me wrong, the story that is here is interesting. But I found there were some moments here in this book too where the plot didn’t move forward. I also found a lot of the deaths of the people who ruined Brooklyn’s life were very anti-climactic as I felt like there was so much build up for them only for Brooklyn and her guys having very little difficulty in killing them. Still interesting in some ways, but very anti-climactic and disappointing too.

As a whole though, I did enjoy this series. I enjoyed getting to meet such interesting characters with dark stories and seeing how everything played out for them. It was nice to see chapters told from Niall’s perspective because I enjoyed his character whenever he made an appearance in Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series, and I was glad to see him get the happy ending he deserved even if it wasn’t what I expected. Just wish the plot moved a little more quickly, but still enjoyed these books, nonetheless.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my review of the Dead Men Walking duet! If you enjoyed my review of this duet, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below or check out another one of my blog posts.

March 19, 2024 1

Book Review: Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep Series

When I first started reading this series, I initially was thinking of having two reviews of the series since there were a total of four books. But because of how quickly I’ve been going through these books so far, I’ve decided against it and am going to do this one review where I talk about the whole series in this review, starting with the first book in the series, Kings of Quarantine.

Kings of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1)

Rating: 4 stars

Cruel. Heartless. Quarantined. The ruthless boys of Everlake Prep never saw lockdown coming.

But the virus isn’t their number one enemy. I am.

And as if being confined to a boarding school for the elite wasn’t bad enough, now I’m stuck in isolation with the boys who hate me most too.

Saint, Kyan and Blake. The Night Keepers. Or so they call themselves. They’ve embodied the Native American legend which lives in this valley, taking on the role of the monsters who lurk in the forest. And though they act like beasts, they may also be the most tempting creatures I’ve ever seen.

With the virus escalating and my dad’s name splashed through the news, my entire world is falling apart. What he did has cast a dark shadow over me. And the Night Keepers want to make me pay for his crimes.

Then things went from bad to worse when I touched the sacred rock. A rock which supposedly holds a curse to bind me as the Night Keepers’ slave. And as crazy as it sounds, I decided to play along. Because there are things about me they don’t know. Things my dad has hidden from me for years. All I can be sure of is that I have to find a way to escape this school. But until then, those savage boys are making my life a living hell.

As the virus sweeps through the country and the world twists into something ugly and unknown, the kings of this school become true monarchs. Even the teachers bow to them now. And I’m kind of glad about that ‘stay six feet away from one another’ rule, because without it, I know they’d rip me apart.

At least there’s a silver lining. I’m cozying up to Coach Monroe. My hot as hell, brooding P.E. teacher who has a vendetta of his own against the Night Keepers. And with his help, I may succeed at doing more than escaping the clutches of these heartless fiends. I might even destroy them along the way.

My father taught me how to be strong. How to prepare for the end of the world. So this isn’t going to be the end of my world, mark my words. But if I’m able to use my mind and body to bring these assholes to their knees, it might just be the end of theirs.

This is a high school bully RH series with off the charts angst, dark themes and is not for the faint of heart. Prepare to enroll at Everlake Prep. Bring your hand sanitizer, face masks and toilet paper to barter with, but don’t expect to hold onto them for long. Because it’s time to go into quarantine with the Night Keepers. And everything you own now belongs to them.

Considering how much I’ve enjoyed reading the Zodiac Academy series by these authors, I’m not too surprised that Kings of Quarantine had me hooked from the beginning. I’m not sure if it’s a combination of the main female being a total badass despite what’s she going through at the hands of the Night Keepers, the Night Keepers themselves, or both, but I enjoyed reading this book immensely from beginning to end.

What I love about Tatum’s character is that despite how these guys treat her, she continues to pick herself back up. Yes, there are moments where you see her fall apart, but she always ends up picking herself back up in the end despite how things get. I also love that she talks back to them even though she knows doing so might make things worse for her. I also enjoyed reading Saint, Kyan, Blake, and Monroe’s perspectives because as the reader, I get to see things from their perspective and get an understanding of why they are the way they are. And I saw as I read this book that things aren’t necessarily what they seem. While I do find their treatment of Tatum abhorrent in this book, I also enjoyed seeing the dynamic between them and her as she becomes one of the few people who stands up to them and the comebacks she has are wonderful. I especially enjoyed her relationship with Coach Monroe here as once she tells him how these guys are treating her, it was wonderful to see that she had at least one ally on her side who was willing to help her come up with a plan to get back at them for everything they do to her.

I also enjoyed learning about the Native American legend that these boys were trying to embody as I found it to be a fascinating aspect of the story here. Especially once Tatum finds herself embroiled in it by touching the stone rock. I know that’s when her life basically became a living hell, but I still found the whole thing interesting anyway because I was wondering how it would truly end up affecting their relationship.

Another favorite aspect of Kings of Quarantine I enjoyed was learning about the Hades Virus, which is basically this series version of Covid-19. I felt bad for Tatum because of her father being blamed for the virus spreading into the world and killing people and becoming the most hated girl at Everlake Prep because of it. But the story of it and how its spread impacted the school in this book was eerily similar with regards to Covid-19. Especially when the Night Keepers take it upon themselves to squirrel away all of the toilet paper and most of the rest of the supplies from the school’s kitchen and what ends up happening as a result of that later in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Kings of Quarantine despite how rough things were for Tatum and couldn’t wait to see how the ending impacted what happened in the next book in the series, Kings of Lockdown.

Kings of Lockdown (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #2)

Rating: 4 stars

The sex tape

The fish stew

The Unspeakables

The storm

The font

The bathtub

The ice

The gun

The clothes

The humiliation

The shower

The letters

THE VOW

I had my chance to run from these brutal boys and I didn’t take it. The bonds between us are too strong now. Bonds of blood, oaths, betrayal and vengeance. And I intend to make good on all of them. I’ve made my list. And I won’t stop until each and every one of their crimes has been paid for.

Divide and conquer. We’re going to tear them apart from the inside out. I won’t quit until I’ve had my pound of flesh and then some. These broken boys paint themselves up as kings and stand themselves on a pedestal above everybody else. But that only means they’ve got further to fall. And they’re going to fall hard.

I know their strength now, but I’ve learned their weaknesses too. And I might just be becoming their greatest one. My father taught me how to survive, and it’s time to use everything I know about predators to lure them into my own trap.

Lies, betrayal, seduction. I’ll use every weapon at my disposal to bring them to their knees and once I’m done with them, they won’t own me.

I’ll own them.

This is book 2 in a dark romance series with love-hate themes, scenes of intense bullying, sexual scenes and may have triggers for some readers. It is a reverse harem which means the main character will end up with multiple partners.

Like Kings of Quarantine, I couldn’t put this one down. I felt like the story does a wonderful job of picking up where its predecessor left off by showing us the impact of the choices the characters made by the end of the previous book. The story continues to show development between Tatum and her relationship with the Night Keepers. But here, she really stood her ground against them to where she had the power to make rules for all of them that if not followed she could then dole out whatever punishment she saw fit. And I loved that for her as she was finally able to find ways to get back at these guys for everything they did to her.

I enjoyed seeing Tatum and her relationships with Blake, Kyan, Saint, and Monroe continue to grow. I felt like I learned a lot more about these guys than I did before. Especially when the truth becomes revealed regarding the Unspeakables. I had originally felt sorry for them in Kings of Quarantine, but once Kyan tells Tatum the reason why the Night Keepers treat them the way they do, I felt like Tatum did. I also felt like it showed a better side of these guys as you realize they aren’t just looking out for themselves but their classmates who also attend Everlake Prep. I especially felt for Kyan here with regard to the information he reveals to Tatum regarding one of the Unspeakables in particular since what he shares is extremely personal. I especially enjoyed her relationships with Blake, Kyan, and Monroe here as with each of these guys, you can see how much all of them care about her and how much she cares about them. Not to say I don’t enjoy the development of her relationship with Saint, but there are times when their relationship feels so slow-moving.

I also enjoyed the overall plot of this book too. Besides Tatum working on getting her revenge on the Night Keepers with Monroe, there’s a stalker at the school who has their sights on Tatum. There’s also the continued storyline development regarding the Hades Virus where Tatum finally hears back from her father who wants to meet with her. That’s when the truth regarding who unleashed the virus gets revealed and some other details regarding the virus that weren’t originally known before. A lot happens in this book that kept me engaged, wanting to find out what would happen to Tatum and these guys next.

If I had to choose anything from Kings of Lockdown that I wasn’t too pleased about, it was the ending. I felt like it ended abruptly but also with a cliffhanger that if this book series wasn’t already complete, would’ve left me upset in wanting to know what would happen next. I also just found the ending in general terrible because I felt bad for Tatum for having to endure more terrible things and for her to lose someone she deeply cared about in that way. Especially because it happened right in front of her and there wasn’t anything she could do to stop it from happening.

Despite the ending though, I enjoyed reading Kings of Lockdown, and it made me excited to see what would happen in the next book in the series, Kings of Anarchy.

Kings of Anarchy (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #3)

Rating: 4 stars

My father always taught me to take care of myself. He made me strong, cunning, and calculating. But my Brutal Boys made me unbreakable.

Have you ever heard the saying that it takes one to know one? Because from the very first moment I met the men I’ve claimed as my tribe, I knew that I was looking into the faces of monsters. And that really should have been all it took for me to know that I was one too.

Hiding beneath my skin isn’t an innocent girl, waiting for someone to ride in on a white horse and rescue me from my demons. So I think it’s time I showed the world my claws.

I’m sick of people thinking they own me. My Night Keepers and now the members of this twisted club all need to learn a lesson in that.

I’m not a doll made to dance to their tune, I’m not a puppet intended to play a part and I’m certainly no plaything to be used and destroyed. I’m a warrior with a goal of my own. And everyone who wants to stand in my way had better get used to the idea of falling to ruin at my feet.

When everything you thought you could rely on is ripped away from you, you have no choice but to find out what you’re truly made of. And deep down in the depths of my soul, I know that I was made to survive.

I have suffered through torment, fought against my oppressors, and tamed the creatures who tried to bury me in the dark.

It’s time that everyone stopped underestimating me. I’m done being a queen without a crown. I’m ready for my coronation.

This is a high school bully romance series.

From the beginning, Kings of Anarchy gripped me. I don’t know if it was because Kings of Lockdown ended on such a cliffhanger that I was hooked to find out what happened next. And oh this book didn’t disappoint.

What I enjoyed with reading this book in the series is that we continue to get more backstory with the guys. And I love that at this point, the focus of the series is on growing Tatum’s relationship with these guys and finding out who’s really responsible for releasing the Hades Virus out into the world. At this point in the story, you see all of Tatum’s relationships coming together and everyone truly becoming a family and I’m here for it. I especially enjoyed her relationships with Blake and Kyan here as they are probably my favorite guys in the group. Not to say I don’t like Monroe and Saint because I do. I think I can just relate to Blake and Kyan more out of the guys Tatum loves because of the personal things they’ve both been through as some of them are things I’ve also been through, such as grief over losing someone you care about.

I love that this book focuses on Tatum’s grief and feel like her relationship with Kyan gets stronger in this book due to the club and him getting sick due to the Hades Virus. There’s something wonderful that happens in this book that I was extremely happy with too which I feel like also helped strengthen their relationship and was excited to see the other guy’s reactions to it even though I knew they probably weren’t going to be happy about it.

I also love that we get to see Saint’s intelligence here. Out of the Night Keepers, he’s truly the brains and he single-handedly is the one figuring things out regarding the Hades Virus and the terribly sick club that Kyan has a membership in due to his family. I honestly feel like if it wasn’t for Saint, they wouldn’t have been able to accomplish a lot of what happens in this book concerning the knowledge of the Hades Virus and the club. I also loved seeing his dynamic concerning Monroe in this book as he actually uncovers the truth regarding Monroe’s identity here. And I love that it ends up strengthening their brotherhood instead of weakening it as it turns out Saint has the same hatred that Monroe does.

I also enjoyed seeing the stalker and Justice Ninja storyline continue to play out here and see how it ends up connecting with everything else that’s going on. They still don’t figure out the identity of these individuals in this book, but they come dangerously close at the end, which definitely gave me an inkling as to who was involved.

Speaking of endings, the way Kings of Anarchy ends definitely shocked me as I wasn’t expecting it at all. I know I probably should’ve expected it considering everything that happens here, but I didn’t. But it also made sense too because I figured the character involved with how things go here would play a bigger role than he had until this point in the story. It also made sense just because someone with a lot of power had to be involved with the spread of the Hades Virus. But it also made me all the more eager to find out what happened next in the final book of this series, Queen of Quarantine.

Queen of Quarantine (Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #4)

Rating: 4 stars

Once upon a time I met four monsters and thought the world would come to an end at their hands.

But I was a fool. Because I didn’t understand the bigger picture. That the enemies I thought I knew would become the reason for my entire existence. My strength. My pain. My life. My love.

The big bad wolf has teeth and claws as sharp as iron, and the danger before my eyes is blinding. So blinding that I didn’t see the true danger lurking in the dark.

But now my eyes are wide open, and I see it all.

Alone and afraid and running out of time, I’m not afraid of monsters anymore. I’m counting on them to come for me. Because if they don’t, this foolish girl might be lost forever in the dark.

Queen of Quarantine was a great way to end such an invigorating series. From start to finish, this book didn’t disappoint as I felt like all of the answers I had been hoping to get were finally delivered. And there was no end in sight to the intense action that took place in this book until the very end. Not only did I get an answer to who the stalker was (though that ended up being no surprise, considering everything about this character you heard about up to this point), but also found out who was responsible for the release of the Hades Virus and in charge of that terrible club, which were in fact connected as the person responsible for the release of the virus was also the one in charge of the club.

What I enjoyed with this book was how it hooked me into wanting to find out how everything would end. With the way Kings of Anarchy ended, I knew I was in for a ride as the guys went on their mission to save Tatum. But I definitely didn’t expect some of the twists that came along as once they saved her they found themselves in just as much danger too, maybe even more so. The story about the Hades Virus and how desperate companies in the world were to get a vaccine out into the world because of how many lives were lost because of it and how that resulted in some of the events that happened in this book was interesting. It didn’t remind me quite as much about Covid-19 considering how some of the people I know are regarding that vaccine and in this book, these companies are more interested in being the first company to create the vaccine so they can make money off of people’s desperation in getting it. Even if that means hurting people who’ve had the virus and are now immune to it by using them unwillingly to create more doses of the vaccine. But it was interesting to see this connection with Covid-19 by people staying indoors to avoid getting it and how quickly this virus spread due to the absence of a working vaccine.

There definitely were some tough moments in this book. Like when Tatum is held hostage in the beginning, when Kyan gets kidnapped by the stalker, and when everything comes to a head with the person responsible for the Hades Virus being released into the world and the terrible club. But I also found some good moments here too for the characters that I enjoyed reading. These good moments made this book enjoyable even when things were tough for the characters, and I didn’t know how this book would end. I also enjoyed the rough moments too though as I felt like I learned more about these characters and how they dealt with terrible situations. And that helped me see them differently and also understand their thoughts and what they were thinking.

I would also say I enjoyed the way this series ended too. However, I hated how long it took for them to get at the man solely responsible for everything they’d been through. The way it happened in the book threw me too because I felt like they were going to deliver him a lot of pain, but that’s not how it went down. If anything, I felt like his death was less than what he deserved. But I was happy to see all of these characters get the happy ending they deserved and that justice did get served.

But as a whole, I enjoyed reading this series. The different storylines and how they connected were enjoyable and kept me engaged in wanting to find out what happened next, and I enjoyed seeing Tatum’s relationship with these guys and how everything came together. These books were a good read and I’m sad to have finished this series, though I know I can always revisit these books again in the future whenever I choose. I highly recommend these books to anyone who’s enjoyed reading the Zodiac Academy series and anyone who’s read any other books by these authors. Also, recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading dark stories with really dark themes and doesn’t mind seeing reverse harem in the books they read.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my book review of the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series! If you enjoyed my review of this series, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below or check out another one of my blog posts.

March 9, 2024 2

Book Review: Live and Let Lionel (Another Zodiac Academy Novella)

Rating: 4 stars

This is a bonus content novella to celebrate the series coming to a close and contains 100k words of bonus content from the Zodiac Academy Series.

Savage – a short story about Hail and Merissa Vega’s love story

The Shimmering Springs – that night Caleb and Seth did or didn’t kiss…

The moment Geraldine first saw the twins.

Seth on the Moon – one Werewolf’s wanderings on the moon.

Night – that time the twins met the Ruthless Boys – with a never before published chapter!

Orion ‘blue’ alternate POV – BRAND NEW

Orion ‘Fairy Fair’ alternate POV

Darius ‘throne room’ alternate POV

Darius ‘Stars’ alternate POV – BRAND NEW

Featuring the never before seen map of Solaria!

Each chapter is introduced by Lionel Acrux, looking back on how his enemies have thwarted him and how he overcame their insufferable rebellion – BRAND NEW

I know I read several Zodiac Academy novellas last year (see reviews of Origins of An Academy Bullyand the post I did here on The Big A.S.S. Party and Seth on the Moon). So when I heard about this one that released this February, I knew I had to read it. Live and Let Lionel is a novella featuring the narration of everyone’s favorite evil villain in the series, Lionel Acrux as he talks about those rebelling against him and reflects on his own shortcomings during the events leading up to the latest book in the Zodiac Academy series, Sorrow and Starlight. This book is a bonus novella that’s been written in celebration of the series coming to a close with the release of the last book in the series Restless Stars, which is set to release on April 23^rd this year.

When I heard about this novella’s release, I was excited to read it for a number of reasons. I was curious to see how Lionel Acrux’s narrative was going to go at the beginning of each of the stories, I was excited to read more Zodiac Academy content, and I was happy to be back in the Zodiac Academy world again.

And let me tell you, Lionel Acrux didn’t disappoint. Hearing his narrative before reading each of these was amusing because of how clueless he was with regards to some of the things going on, including things happening with his own son. While he’s not a bad guy I would ever want to personally cross paths with, he’s very well-written and I enjoyed hearing his thoughts about those thwarting his plans.

While I’m at the point where I’m ready for the final book in this series to be published, I’m also happy to get any content I can get about the characters in this world. This novella was no exception because I enjoyed reading all of the stories within its pages, even the one I’ve already read before (yes, I’m talking about you Seth on the Moon). It was nice seeing all of these characters again and seeing alternative perspectives from my favorite characters. Some of my favorites just to list a few were the Shimmering Springs, Orion ‘Blue’ Alternative POV, Orion ‘Fairy Fair’ Alternative POV, Darius ‘Throne Room’ Alternative POV, and Seth’s POV of the last chapter in Sorrow and Starlight. I enjoyed each of these stories because they featured several of my favorite characters and loved some of the hilarity that ensued in some of them.

What I didn’t enjoy about Live and Let Lionel with some of the stories is that I feel like I didn’t get enough story with the characters in them. Savage and Night are the ones that come to mind for me the most because while I enjoy the characters in both these stories, I felt like there just wasn’t enough for me. With Savage the issue I had was that I didn’t want to see just the moment that Hail and Melissa Vega’s love story started. I wanted to see what happened following and I don’t mean the stuff I already know from reading the series. I wanted to see their relationship develop into how its portrayed in Beyond the Veil. With Night, my issue is that the meeting between the characters from the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and the Vega twins felt a little awkward to me. I can’t explain it exactly, but it just felt strange to me, almost like the Vega twins had met the whole group before and was just coming over to hang out with everyone. I think what probably didn’t help was that I couldn’t tell completely when this meeting of these characters was supposed to have taken place during the Zodiac Academy series. I know they had probably already met Dante before at this point because of him being a Dragon shifter and there are little hints regarding events that are in the series that’ve apparently already happened. But otherwise, I couldn’t sense exactly when Tory and Darcy had met them. And that bothered me while I was reading the story because I felt like I needed to know when exactly this meeting had taken place.

Overall though, I enjoyed reading this novella as it was a good way to bring me back into the Zodiac Academy world right before the release of the final book in the series. In fact, it has me contemplating on if I want to read all of the books in the series one final time before the release of Restless Stars, or if I want to wait until this last book has come out and then read the series again from the beginning. Regardless of what I do though, I recommend those who’ve enjoyed reading the Zodiac Academy series and want more content before the final book comes out to read this as I feel like anyone who’s enjoyed the series and wants to read more of this world will enjoy this novella.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my review of Live and Let Lionel! If you enjoyed my review of this book, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments below or check out another one of my blog posts.

February 27, 2024 0

Book Review: Beyond the Veil (Zodiac Academy #8.5)

Rating: 3.5 stars

The stars called us.

The Veil closed at our backs.

And now death holds us in its clutches.

We were torn from life before our time, a Savage King, his queen, a betrayed son, a wronged brother, a scorned wife and so many more. We watch those we left behind as they struggle against the grip of the stars, the answers to so many of their questions within our grasp and yet out of their reach.

But what if we could find a way to answer their pleas? What if we could find a way to help them from this side of the divide? And what price would such a thing come at?

*This is a bridging book which takes place beyond The Veil (in the land of the dead) during the events of book 8 in the Zodiac Academy series. It should be read after book 8 to avoid spoilers for that book and holds the answer to what takes place for the characters who are held within the clutches of death by this point in the story, as well as vital clues to the conclusion of this epic series.*

This bridge book in the Zodiac Academy series was released on June 30^th, and since I’ve been enjoying reading this series, I knew I’d be reading it. And I’m glad to say I did. Beyond the Veil takes place in tangent with its predecessor Sorrow and Starlight, but to me does a much better job at storytelling the events that take place.

What I enjoyed about reading this book was getting introduced to some characters from the series we never would’ve met if this book hadn’t been written. I enjoyed getting introduced to characters who were already dead that we’d heard about from the series and getting to see them watch their loved ones that are still alive. I enjoyed it because I found it interesting, getting to see their relationships with each other and seeing how they reacted to their family member’s choices as well as seeing them trying to help their loved ones even after death. Seeing Darius and Hail’s relationship, for example, was something I didn’t know I needed until I read this book, but I loved every second of their banter with each other.

What I also enjoyed about Beyond the Veil was getting story/information we didn’t get from its predecessor that would’ve been helpful to know. I’m referring to the story with regard to the Guild Stones that get mentioned in the series, but that we didn’t know too much about. I felt like in this book we learned a lot more about them, and enjoyed the narrative I received talking about them as I felt like I was given information that helped explain a plot point in Sorrow and Starlight that I feel like wasn’t thoroughly explained.

Another component to this bridge book I enjoyed was seeing character’s reactions to events that took place in the eighth book. I especially loved the chapters with Darius when Tory is looking to bring him back from death and some of the things she does to get the information she needs to make it possible. I also enjoyed seeing Darius witness a moment during Caleb and Seth’s relationship because I found it really amusing. Along with those moments with Darius, I loved seeing Hail and Merissa when watching over Darcy and Gabriel because you can see how much love they have for their children and see how much they want to help them even when unable to.

While I did enjoy reading this book, there were some things about it I didn’t enjoy as well. What I wasn’t fond of here was that I felt like a lot of the book was just its predecessor, just told from the perspectives of those who were already dead. Besides the Guild Stones information, there wasn’t too much here story wise that added to what I already read in the eighth book in the series. Yes, there was some information I didn’t know, like discovering how those beyond the Veil attempted to help their loved ones whenever something went horribly wrong but other than that, this book was pretty much the same as Sorrow and Starlight, just not as long and drawn out. I honestly feel like the authors could’ve combined the eighth book and this bridge book but taken out the unnecessary point of views and kept the story and content we needed instead of writing two separate books that are the same, minus points of view and content we didn’t get from the eighth book.

I think another thing I don’t like with this book (though this is probably more a gripe with the series itself, not just this book in it) is that we aren’t closer to a conclusion in this series. Yes, I’ve been enjoying reading this series and the world of Solaria. But I think I’m starting to get to the point where I’m ready to see how this series is going to end. While this series is interesting and I love the characters and magic in it, I feel like its also starting to drag on a lot longer than it needs to and am ready to see how the next book, which is supposed to be the last book in the series, ties everything together.

Overall, I did enjoy reading Beyond the Veil because it was interesting to read from the perspective of characters who had already passed on. I found the characters we hadn’t met before enjoyable to get to know and I loved learning more about the Guild Stones because I feel like they are definitely going to play a vital role in the conclusion to this series. I also enjoyed seeing these character’s reactions to events that took place in Sorrow and Starlight because you can see how much they support those they’ve left behind. My biggest gripe is just that this book wasn’t necessarily needed, even though I enjoyed reading it and that I feel like I’m getting to the point where I’m ready to see the conclusion to the Zodiac Academy series despite how much I’ve been enjoying reading these books. So good read, but ready to see how the authors are going to tie everything together in the next book whenever it releases.

July 7, 2023 3

Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings

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Book Review: Wild Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary #4)

Book Review: Age of Vampires Series (Books 5-7)

Book Review: Age of Vampires Series (Books 1-4)

Book Review: Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy #9)

Book Review: The Harlequin Crew Series

Book Review: Dead Men Walking Duet

Book Review: Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep Series

Book Review: Live and Let Lionel (Another Zodiac Academy Novella)

Book Review: Beyond the Veil (Zodiac Academy #8.5)

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