What_Kel_Reads

This is a perfect introduction to historical romance. The audiobook was spectacular. Like most people reading this series now, I picked up the book after reading the series. I do like the TV series more, but that was bound to happen with as beautiful as it is. You do need to really prepare yourself for the “why don’t you put a baby in me/her already” because it comes up a LOT. I know that was just the mindset of the time, but this book tends to pound that idea in more than other historical romances.  

 

 

 

 

 

 I would round this book up to 3.5 stars solely based on the ending. This was a tough book to get through, because the first 60% was so boring. The story just seemed to ramp up out of nowhere and I really enjoyed the ending. Unfortunately, I would have never made it to the ending if I was better at DNFing books I don’t enjoy.  The premise of this book is fantastic. I’m just disappointed that the first half of the book isn’t more enjoyable.

 I bought this book 6-ish years ago and I feel so dumb for putting them off as long as I did. I absolutely loved this one and blew right through it!  I really enjoyed the steampunk dystopian feel to the story. It was a fun spin on a classic story we all know. If you’re like me and have had these books on your shelves for longer than you’d care to admit, give them a shot. I’m definitely excited to move through the series!

 This book follows Luna, Willow’s sister and Zain, Damien’s brother, as they enter a marriage of convenience and find out they’re fated mates, destined to rule the Underworld together. Read if you like: - Dual POV - Fated mates - Men with daddy issues - Witch + demon - Slightly steamy paranormal romance

 This was such a cute book. If you like small town paranormal romances, this will be such a quick read for you! I read this almost entirely in one sitting.  Read if you like: - Fated Mates - Hocus Pocus vibes - Witchy FMC - Demon MMC - Hints of spice - Small town vibes

 This was my first 5-star read of the year! I loved the continuation of Signa’s story with Death. Fate certainly added more intrigue. Blythe’s role in this book is so much more fun than the first. I absolutely loved her character arc. I cannot wait to read book 3 of this series! I would very much like to find other books similar to these.

Signa is a strong FMC, orphaned as a baby, and has gone from relative to relative to be raised, only to have them meet the craziest demises. She is finally sent to her last living relatives, and not long after she gets there, she’s wrapped up in a plot to uncover a murder suspect and stop her cousin from being poisoned. This was like stepping inside a Bridgerton murder mystery and I was here 👏 for 👏 it 👏. I blew through this book and have zero regrets.

 I really struggled with this one. The premise is fantastic, but gets quickly lost in the massive amounts of drinking and talking about snails. Why was there so much snail talk? So gross. I’m also very tired of the “female character can’t be trusted because her main personality trait is drinking” trope. Please stop doing this. This one is for sure a skip to me.

 This book was insane. Rhys was such a terrible human being that everyone in the town had just cause to commit the murder, and I wouldn’t have convicted any of them. The ending was the right kind of twist, and it definitely left me satisfied. I will say, there were a LOT of players in this story and it was kind of hard to keep track of them at times. Aside from this minor complaint, I really enjoyed this police procedural.

I really liked the vibes and the premise of this book, but the execution fell a little flat for me. Parts of the story dragged a bit more than I would have liked. The last third of the book was super fast-paced and entertaining. I just wish the rest of the book would have been similar. I’m hoping book 2 will pick right back up with the fast-paced story.

Freaking delightful - I loved every second of it. Chloe is such a people pleaser that it was so nice to see her find her people in Warren and Luke. On the opposite side, I loved seeing Warren find someone he didn’t have to always be on the defensive with when he was around. They both helped heal each other and it was *chef’s kiss* Please check Hannah’s content warnings though, as the book does deal with some sensitive topics. 

Sorry to be a downer, again, but I was not a fan of this book. The idea of a sister uncovering secrets after her brother’s death via letters she wrote him sounds so intriguing, but the book is just so emotionally dense. There’s an infidelity subplot which I don’t love, especially when it wasn’t necessary to begin with, along with a parent struggling with Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Additionally, I spent the entirety of this book thinking “Please don’t let the reason he left as a teenager be related to child abuse,” only to find out it was exactly that with 50 pages left in the book. Spoiler - it was the worst kind of child abuse, which also made me deeply uncomfortable. I’m sure this book has an audience, but that audience was not me. This book left me feeling sad and devastated, and not in a good way. Read or skip:  Skip. You don’t need to put this type of plot in your brain.

 I didn’t hate this book, but I wouldn’t necessarily go out and buy it, or widely recommend it.  This is Mr. And Mrs. Smith, but with witches. I don’t super love that movie, so maybe that’s why I don’t also super love the book. It just didn’t translate for me as well as the movie did. I did enjoy the flashbacks between the present fighting and when the first couple met and were falling in love. I didn’t love the ending. It felt rushed and lacking. If you need a mindless book, you may really love this. This might be a really good selection for a library audiobook if you’re multi-tasking.  

 I’m all for a weird story and don’t mind when stories are more gruesome IF it actually contributes to the story. This was supposed to be some type of groundbreaking horror book, but it was really just a sequences of scenes on the page designed to make people gag. You can read some of the other reviews for more information on those. I do not want any of that in my brain anymore, and I should have DNFd this book and thrown it directly into the river where it belongs.

Nine Liars was my first book of the year for the Unhinged Reading Challenge, and it was mediocre at best. I really enjoy this series as a whole, but this feels like the weakest entry for sure. A trip to London and the opportunity to solve a murder should have been a slam dunk for this group dynamic, but it was kind of boring. The actual murder mystery was shoved into the last 15% of the book and it was so rushed. Stevie was the most insufferable whiner, and I was so tired of listening to her complain about things and pine after David (who isn’t all that great to begin with). I waited a long time to read this book after buying it, and now I don’t really feel bad for doing so. I’m glad I can go back to the rest of the books in the series and enjoy them, at least!