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.

Dragon’s Gift: The Forbidden Fae series, by Linsey Hall | Series Book Review

Hello loves! Welcome back to Adele Is Reading.

Today I have my series book review of Dragon’s Gift: The Forbidden Fae, by Linsey Hall

Dragon’s Gift: The Forbidden Fae is a 3 part series.

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Scenes, Sex Scenes (fade to black). Fighting, Blood, & others that I unfortunately cannot remember.

Please Note that this review may contain spoilers.

My fated mate is a lethal fae king.
And I’m going to kill him.

Ever since the Court of Flames banished me, I’ve managed to hide my true nature–Chosen One of the Fire Fae, destined to save us all. Truth is, I’m not that impressive. I’ve spent my banishment hunting demons for fun and slinging drinks at Potions & Pastilles. But then the lethally sexy king of the Court of Ice finds me.

He’s been hunting me for years and wants to claim me as his fated mate. But it gets darker. He plans to sacrifice me to save his dying kingdom. One touch changes everything though, because I’m the only one who can warm him.

I’m going to use that to my advantage and convince him to return with me to the Court that banished me years ago. There, I will kill him before he kills me. But I’m playing with fire, because I’m not sure if I can I resist him long enough to change my fate, and if I don’t die, then his entire Court will. Including him.

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.

Limitless, by Candace Wondrak | Book Review

Hello friends! Welcome back to Adele Is Reading.

How are you?

Today I have my review of Limitless, by Candace Wondrak.

Limitless is the first book in the Crystal Lake Pack series.

Wolves? Check. Magically floating books? Check. A bloody mystery years in the making? …uh, check?

All Addie ever wanted was a normal life—to graduate college and get a good job so she can support her fortune-telling, tarot-card-reading mother. Her plans are shot to heck when she finds out her mother has been keeping a very important secret from her.

As in, Addie is a shifter. A wolf shifter. And not only that, but she’s special because female shifters are rare, prized in most packs. Unique because shifters as a whole are a dying race, and it’s up to females like her to further their kind.

Thrown into pack life, Addie knows she’ll be able to walk away from it anytime she wants, which is what her mother did twenty years ago, but after meeting the pack—more specifically the wolves she’s supposed to mate with—things get complicated. Maze, Dylan, and Landon. Three very different shifters, yet each one of them stirs Addie’s inner wolf.

When one of her intended mates goes missing, Addie realizes the pack is caught up in something dark and sinister. Someone or something is hunting the wolves, taking them one by one. Death is not the only thing to fear in Crystal Lake…

Limitless is the first in a magical, action-packed shifter trilogy, where the heroine will not have to choose between love interests. Why choose?

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.

Shadow Caster, by Debbie Cassidy | Book Review

Hello friends! Welcome to another book review on my blog! 

Today I’m reviewing
Shadow Caster, by Debbie Cassidy.

Shadow Caster is the first book in The Nightwatch Academy series. 

Trigger Warnings: Abuse mention.

Murdering humans is a huge no-no and comes with an off-with-your-head sentence. Doesn’t matter if you don’t remember doing the crime.

I killed a human, and no, it wasn’t on purpose, but that shit doesn’t matter to the council. I’m facing death. So, when I’m offered a deal to avoid execution, I’d be a fool not to take it, even if it means leaving the human world and urban life behind to enroll in the Nightwatch Academy – a gothic monstrosity hidden from human eyes, located way too close to the largest tear in the fabric of our reality.

It would be fun if I had any inclination of becoming a member of the Watch or supporting the shadow knights at keeping the Formorian threat at bay. But heck, the monsters beyond the mist aren’t my problem. I have personal demons to deal with.

Once I’m out, the Watch can shove it.

But one sip from the ceremonial goblet and my plans to coast are out of the window as my powers spark to life.

I’m an anomaly, one the Watch won’t be letting walk any time soon.

My only comfort is a man who prides himself on his ability to harness pain. Battle scarred and formidable, he’s my tutor, my mentor, and the object of some super saucy dreams. He’s completely off limits and my only hope of surviving my first test.

I’ll need to harness my powers fast.

There can be no distractions.

But when my fellow cadets start going missing then returning with no memory of who they used to be and my best friend is taken, turning a blind eye is no longer an option.

Allies are limited when you’re a freak. Luckily, I don’t need a cheer squad to get shit done. Whoever is responsible better watch out. I’m coming for them, and I’ll be bringing the pain.

The Vampire Academy meets Game of Thrones in this kick-ass, supernatural academy, Urban Fantasy with a slow burn Why Choose 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.

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

Of Ashes And Sin, by Ariana Hawkes & K.N. Knight | Book Review

Hello! Today I have my book review of

Of Ashes And Sin, by Ariana Hawkes & K.N. Knight.

Of Ashes And Sin is the first book in the Fire Trails series. 

Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome, Sex Scenes, Group Sex.

A world without fire. Three sizzling shifters. One flame-haired hustler. And the elemental bond that could bring fire back to the world, or be the end of them…

The last Phoenix has perished in a huge blaze of flames, extinguishing fire from the earth. Ranger Mason is a nineteen-year-old shifter whose spirit animal has not yet been fixed. An orphan, hustler and part-time exorcist, she scrapes a living in a dangerous, burned-out world, with no idea of the unique power she holds. That is, until a sexy tiger, bear and eagle shifter trio bursts into her life, convinced she’s the key to recreating fire.

What none of them realizes is that she’s no fire elemental, but something even more rare and special…something that will create the strongest possible bond between them, but also threaten to destroy her. Ranger is the only one capable of uniting a dragon with the three water, earth and air elementals, but as the love bond between the four of them ignites, the guys are unwilling to risk her safety—even if it means restoring balance to the world.

But Rael, Zain and Oran are not the only ones who have discovered Ranger’s gifts, and suddenly the decision is torn from their hands. Will she be able to create peace between her three mates, who have vowed to do anything to protect her, and a dragon intent on keeping her in his cave as his personal, flame-haired treasure?

OF ASHES AND SIN is a full-length reverse harem paranormal romance novel of 67,000 words, where the heroine doesn’t have to choose between her love interests. It includes action, drama and intrigue; as well as fully-realized sex scenes and graphic language. It’s intended for mature, 18+ audiences.

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.

Quickly into reading Of Ashes And Sin, my hopes for this Ranger and her story were squandered. Massively.

No Man Can Tame, by Miranda Honfleur | Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my book review of

No Man Can Tame, by Miranda Honfleur.

No Man Can Tame is the first book in The Dark-Elves of Nightbloom series. 

Trigger Warnings: Sex Scenes, Attempted Murder, Torture Mention, Pregnancy Mention

A human princess. A dark-elf prince. A kiss of fire and powder.

After a failed courtship in an ally kingdom, twenty-one-year-old Princess Alessandra returns home to a land torn apart by mutual hatred between the humans and the dark-elves. The “Beast Princess,” as Aless is known by courtiers, confidently sets her mind to ways of making peace, but her father has already decided for her: she is to marry one of the mysterious and monstrous dark-elves to forge a treaty, and go on a Royal Progress across the kingdom to flaunt their harmonious union. While she intends to preserve the peace, the Beast Princess has plans of her own.

Prince Veron has been raised knowing his life is not his own, but to be bargained away by his mother, the queen of Nozva Rozkveta, to strengthen the dark-elf queendom. When his mother tells him he is to marry a self-absorbed, vile human, he is determined to do his duty regardless of his personal feelings. After arriving at the human capital, he finds the “Beast Princess” rebellious and untamed—and not to be trusted.

Aless and Veron face opposition at every turn, with humans and dark-elves alike opposing the union violently, as well as their own feelings of dissonance toward each other. Can two people from cultures that despise one another fall in love? Can a marriage between them bond two opposing worlds together, or will it tear them apart for good?

If you like the fantasy and politics of Danielle L. Jensen’s Malediction Trilogy and the romance of Elizabeth Vaughan’s Chronicles of the Warlands, No Man Can Tame will lure you into its world and not let you go.

Buy No Man Can Tame today, and journey into a medieval world of magic and Immortals, masquerades and games, love and blood, and a tale as old as time…

No Man Can Tame had a lot going on at once.