Dragon Hunted, by Alexis Pierce | Book Review

Hello and welcome to Adele Is Reading!

Today on the blog, I have my book review of:

Dragon Hunted, by Alexis Pierce.

Dragon Hunted is the second book in the Draecus Clan series.

Trigger Warnings: Depression, mention of Abusive Parents, Anxiety / Panic Attacks, Murder, Attempted Murder.

THIS BOOK IS PART OF A SERIES. DESCRIPTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1.


Serenity has been kidnapped.

After the rebels broke into the castle, her world fell apart.
Her dragons are determined to get her back, but there are dangers untold and secrets that could destroy everything.
Serenity must find the strength to fight this new darkness, or this new family she’s found could be gone forever.

Dragon Hunted is a Reverse Harem paranormal romance.

From GoodReads [x]:

“REVERSE HAREM” IS, LITERALLY, THE OPPOSITE OF “HAREM”, WITH A GROUP OF MALES CENTERING ROUND A SINGULAR FEMALE, USUALLY WITH THREE OR MORE MALES. QUITE OFTEN FOUND UNDER THE ROMANCE GENRE.

Dragon Hunted is quite the sequel. Not that I wanted to expect much from this second book, but I didn’t expect something…

The Lost Eden, by Storm Song | Book Review

Hello and welcome to Adele Is Reading.
Today on the blog I have my book review of:

The Lost Eden, by Storm Song.

The Lost Eden is the first book in the Elemental Eden series.

Trigger / Content Warning: Drowning, Multiple Drownings, Humiliation, Murder, Blood, Wrongful Arrest.

Please note that there’s a chance that I didn’t catch any other possible triggers pertaining to The Lost Eden.

In a world ruled by elemental magic where everyone holds the ability to manipulate one element I, Eden Montgomery, was a misfit.

My entire life I thought I was a magical dud, thrown into an orphanage by my parents as a baby and forced to work a dead end job at a magical coffee shop just to get by. In a place where everyone was extraordinary I had come to terms with being ordinary.

Until my twentieth birthday when a handsome young stranger walked into the shop and my life changed forever.

But what he said couldn’t possibly be true- that I was the lost eden, a mage with the ability to control all four elements.

But when my best friend is captured by a fire wielding king hell bent on enslaving all the other mages I have no choice but to listen and try my hardest to tap into the power everyone thinks I have.

Only an eden can unite all of the magical sectors to rise up against the king.

I was prepared to master the four elements, but I wasn’t prepared to fall for the four hot elemental princes who were tasked with helping me save the world.

Can I actually master the ancient arts in time to save the world?

From GoodReads [x]:

“REVERSE HAREM” IS, LITERALLY, THE OPPOSITE OF “HAREM”, WITH A GROUP OF MALES CENTERING ROUND A SINGULAR FEMALE, USUALLY WITH THREE OR MORE MALES. QUITE OFTEN FOUND UNDER THE ROMANCE GENRE.

The Lost Eden was a pretty rad read, not gonna lie. I actually really enjoy reading elemental stories. I love the twists and turns that people create with them! And The Lost Eden did not disappoint.

Skyborn, by Leia Stone | Book Review

Hello and welcome to Adele Is Reading.
Today on the blog, I have my book review of:

Skyborn, by Leia Stone.

Skyborn is the first book in the Dragons & Druids series.

Trigger / Content Warnings: Breast Cancer mention, Loss of a Parent mention, Death by Cancer mention, Rape mention, Death mention, Character Death (we don’t see it happen).

Note that it is entirely possible that I did not get all the possible triggers pertaining to Skyborn.

Alone, on the run, and fighting for her life.

Sloane Murphy thought hiking the Grand Canyon alone after graduation would be an awesome adventure. Until she slips and starts to plummet to her death. Then the unthinkable happens.

She transforms into… a dragon.

After flying to safety and trying to convince herself she isn’t having a mental breakdown, the hunters come for her. She runs, somehow managing to stay one step ahead of them. Until her luck runs out. Now the hunters have her and they intend to kill, not capture.

That’s when he comes for her.

Logan Sharp is the last dragon shifter alive. Or so he thinks, until he gets word that the druids are hunting a red headed female. His team takes her in, sheltering her because there is a truth she must learn: if the skyborn die out, then so does humanity.

But Sloane is hiding a dark secret that she doesn’t even know yet. A secret that could change everything.

(Recommended reading age 16+ due to language.)

A Crown of Smoke and Ash, by Sloane Murphy | Book Review

Hello, and welcome to Adele Is Reading!
Today on the blog I have my book review of:

A Crown of Smoke and Ash, by Sloane Murphy.

A Crown of Smoke and Ash is the second book in The Shadow Walkers Saga.

Trigger / Content Warnings: Sex (& BDSM).

Please note that this book may contain triggering content. Unfortunately I didn’t write down any triggers for this book, other than sex.

After having my life turned upside down, I discovered past me had left more than one thing that needed fixing. 

Past me was awesome.

Saved by an angel, protected by him and the three other men I love, I learn there’s more to the mystery of my past lives than I ever could have realized. 

With danger around every corner, wrongs from a long-forgotten past, and more betrayal than I ever thought possible. I try to realign a world gone awry. 

Can we survive all that is to come?

From GoodReads [x]:

“REVERSE HAREM” IS, LITERALLY, THE OPPOSITE OF “HAREM”, WITH A GROUP OF MALES CENTERING ROUND A SINGULAR FEMALE, USUALLY WITH THREE OR MORE MALES. QUITE OFTEN FOUND UNDER THE ROMANCE GENRE.

Within this second Shadow Walkers book, the story develops quite a bit, and the flow of the story as well, is much better than the first book was.

Evermore, by Candace Wondrak | Book Review

Hello hello, friendo. Welcome back to Adele Is Reading.

How are you? Do you have anything interesting / fun planned for the weekend? I think this weekend calls for staying inside, cozy and warm.

Today I have my book review of the final book in the Crystal Lake Pack trilogy; Evermore, by Candace Wondrak.

Evermore is the third (and final) book in the Crystal Lake Pack trilogy.

TRIGGER WARNING: Attempted Rape, Blood, Torture, Sex scenes.

There are spoilers for the series within the synopsis, and therefore my review as well.

Breaker, by Harloe Rae | Book Review

Hello, friends! Today I’m reviewing

Breaker, by Harloe Rae.

TW; Stalking, Wrongful imprisonment, Death of a Parent, Drug & abuse mention, Drug Addiction (a character’s mom).

​“Tell me a happy something, Sutton.”

I was only seven the first time Grady Bowen whispered those words to me. Cloaked by the black sky under a blanket of stars, it was easy to get lost. He didn’t have any good memories of his own, and needed to borrow mine. I’d willingly give him anything.

Being infatuated with that boy was a beautiful curse. What could have been special didn’t get the chance to bloom. He’d never see me as more than his best friend’s kid sister. That was a hard lesson to learn, but not the most difficult.

Grady had always been struggling against the odds. Eventually he quit fighting and let his family’s reputation own him. Try as I might, those influences were beyond my reach.

He didn’t mean to break my heart. Or maybe he did. I shouldn’t have made it so easy for him. Either way, our wrongs against each other carved new lines between us.

I went four years without seeing Grady—each one more painful than the last. That distance did nothing to dull my feelings toward him. But things are different now. Most noticeably is Grady. I barely recognize this man he’s become. And that’s the way he intends to keep it. Not that it really matters.

Grady Bowen stopped being my happy something long ago.

✔️Older brother’s best friend
✔️Small town, country romance
✔️Broody, broken hero
✔️Sweet, genuine heroine
✔️Gut-wrenching feels
✔️Total standalone

I’m totally up for reading more Harloe Rae books. Yet Breaker was an absolute miss for me. I didn’t really like it at all, and I stuck out until the end.

What I didn’t like about it was that it was 100% predictable, and while there were sweet part, even sexy, steamy, parts to the story…..I didn’t enjoy the story overall.

A big part of the story that I didn’t enjoy was actually the characters themselves.

Grady……well, if Grady wasn’t so gruff and kept LITERALLY EVERYTHING close to his chest (mostly his anger) he would’ve been more interesting.

I genuinely didn’t like Sutton either. There were moments where both Grady and Sutton were okay on their own, and sometimes together too. Actually, these two were better together than they were apart from one another.

This review is soooo messy and that’s because I literally cannot with Breaker. I didn’t like it, I didn’t like the antagonist in this story — a literal proven, tested, psychopath —  with his sick, stalker fantasies towards Sutton.

So, to wrap up my thoughts on Breaker: I absolutely did not like it.

I give Breaker, 1 star.

Have you read Breaker, or anything else written by Harloe Rae? What were your thoughts on what you read? 

Thank you for stopping by!

See you soon, and Happy Reading!
Adele

Unwanted, by May Dawson | Mini Book Review

Hello loves! In this post I’m going to be reviewing the book,

Unwanted, by May Dawson.

Unwanted is the first book in the Their Shifter Academy series.

Trigger Warnings: Attempted Rape, Bullying, Murder, Murder Mention, Kidnapping mention, sex scenes.

By the time I walk through the doors of the academy, where the born shifters of every pack are trained to fight and lead, I’m famous. Infamous? One of those.

I’ve already fought a battle or two. And my family’s complicated relationships with magic, which has been long forbidden to wolves, isn’t popular with all the packs.

I guess I should’ve said this is the place for born male shifters. There aren’t a lot of shifters like me, with flat irons and skinny jeans packed in their bags.

There’s quite the welcome committee waiting for me.

My cadre, who want to break me down and build me back up again into a fighter.

My bullies, who just want to break me.

My patrol, who rises or falls with me.

They don’t expect me to make it to graduation in four years.

But I know I will.

Who’ll be standing with me at the end?

Their Shifter Academy is a new reverse harem romance series, set in a military academy for shifters.

From GoodReads [x]:

“REVERSE HAREM” IS, LITERALLY, THE OPPOSITE OF “HAREM”, WITH A GROUP OF MALES CENTERING ROUND A SINGULAR FEMALE, USUALLY WITH THREE OR MORE MALES. QUITE OFTEN FOUND UNDER THE ROMANCE GENRE.

Unwanted was quite interesting, in the sense that the main character doesn’t really take no for an answer when she has her mind set on something. And I really do enjoy that she’s so resilient. Like yeah, she’s being bullied–and she has appropriate and genuine reactions to being bullied.

I like different points of view, even though we mainly read from MC’s view point.

I believe, since there’s been a lot of mentioning of the main character’s sister and her sister’s Mates, that the main character herself will also have quite a few mates by the end of this series. I know by the end of this one she already had 2 or 3. Even though they were unrealized.

The storyline is intriguing, and I’m curious to know where it goes. I will be reading the second book. I’m not sure when I’ll be reading the second book, but I’m truly looking forward to reading it. I just hope that the second book will be as … charismatic as Unwanted was.

I give Unwanted, 3 stars.

Have you read Unwanted, or anything else by May Dawson? 

Thank you for stopping by!

See you soon, and Happy Reading!
Adele

Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston

Hello friends! Today I have my book review of

Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston. 

Trigger Warnings: Sex, Racism, Forced Outing, Swearing, Depression, Anxiety Attacks, Death mention, Drug Abuse mention, Alcohol use, Homophobia.

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through?

Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn’t always diplomatic.

Here’s the thing: I didn’t plan on reading Red, White & Royal Blue, but I did. And I didn’t plan on reviewing Red, White & Royal Blue, either. But I have. I was happy to not have to review another book. Less work for me! #lazy #dontforgettotakebreaks

But here I am, with an informal book review. This “book review” will only have my lasting impressions on the book since I wrote little to no notes.

Enjoy!

Compel Me, by Elena Lawson | Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my book review of
Compel Me, by Elena Lawson.

Compel Me is the first book in The Last Vocari series. 

Trigger Warnings: Sex, Blood, Murder, Murder Mention, Murder Flashback, Light BDSM.

I go by Rose. But don’t let the delicate name fool you—I’m all thorns…

The polished metal stakes strapped to my thighs have pierced the hearts of so many vampires I’ve lost count. And after five years I still haven’t found him—the vamp with one blue eye and one brown. The one who slaughtered my mother and left me, a child, to sit screaming in a pool of her still-warm blood.

With any luck, he’ll come to me. You see, I’ve made something of a name for myself with my trade. It seems more and more of the bloodsucking bastards seek to find me every day. Each of them wanting to be the one to say they plucked The Black Rose.

It’s not until a group of three finds me that I think I’ve finally met my match. But these aren’t just any nameless, faceless vamps. I know them. Or, at least, I knew them—when they were still human.

Worst of all, I owe them a debt.

But paying it means I’ll need to face my worst fear… that I may not be entirely human, either

From GoodReads [x]:

“REVERSE HAREM” IS, LITERALLY, THE OPPOSITE OF “HAREM”, WITH A GROUP OF MALES CENTERING ROUND A SINGULAR FEMALE, USUALLY WITH THREE OR MORE MALES. QUITE OFTEN FOUND UNDER THE ROMANCE GENRE.

Initially I was interested in Compel Me because there were vampires mentioned. And then there was the bit of the synopsis where the it reads that Compel Me is a reverse harem story. Now…vampires..and a reverse harem theme? Colour me intrigued! When I think of vampires, am I the only one who thinks ‘solitary,’ and ‘possessive?’

Baby Girl, by C.M. Stunich | Book Review

Hello loves! Today I have my book review of

Baby Girl, by C.M. Stunich.

Trigger Warnings: Car Accident resulting in Death, Blood, Fighting, Gun & Gun usage, Grief, Sex scenes.

He died that night, alone, in the rain, in the dark, the boy that called me baby girl.
I was only seventeen; we were going to be together forever.

On his way to pick me up for prom, he swerved. I’ll never know what made him do it, what killed the boy I’d loved my whole life. With roses clutched in his hand, he bled out in icy wetness all alone.

His best friend is here though, and I’m pretty sure he loves me.
But after the accident, I left for a year and didn’t look back.

Now I’m back in town and my heart is like shattered glass.
Do I pick up the pieces and risk getting cut? And do I let another boy call me baby girl?

WARNING: Don’t open unless you’re prepared to ugly cry, but also ready to read a story of hope and new love, a love that was there all along but patient enough to wait. This is a book about grief, about loss, but also about fresh starts and new beginnings. The ride is sad, a tumultuous twist of feelings that gets ugly at times … but the ending is a happy one.

BABY GIRL is a full-length 300+ page new adult/contemporary romance novel. It’s a stand-alone meaning this volume contains a complete story; there are no sequels and no cliff-hanger. This novel includes cursing, tears, loss, graphic sex scenes, and new hope

Please note that while there are Reverse Harem themes, a reverse harem doesn’t actually take place in this story.

The synopsis for Baby Girl may come off as Young Adult, but it’s actually New Adult. And yes, there are sex scenes. Also danger scenes. And fighting scenes involving Blood, sometimes Death (and death fighting mentions).