Ria Lize's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:42:47 -0700 60 Ria Lize's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Enigma 214143805 A new breathtaking tale of unforgettable romance, set in a dark academia world of secret societies, lush suspense and sizzling sensuality, from RuNyx, the New York Times bestselling author of Gothikana.

Salem Salazar comes to Mortimer University to get to the bottom of her sister's mysterious death. There, obsessed with forensics, she discovers there have been a lot more unexplained deaths on the campus. Her search leads her down a dark and dangerous path to a secret society and to Caz.

Cazimir van der Waal is in her way and another mystery to unravel. Is he just an art student, a man living a double life, or a murderer? While also at the university seeking answers for another death, Caz has a lot more to him than meets the eye.

Secret forces are at play in Mortimer and no one is safe. As Salem tries to go under radar and Caz tries to block her path, somehow, they both end up in the crossfire of a powerful, secret society. They are forced to work together to discover the truth or risk losing their lives.

In this magnificent, steamy dark academia romance from RuNyx, sparks will fly, rivals will become lovers, and terrible secrets will be unleashed.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 463 RuNyx 1250334241 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.21 2025 Enigma
author: RuNyx
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)]]> 117816710 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series!

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.]]> 418 Marissa Meyer Ria Lize 4 check
Android sidekick, check
Evil stepmother and stepsister, double check
Evil queen, check
Mechanic skills and hidden superpowers, double check

What a unique and delightful twist to the tale.

Meyer's Cinder never left me bored; I kept turning the pages as fast as I could. I was immediately swept in their world and was sad to see them go. I loved Cinder. She was a cyborg, but she felt real. In that short time I devoured the book, Cinder's plights, pain and joys became mine, and it was one hell of a ride. It did not have any earth-shattering revelations ([spoilers removed]), but I found the joy wasn't in the surprise, but how they would deal with it.

Word of warning, I thought it would have more like a Cinderella HEA, but it deteriorated into some awful nightmare. The ending did give hope, however, and promise of more adventure to come.]]> 4.20 2012 Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/11/02
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: wow-i-survived, wtf-did-i-just-read, currently-reading
review:
Handsome prince, check
Android sidekick, check
Evil stepmother and stepsister, double check
Evil queen, check
Mechanic skills and hidden superpowers, double check

What a unique and delightful twist to the tale.

Meyer's Cinder never left me bored; I kept turning the pages as fast as I could. I was immediately swept in their world and was sad to see them go. I loved Cinder. She was a cyborg, but she felt real. In that short time I devoured the book, Cinder's plights, pain and joys became mine, and it was one hell of a ride. It did not have any earth-shattering revelations ([spoilers removed]), but I found the joy wasn't in the surprise, but how they would deal with it.

Word of warning, I thought it would have more like a Cinderella HEA, but it deteriorated into some awful nightmare. The ending did give hope, however, and promise of more adventure to come.
]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)]]> 60657589
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.]]> 336 Heather Fawcett 059350013X Ria Lize 0 dnf 3.99 2023 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1)]]> 215109788
Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction � and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price.

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun � and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests.

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help � and hope � may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…]]> 464 Julie Soto 0008711690 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.48 2025 Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1)
author: Julie Soto
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Nocticadia 136470356 A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.

Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.

And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.

Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.

I crave his authority.
He aches for redemption.
Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.

For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.

Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.]]> 682 Keri Lake Ria Lize 4 3.5/5

I picked up Nocticadia a while back and put it down as I just wasn't feeling it, but I decided to give it another go. I really enjoyed it overall, but it's a bit too creepy for me and has elements of horror, and on hindsight, I probably should've saved this for a Halloween read.

The romance was quite sweet, and I like that even if it's a forbidden romance, Lilia and Devryck still made the relationship work for them and they were still so solid as a couple. I love when that happens and they don't fight the pull too much.

I read spoilers about the ending being [ only read if you want to know if cliffhanger or HEA ->][spoilers removed] and I was dreading a horror ending, but [spoilers removed].


***
Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
Third Act Breakup [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 4.23 2023 Nocticadia
author: Keri Lake
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: hero-obsessed, yay-no-freaking-drama, wtf-did-i-just-read
review:
3.5/5

I picked up Nocticadia a while back and put it down as I just wasn't feeling it, but I decided to give it another go. I really enjoyed it overall, but it's a bit too creepy for me and has elements of horror, and on hindsight, I probably should've saved this for a Halloween read.

The romance was quite sweet, and I like that even if it's a forbidden romance, Lilia and Devryck still made the relationship work for them and they were still so solid as a couple. I love when that happens and they don't fight the pull too much.

I read spoilers about the ending being [ only read if you want to know if cliffhanger or HEA ->][spoilers removed] and I was dreading a horror ending, but [spoilers removed].


***
Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
Third Act Breakup [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[Smoke and Scar (Shattered Crown, #1)]]> 221866459 Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire.

A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents� deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic� as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.
Ěý
This is the Arcane Crucible.]]> 466 Gretchen Powell Fox 0988468921 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.48 Smoke and Scar (Shattered Crown, #1)
author: Gretchen Powell Fox
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Madness of the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar, #3)]]> 215085951
Over a year ago, I was ripped away from my human village to serve the Ghertun, a brutal enemy alien race. With the lives of my family at risk, I am tasked to deliver a message to the one place no human has ever gone before: the capital city of Dakkar.

Before I succeed, however, I am captured by a Horde King. A Horde King of the Dakkari, a merciless barbaric race, bred for war and violence, that rule over the hostile and unforgiving planet of Dakkar.

And this Horde King? He’s the most ruthless and insane of them all—with his scarred face, glowing red eyes, and his wicked, dark grin that hides an even darker past.

I am no one. I am quiet, meek, and fearful…and yet this fearsome king wants me in his furs. I tremble when he touches me but he awakens my desire, something I fear I’ll crave…all while I struggle to save my family.

Now the Mad Horde King has me in his possession�

I fear he never intends to let me go.]]> Zoey Draven Ria Lize 4 3.5/5 4.13 2020 Madness of the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar, #3)
author: Zoey Draven
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: fantasy, hero-so-sweet, yay-no-freaking-drama, ku-read
review:
3.5/5
]]> <![CDATA[A Curse of Fate (Shifter City Fated Mates, #1)]]> 220233664 A new romantasy from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Jaymin Eve.

I'm a shifter who can never bond with a pack. Not if I want to live.

The day I watched my mom's pack destroy her, was the day I knew I had to run from the shifter cities.

Mom and I share the same designation, which means we'll share the same fate.

For ten years I hide from the cities and the alphas who control them.

Until my luck runs out.

Dragged to Golden Claw against my will, they charge me as a rogue. I'm facing death until one of the strongest alphas in the city scents me as his match.

Scents me... and claims me.

Even worse? He's part of the most powerful pack of alphas the cities have ever seen.

I have to reject them. It's the only way to avoid my mom's curse of fate. And my own.

Except, these alphas have never been rejected a day in their lives, and they're definitely not about to start now.

* This is a why choose romance with very dominant and possessive male main characters. The female main character will not choose between the love interests. Please note, Shifter City is not omegaverse. It's a shifter romance.

* This story is a full length (95k words) romantasy and contains adult themes and descriptions that are suitable for 18+.]]> 334 Jaymin Eve Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.28 2024 A Curse of Fate (Shifter City Fated Mates, #1)
author: Jaymin Eve
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Silver Elite 217245572 In the first book of a searing new dystopian trilogy, a young woman must conceal her psychic powers—and her attraction to her handsome, infuriating commanding officer—as she works undercover to take down a brutal government from within.

The world is divided. On the Continent, you’re either a Prime—immune to the biotoxin that nearly wiped out the Earth’s population 150 years ago—or a Modified, one who was enhanced by the toxin, developing powerful psychic gifts.

As conflict rages between the two sides, Wren Darlington lives in hiding. Occasionally running the odd op for the rebel Uprising against the Primes� oppressive rule, she must keep a low profile. After all, if the enemy finds out that she is a Mod with a staggering four psychic abilities, she won’t just be sent to the labor camps. She’ll be executed—immediately and without trial.

When a careless mistake puts Wren in the crosshairs of the Continent’s military, she is taken captive and forced to join their most elite Silver Block. Unwittingly, they’ve handed her the perfect opportunity for the Uprising to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks. That is, if she can keep her powers hidden, survive training, and prove herself to Cross Redden, her maddeningly cocky commanding officer.

Despite the explosive chemistry between them, Cross doesn’t trust her—even as he seems determined to destroy the remaining shreds of Wren’s self-control. Yet as the war between Primes and Mods escalates, and as Wren and Cross find themselves unable to stay away from each other, they must decide how far they’re willing to go for their secrets—and how much of the Continent is worth saving.]]> 528 Dani Francis 059387546X Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.38 2025 Silver Elite
author: Dani Francis
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Claimed by the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar, #2)]]> 215085873 She broke their laws. Now, he has come to punish her�

In my human settlement on the hostile plains of Dakkar, I am an outcast, a strange girl orphaned since birth, alone, and dreaming of a life I don't have. I hunt to survive, though it is forbidden, though it breaks the strict Dakkari laws that we all must follow.

When my desperate actions catch the attention of a Dakkari horde king—a cold, powerful, and merciless warrior leader, with eyes like flint and a body like steel—he seeks to punish me…and he succeeds.

But then he does the unexpected.

Instead of taking my life, he claims me as his own.

He steals me from my village and brings me back to his battle-bred horde. There, I warm his bed. I make bargains with him on starry, cold nights. I look into his grey eyes and see not a monster, but a demon king who captures my soul.

But demons have a way of never letting go…and as the cold season descends upon Dakkar, I begin to wonder if I even want him to, even when it hurts.

Claimed by the Horde King is a full-length SFR novel (95,000+ words) with an HEA. It is the second book of the Horde Kings of Dakkar series.]]> 358 Zoey Draven Ria Lize 4 4.07 2019 Claimed by the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar, #2)
author: Zoey Draven
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: wow-i-survived, ku-read, dear-author-why-the-torture
review:

]]> Alchemised 222490389 In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.

“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.�

Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.

In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile, undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.

According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?

To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.]]> 1040 SenLinYu 0593972708 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.54 2025 Alchemised
author: SenLinYu
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shadow & Storms (The Legends of Thezmarr, #4)]]> 208301504
The time has come to make one last stand against the forces of cursed men and monsters. But Thea’s enemies are only getting stronger. With allies divided and an outnumbered army, she must race against her own fate to secure the future of the midrealms � or die trying.

A prophecy is looming, and Thea’s life is in the balance. Does she have the power to cheat death itself?

Love and loyalty will be tested. Bonds will fracture forever. But all must fight for a better world.

In the final war for survival, will Thea and Wilder emerge victorious? Or will the shadows consume them at last?

Fans of Fourth Wing, The Witcher and The Bridge Kingdom, brace yourselves for sizzling romance, found family and heart-pounding battles in Shadow & Storms, the epic finale to The Legends of Thezmarr.]]> 420 Helen Scheuerer 1922903183 Ria Lize 4 4.22 2024 Shadow & Storms (The Legends of Thezmarr, #4)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: hero-obsessed, hero-so-sweet, ku-read, made-me-cry, wow-i-survived, yay-no-freaking-drama, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr, #3)]]> 199057100 466 Helen Scheuerer 1922903175 Ria Lize 5 4.30 2024 Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr, #3)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: fantasy, hero-so-sweet, wow-i-survived
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Vows & Ruins (The Legends of Thezmarr, #2)]]> 123007281
But Thea’s world is turned upside down as she struggles to navigate her newfound magic and uncover the secrets of her past. Slowly, she begins to untangle the truth about her family, her powers and the evil that threatens to engulf the kingdom.

When Wilder Hawthorne returns to be her official mentor, everything changes. Dark forces are gathering, and he will stop at nothing to prepare her for the challenges to come, even if it means breaking her.

As war looms and their quest for answers leads master and apprentice deeper into danger, the undeniable connection between them intensifies � defying all odds, but also threatening to tear them apart.

With secrets unravelling and evil closing in, Thea and Wilder fight to save the world, and each other. The fate of the realms rests in their hands � will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them both?

Full of action, adventure and steamy romance, Vows & Ruins is the second book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher.]]> 536 Helen Scheuerer 1922903051 Ria Lize 4 4.05 2023 Vows & Ruins (The Legends of Thezmarr, #2)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: ku-read, hero-hot-cold, fantasy, wow-i-survived
review:

]]> Indigo Ridge (The Edens, #1) 55926057
According to her pops, all she has to do is earn favor with the Edens. But winning over the town’s founding family might have been easier if not for her one-night stand with their oldest son. In her defense, it was her first night in town and she didn’t realize that the rugged and charming man who wooed her into bed was Quincy royalty.

Sleeping with Griffin Eden was a huge mistake, one she’s trying to forget. He’s insufferable, arrogant and keeps reminding everyone that she’s an outsider. Winslow does her best to avoid Griffin, but when a woman is found dead on Eden property, the two of them have no choice but to cross paths.

As clues to the murderer lead to one of Quincy’s own, Griffin realizes Winslow is more than he gave her credit for. Beautiful and intelligent, she proves hard to resist. For him. And the killer.]]> 340 Devney Perry Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.15 2021 Indigo Ridge (The Edens, #1)
author: Devney Perry
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr, #1)]]> 63905241
Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr � or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?]]> 550 Helen Scheuerer 1922903027 Ria Lize 4
The pacing is so well done. :) I'm intrigued what's in store for the next books.

I just really, intensely dislike Seb. I hope he gets what's coming to him.
And I'm not overly fond of forbidden romance, but something tells me Wilder/Thea won't really be able to resist each other for too long. On to the next one.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 4.20 2023 Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr, #1)
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: fun, hero-hot-cold, ku-read, made-me-cry, yay-no-freaking-drama
review:
Tore through this book. I was travelling a bit this week so haven't been reading as much, but in the little time I did, this book was so hard to put down.

The pacing is so well done. :) I'm intrigued what's in store for the next books.

I just really, intensely dislike Seb. I hope he gets what's coming to him.
And I'm not overly fond of forbidden romance, but something tells me Wilder/Thea won't really be able to resist each other for too long. On to the next one.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[Reign & Ruin (Mages of the Wheel, #1)]]> 50607309 “All magic is beautiful,� she said, “and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.�

She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy.

She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man's place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people.

His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war.

Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion.

They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheel—but first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calm�

Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning. ]]> 420 J.D. Evans 1951607015 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.17 2020 Reign & Ruin (Mages of the Wheel, #1)
author: J.D. Evans
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Speak of the Demon (Deals with Demons, #1)]]> 58189174 I hunt demons.
I don’t work for them.

And I promised my mom one thing before she was murdered: Under no circumstances, would I ever go near the high demons.

But I’ll break that promise over and over again if it helps me avenge her death.

When my only lead winds up dead in the middle of demon territory, I’m suddenly in deep shit. Violence in Samael’s club is a death sentence� unless he can use you.

And it turns out that the scariest demon in the Triangle has a use for little ol� me.

Demons are being slaughtered. His demons. And as a bounty hunter, it’s up to me to find out who would dare hurt his people. Ěý

I’ve got two weeks to find the killer, and if I fail, I’m bonded to Samael. Forever.

Samael’s certain that I’ll be his, but I’m not the kinda girl who risks her freedom for a demon.

I’m the kinda girl who won’t let anyone get in the way of her vengeance� not even the Machiavellian control freak who thinks he can run my life.

The problem? I’ve pissed the wrong people off.

Now I’m the one being hunted, and someone’s coming for me with everything they have.

But I’m never more dangerous than when my back is up against the wall.

And I’m ready to come out swinging.]]> 352 Stacia Stark Ria Lize 4 4.22 2021 Speak of the Demon (Deals with Demons, #1)
author: Stacia Stark
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: couple-trust-issues, fun, yay-no-freaking-drama, ku-read, hero-obsessed
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty (Kingdom of Lies, #2)]]> 123385361 Or be destroyed by it.

In a world darkened by deceit, the truth is a light that won’t be dimmed. Even when it illuminates Lorian’s betrayals more starkly than I could ever want to see.

They call him the Bloodthirsty Prince.

His reign of terror has left a trail of blood across this continent. A trail that intertwines with my own past–not even my parents were spared from his merciless slaughter.

To save my brother’s life, I agreed to another bargain with the fae prince. Now, I’m forced to work with him. Forced to travel to the fae lands. Forced to spend my every waking moment with the man who betrayed me. All because King Sabium has woven a deadly tapestry of manipulation, using those we least suspect for his wicked schemes.

There are no lines I won’t cross to protect the people I love. So I’ll work with former enemies. I’ll manipulate, blackmail, and deceive potential allies. I’ll swallow my pride, bury my shattered heart, and cooperate with the fae to prepare for the coming war.

Because there are creatures far more monstrous than the fae.

And some of them masquerade as men.]]> 536 Stacia Stark Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.07 2023 A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty (Kingdom of Lies, #2)
author: Stacia Stark
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #1)]]> 216595852
I'm just a girl. And it turns out, I'm Hercules.

I'm struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens.

My blood test reveals I'm part of the powerful elite. I'm one of them. A Spartan.

Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There's just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I'm pretty sure either someone's stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity's slipping––I have a bad feeling both are true.

I'm surrounded by Villains and they're smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they're messing with.




]]> 496 Jasmine Mas Ria Lize 5 I really didn’t know what to expect with Blood of Hercules, but I loved this so much. ❤️I've had a string of 3 stars lately, and this took me out of my book slump :)

Our FMC Alexis is hilarious and her sarcasm balances out what wouldn’t been a depressing read. And at the same time, my heart ached at everything she went through how she’s so misunderstood. There were times I just wanted to give her a big hug.

The MMCs are so unhinged and it that made everything better. It really helped that we got some of their POVs. It just feels a bit one-sided from their end since Alexis was busy trying to survive the whole book while they practically become obsessed with her. I’m hoping the next book really develops their relationship.

I’m intrigued by Patro and Achilles but I’m not really rooting for them (yet?!). They said some cruel things after they first met.

I really hope Alexis makes them all work for it in the next book, because she went through so much, and after all her suffering she really deserves better. Can't wait until the next one comes out!

***

Safety-

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]

]]> 3.85 2024 Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #1)
author: Jasmine Mas
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: favourite, funny, fun, hero-clueless, ku-read, why-choose, omg-fangirling, hero-obsessed
review:

I really didn’t know what to expect with Blood of Hercules, but I loved this so much. ❤️I've had a string of 3 stars lately, and this took me out of my book slump :)

Our FMC Alexis is hilarious and her sarcasm balances out what wouldn’t been a depressing read. And at the same time, my heart ached at everything she went through how she’s so misunderstood. There were times I just wanted to give her a big hug.

The MMCs are so unhinged and it that made everything better. It really helped that we got some of their POVs. It just feels a bit one-sided from their end since Alexis was busy trying to survive the whole book while they practically become obsessed with her. I’m hoping the next book really develops their relationship.

I’m intrigued by Patro and Achilles but I’m not really rooting for them (yet?!). They said some cruel things after they first met.

I really hope Alexis makes them all work for it in the next book, because she went through so much, and after all her suffering she really deserves better. Can't wait until the next one comes out!

***

Safety-

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]


]]> <![CDATA[Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)]]> 219737525 HERCULES IS BACK. AND YOU'RE BOUND TO LOVE HER.

In this hotly anticipated follow-up to Jasmine Mas’s BLOOD OF HERCULES, the stakes are higher and the villains darker than ever�

Every hero has their monsters.

And Alexis is bound to hers: tied eternally, irrevocably to the Underworld’s dark heirs in a marriage that has shaken the foundations of Olympus � and everything Alexis once believed. Reeling, she enlists in the Assembly of Death with her mentors, set on wrecking vengeance on her husbands and uncovering the truth behind her deadly powers.

She will soon teach them all that a god can’t be manacled. And a monster can’t be caged…]]> Jasmine Mas 0008744491 Ria Lize 0 to-read 3.89 2025 Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)
author: Jasmine Mas
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> In the Weeds (Lovelight, #2) 122494718
Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and he’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings. He knows how it goes. But Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck.

Also, her eyes. And her legs.

So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is � confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon: social media influencer Evelyn St. James. When she disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally forget her and move on.

But Evelyn St. James has a problem.

Feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly unhappy, she’s trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was happy, Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with.

Nothing at all.

In The Weeds is a sweet and steamy second-chance romance about finding your happiness. It features a grumpy farmer, a no-nonsense social media influencer, a small town of busybodies, and four very cute kittens. In The Weeds is a standalone romance and is part of the Lovelight series.]]> 334 B.K. Borison 0593641140 Ria Lize 0 to-read 3.74 2022 In the Weeds (Lovelight, #2)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #4)]]> 60370494 The final book in the Wall Street Journal bestselling series!

I thought once we released the curse, I'd only have one enemy to contend with.

Wrong.

The queen lives. Not only that, but she knowingly hid herself from me and the rest of this kingdom until the moment the curse was broken. Now she is back, and her desires aren't clear. Neither are her motives.

Will she try to take the throne for herself?

We can stop her…unless she had a hand in that curse. In which case, will we need to battle her and the demon king before we can finally live in peace? Or has this all been for naught?

Regardless, we have very little time before the demon king returns to wipe us out.]]> 651 K.F. Breene Ria Lize 3 4.32 2022 A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #4)
author: K.F. Breene
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: fun, funny, hero-so-sweet, ku-read, couple-honest-and-real, meh-it-was-okay
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door (Riley Thorn, #1)]]> 219287759
Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she's diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they're clairvoyant visions.

Just when things can't get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor...who turns up murdered.

Nick Santiago doesn't play well with others. Unless the "others" are of the female persuasion. Wink. He's a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.

When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.

All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she's a loose end that requires snipping.]]> 540 Lucy Score Ria Lize 3 4.03 2020 Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door (Riley Thorn, #1)
author: Lucy Score
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: couple-honest-and-real, cute-story, fun, funny, fluffy, ku-read
review:

]]> 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ 216825549 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2026.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul CĂ©zanne, Vase of Flowers and Apples, 1889-1890
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various Ria Lize 0 4.71 2025 2025 on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ
author: Various
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Desire in His Blood (Brides of the Kylorr, #1)]]> 63130733
Gemma Hara is drowning under the weight of her father’s debts. Working herself to the bone, she knows that if she doesn’t pay them off in time, the sadistic creditors will take everything: their home, their respected name, and, worst of all, her two beautiful sisters.

To save her family, Gemma agrees to do something reckless: marry a wealthy and mysterious stranger, who offers her a wicked bargain she can’t afford to refuse.

However, his bargain comes with one terrifying catch. Because her husband-to-be is a Kylorr.

One of the most fearsome alien races in the Four Quadrants, the Kylorr are beastly monsters, all muscle and menace, with powerful wings, depraved cravings, and berserker-like rages. The worst part?

They survive on blood.

Cold and cruel, Azur of House Kaalium, the High Lord of Laras, demands Gemma as his blood bride. To feed from her. To use her body in whatever way he wishes. For paying off her family’s debts, he expects her complete submission.

What neither of them predicts is how his bite doesn’t bring pain—it fills Gemma with more exquisite pleasure than she’s ever known. And as she finds her footing on a strange new planet, the one thing Gemma thought she’d never surrender might be at risk after all.

Her heart.

Too bad her new husband can’t seem to decide if he wants to break it…or keep it forever.]]> 428 Zoey Draven Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.16 2022 Desire in His Blood (Brides of the Kylorr, #1)
author: Zoey Draven
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Kingdom of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #3)]]> 59606387 Never sell your soul to the Demon King.

Too late.

In an effort to save all that I love, I have to finish the job Nyfain started� and ruin myself.

I've made a trade with the most cunning creature alive.

Me for them.

The dungeons will be my new home. Dolion's destruction will be my new goal.

I just have to get out of here and back to my golden dragon. Preferably alive.]]> 594 K.F. Breene Ria Lize 3 funny, hero-hot-cold
Nyfain & Finley have been separated due to the demon king taking her captive, but I didn't mind that so much due to the bond they had, and because that meant the plot moved a bit more. There's not as much sex in this book which I think made me more engaged compared to the last one. Will pick up the last book since I'm curious to see how Dolion gets his comeuppance.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> 4.27 2021 A Kingdom of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #3)
author: K.F. Breene
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: funny, hero-hot-cold
review:
I really wish I enjoyed this series more, but so far the plot's been moving so achingly slow. :( On the plus side though, I do really like the characters. Finley's stubbornness makes up for Nyfain's hot/cold behaviour. So far, the series has been pretty light and fun despite the curse.

Nyfain & Finley have been separated due to the demon king taking her captive, but I didn't mind that so much due to the bond they had, and because that meant the plot moved a bit more. There's not as much sex in this book which I think made me more engaged compared to the last one. Will pick up the last book since I'm curious to see how Dolion gets his comeuppance.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]

]]> <![CDATA[A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #2)]]> 59073456 The only thing protecting me from the demons...is the beast.

Nyfain, the golden dragon prince, tried to set me free. But there is no freedom in this kingdom. Not for anyone.

The demons have sought me out. They want to trap me. To use me against Nyfain.

It's only a matter of time before they call in the demon king.

Nyfain thinks I should save myself. That I should barter with the demon king to escape this place.

But can I give myself to the creature responsible for torturing the people I love?

In order to save them, though, I might not have a choice.]]> 445 K.F. Breene Ria Lize 3 4.18 2021 A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #2)
author: K.F. Breene
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: ku-read, hero-so-sweet, couple-honest-and-real
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #1)]]> 58785677 A spicy new twist on an old classic - a deliciously dark Beauty and the Beast reimagining.

I could save him, but he would ruin me.

The beast.
The creature that stalks the forbidden wood.
The dragon prince.

He has suffered a fate worse than death. We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king.

We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction.

The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter.

He’s our hope.
He’s my nightmare.

When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn’t punish me with death, as he’s entitled.

He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me.

Apparently, I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king’s power.

But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him.

It would mean my ruin.

_ _ _ _ _ _

This is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling, featuring a strong heroine, a dangerous anti-hero, and a humorous supporting cast. It is a full-length novel at 80k words and suitable for 18+. This is the beginning of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. Buckle up. The author was let off her leash.]]> 386 K.F. Breene Ria Lize 3
***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 3.83 2021 A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales, #1)
author: K.F. Breene
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/12
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: meh-it-was-okay, yay-no-freaking-drama, wtf-did-i-just-read, ku-read, funny, fantasy, author-i-love
review:
I was expecting the spice level in this series, but was really hoping for a little more romance and plot. :,) A little disappointed but will still continue on and see how the overall plot develops.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)]]> 122779502
The day I meet him, the ruthless mercenary leaves me for dead.

Just hours after humans are born, the gods take what little power we have. In return, they protect our borders from the vicious, merciless fae.

The humans who manage to keep their power are known as the corrupt.
And they are burned.

When my forbidden power is discovered, I’m forced to flee my tiny village and the life I adore.

To survive, I make a desperate bargain with the mercenary who abandoned me at my weakest.

Our deal is simple: I’ll help him and his mysterious friends sneak into the city. And he’ll help me learn to wield the strange, dark power I’ve always kept hidden. The power that may just be the key to my survival.

But the ruthless mercenary is hiding secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten the safety of everyone I love. Secrets that could tear this kingdom—and perhaps even this world—apart.

Please note: A Court This Cruel and Lovely is an NA/adult romantasy book with steam. While this series is slow burn, the chili pepper rating will increase for each book.]]> 562 Stacia Stark Ria Lize 3 4.09 2023 A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)
author: Stacia Stark
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: couple-trust-issues, fantasy, ku-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hellishly Ever After (Infernal Covenant, #1)]]> 56394220
Marriage is my idea of hell, at least until the day an unfairly hot demon shows up in my apartment and drags me to actual Hell—as his wife.

I’d honestly rather have a root canal without sedation than marry anyone, least of all a surly—even if damnably attractive—demon, but I’m bound to the contract stupid teenage Me made with Azazel when I accidentally summoned and trapped him into marriage, to be consummated if I were still single at twenty-five.

I’d forgotten all about it.

He hasn’t.

And now he’s here to claim me.

Neither of us is thrilled about this marriage-of-inconvenience, but what I hate even more than the idea of being married...is being ignored. So when Azazel intends to simply park me out of sight and mind at the other end of his estate in Hell, I make it my newly eternal life’s mission to be as much of a real inconvenience for him as possible.

It’s all fun and games, until I find a soul that shouldn’t be in Hell, stumble smack-dab into the middle of a demon family feud…and the banter between me and Azazel turns so hot it might consume me.]]> 490 Nadine Mutas Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.07 2020 Hellishly Ever After (Infernal Covenant, #1)
author: Nadine Mutas
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)]]> 50659471
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.]]> 272 Sarah J. Maas 1635575621 Ria Lize 3 fluffy, author-i-love A Court of Frost and Starlight picks up from where ACOWAR ended. This would've been the perfect Christmas book, because it gave such cozy holiday vibes.

I like that Feyre/Rhys were still the central POVs, with other POVs sprinkled in. Going into the book I was worried other POVs would take over, but it only added more depth to the secondary characters. But my heart hurt every time I read about Elain/Lucien and Nesta/Cassian. :,( Still, despite some heavier parts, it's mostly such a relaxing read and a nice break after the intense last few books.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 3.69 2019 A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: fluffy, author-i-love
review:
A Court of Frost and Starlight picks up from where ACOWAR ended. This would've been the perfect Christmas book, because it gave such cozy holiday vibes.

I like that Feyre/Rhys were still the central POVs, with other POVs sprinkled in. Going into the book I was worried other POVs would take over, but it only added more depth to the secondary characters. But my heart hurt every time I read about Elain/Lucien and Nesta/Cassian. :,( Still, despite some heavier parts, it's mostly such a relaxing read and a nice break after the intense last few books.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe � a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution � who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch� is falling in love.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Court of Dreams (Institute of the Shadow Fae, #4)]]> 122753158
Desperate to speak to Ruadan, I invade the Institue. Then, things take a turn for the worse. Like, "tortured in a tiny prison cell" worse. Seems like Ruadan has completely betrayed me. But when I finally reunite with my dark demigod, it turns out I'd totally misunderstood his actions.

Once I'm out of jail, Ruadan and I have to fix this mess, and we're thrown together once again. That means finding my father, and killing Baleros before the monster gets what he's after: the skin off Ruadan's corpse. If Baleros gets what he wants, then he'll control the world, and I'll lose Ruadan forever.

This is the final book in a four-book series

Court of Shadows
Court of Darkness
Court of Night
Court of Dreams

This book is from the Demons of Fire and Night world.]]> 242 C.N. Crawford Ria Lize 4 3.97 2019 Court of Dreams (Institute of the Shadow Fae, #4)
author: C.N. Crawford
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: hero-so-sweet, ku-read, yay-no-freaking-drama, fun
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shards of Desire (Dragons of Sin, #1)]]> 216387240 A princess by birth right.

A warrior in spirit.

A bargaining chip for my kingdom that marks me for death.

Everything I dared dream of for my life is scorched to ash when I’m forced to marry our enemy. A dragon king with an endless amount of rumors that all hold one thing in his brutality.

All of this in hopes of preventing a catastrophic war between our people, and the dragons we once held an alliance with.

They say a curse befalling the dragon shifters was the catalyst to the demise of the bonds we once held. A time when humans and dragons openly mixed to find the other half of their soul. I say the curse is just an excuse those monsters use to let the true versions of their beasts be known by all.

At the very least, I’m thankful they can no longer hide their shifting abilities. A glimpse of their dragon being ever present on their human body marked the clear divide now between friend and foe.

In no time at all in his dominating presence, it’s clear to me the rumors about my betrothed are true. He wants me and all those beneath his rule to fear him, but I refuse to tremble beneath the ire of his gaze and sharpness of his tongue. Somehow the way his heart syncs with mine each time I find myself pressed against him for safety in this new world, is what truly scares me.

A dangerous dance begins between us as we navigate our burning hatred and undeniable draw for one another, while unraveling the magic that leads both of our peoples to the edge of ruin.

In the end, will it take our damnation to be their salvation?



Author Shards of Desire is the first STANDALONE book in the Dragons of Sin universe. This book is a standalone that can be read on its own, and will not have a cliffhanger. The universe is intended to be read in any order. Content intended for mature audiences. Follow the fiery Siyana and her icy dragon king as they navigate the arranged marriage neither of them wanted, but perhaps will one day realize they needed. Amidst a kingdom being torn apart by a curse, can a scorned king and his queen, who never wanted a crown, find a way to unite two halves of a world that were always meant to be whole?

Tropes and content included, but not limited to: Dragons & humans, royalty, arranged marriage, forced proximity, one bed, beauty and the beast inspired.


]]> 330 R.L. Caulder Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.00 Shards of Desire (Dragons of Sin, #1)
author: R.L. Caulder
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)]]> 205335957
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.]]> 400 Rachel Gillig 0356522962 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.61 2025 The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Court of Night (Institute of the Shadow Fae, #3)]]> 122753155 246 C.N. Crawford Ria Lize 4 ku-read, made-me-cry, fun 3.98 Court of Night (Institute of the Shadow Fae, #3)
author: C.N. Crawford
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: ku-read, made-me-cry, fun
review:

]]> Pain (Curse of the Gods, #5) 40877170 Willa Knight: The saviour of both worlds, or the destruction of everything?

Sometimes history lies, and the tales of Minatsol and Topia are no different. Since the birth of Topia, Staviti has woven a web of deceit around the truth of Creation, striving only to maintain his power while destroying anything that gets in his way. Now, Willa and the Abcurses are determined to strip back the layers, to uncover the truth, and to understand the true nature of the two worlds before it's too late.
The only problem?
Any wrong step in their quest to restore balance might have terrible repercussions. Every single being—living or dead—might have to pay the price.

This is a full novel, 90,000 words. Book 5 of 5 in the Curse of the Gods Series]]> 392 Jane Washington Ria Lize 4 4.26 2018 Pain (Curse of the Gods, #5)
author: Jane Washington
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: ku-read, funny, fun, why-choose, yay-no-freaking-drama
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Neutral (Curse of the Gods, #4.5)]]> 42110522 Sometimes, the end is only the beginning.

Emmy was born a dweller and she expected to die as a dweller ... until Willa changed everything. Now she has no idea of her path, and she certainly wasn't prepared for what would happen after her death. Caught in the middle of a war that threatened to prove much more significant than anyone had ever expected, there is only one person who can help her ... but his terms are steep.

Cyrus was born out of necessity: a being of light, brought to life with a singular purpose. Time has changed him and the recent events have unsettled him � but a certain transformed dweller is about to do much worse than that. She is about to turn his existence upside down.

Topia is giving them no choice: they survive together, or the war is lost.

This is a NOVELLA, over 30,000 words. Book 4.5 of 5 in the Curse of the Gods Series]]> 180 Jaymin Eve Ria Lize 4 fun, ku-read 4.30 2018 Neutral (Curse of the Gods, #4.5)
author: Jaymin Eve
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/26
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: fun, ku-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Strength (Curse of the Gods, #4)]]> 40582871 Willa Knight: Dead? Alive? Damned to a state of eternal bad luck?

Willa and the Abcurse brothers are back, and more determined than ever to stick by each other. Unfortunately, Staviti has other plans, plans that threaten to change the natural order of the worlds—though nobody really understands why. His agenda may very well affect all beings on Minatsol, even those that thought themselves safe in Topia. Even Willa-invincible-Knight.
Unsure with her new place in the worlds, Willa must follow the Abcurses to their new post: Champions Peak, a secluded mountain far from civilization, where the most powerful sols have been summoned to hone their abilities through direct contact with the gods.
There is a chance that she might survive her time on the mountain, but it seems like staying alive amidst the powerful occupants of the Peak is the least of her concerns.
Her real problem is staying on the mountain at all.

This is a full novel, 90,000 words. Book 4 of 5 in the Curse of the Gods Series]]> 218 Jane Washington Ria Lize 5

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 4.29 2018 Strength (Curse of the Gods, #4)
author: Jane Washington
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: why-choose, yay-no-freaking-drama, funny, fun, ku-read, hero-so-sweet
review:
I don't know what's in these books, but they are like crack. Willa is hilarious. I love her.


***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[Delicate Escape (Sparrow Falls, #2)]]> 212469885
Shepard Colson is all golden-boy charm and devastating good looks. But I know what it’s like to be taken in by easy smiles and the promise of forever—I have the scars to prove it.

Only the handsome contractor won’t stop coming by the bakery and prying little truths from my lips. Those amber eyes of his seeing far too much. And when all the secrets come crashing down, he’s determined to keep me safe. Even if it means moving into my rundown cabin to do it.

Now, Shep isn’t just rebuilding the walls of my home, he’s working his way into my heart. Suddenly, he’s everywhere: shirtless in my garden or in a towel coming out of my bathroom. And my resolve is no match.

Only it’s more than his golden looks. It’s him. The way he watches for my wounds but tells me I’m stronger than anyone he’s ever known. And I can’t help but fall.

But I should’ve known better than to think I could be happy. Not when a ghost from my past still has me in his sights. And when he finds me, he’ll do anything to tear my life apart, even if it means ending it for good…]]> 380 Catherine Cowles 1951936604 Ria Lize 3 4.25 2024 Delicate Escape (Sparrow Falls, #2)
author: Catherine Cowles
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: comfort-read, couple-honest-and-real, cute-story, hero-so-sweet, ku-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Seduction (Curse of the Gods, #3)]]> 36165362 Willa Knight: Dweller? Sol? Accidental evolutionary hiccup?

Willa has never been a particularly useful dweller: she isn’t very good at chores, she isn’t very good at worshipping, she isn’t very good at not having opinions, and she isn’t very good with rules—but none of that matters anymore.
The rules are changing.
The dwellers are trying to make their own way in the world, and Willa can’t seem to help getting tangled up in their plans.
Luckily, she has the Abcurse brothers to help her out—until she doesn’t, and suddenly she’s alone again in a world on the brink of chaos. With the Abcurses gone, she’ll have to rely on her wits, and her sister Emmy, to stay under the radar and survive.
Because someone wants her dead.

But, really, what else is new?

This is a full novel, 90,000 words. Book 3 of 5 in the Curse of the Gods Series]]> 356 Jaymin Eve 0648054292 Ria Lize 4 4.29 2017 Seduction (Curse of the Gods, #3)
author: Jaymin Eve
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: why-choose, yay-no-freaking-drama, ku-read, fun, funny
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Persuasion (Curse of the Gods, #2)]]> 34881966 Willa Knight: Dweller? Bad-ass? Notorious pet to five magical beings?

In Blesswood, there are rules, and someone is trying to teach her how to follow them. The only problem is Willa. Which shouldn’t be anything new, since she has been a problem since birth—something her pseudo-sister Emmy would agree on.

So it definitely shouldn’t be new � but it is.

Because things are starting to happen that have never happened before.

Things are starting to get …chaotic.

This is a full novel, 90,000 words. Book 2 of 5 in the Curse of the Gods Series]]> 386 Jaymin Eve 0648054225 Ria Lize 5 4.27 2017 Persuasion (Curse of the Gods, #2)
author: Jaymin Eve
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: why-choose, ku-read, cute-story, fun, funny, yay-no-freaking-drama
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Trickery (Curse of the Gods, #1)]]> 33898320 Willa Knight: Dweller. Slave. Non-magical being.

In Minatsol, being a dweller means that you are literally no better than dirt. In fact, dirt might actually be more useful than Willa. Her life will be one of servitude to the sols, the magic-blessed beings who could one day be chosen to become gods.

At least her outer village is far removed from the cities of the sols, and she won’t ever be forced to present herself to them... Until one small mistake changes everything, and Willa is awarded a position to serve at Blesswood, the top sol academy in the world—a position that she definitely did not earn.

Under the sudden, watchful eye of the gods, she will be tasked to serve the Abcurse brothers, five sols built of arrogance, perfection and power. They are almost gods themselves, and under their service she is either going to end up sentenced to death, or else they are going to ruin her so badly that she will wish for it.

Either way, she is in trouble.

This is a full novel, 90,000 words. Book 1 of 5 in the Curse of the Gods Series]]> 388 Jaymin Eve 0994279574 Ria Lize 5
It took a while wrapping my head around all her guys - there are 5 of them- but I flew through the book. I was worried there was going to be bullying which seems to be common with at least one of the MMCs in RH, but there was barely any, and the guys seem to be total sweethearts trying not to be too obvious about it.

Willa cracks me up, but she's got a big heart and genuinely gets into disasters that aren't really her fault, and it really endeared me to her. She also doesn't accept love easily as she's used to rejection. I just wanted to give her a hug. ]]> 4.15 2017 Trickery (Curse of the Gods, #1)
author: Jaymin Eve
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: funny, fun, cute-story, why-choose, yay-no-freaking-drama
review:
I really loved this! I wasn’t sure how I’d feel with our MC being so clumsy that it's basically her trait, but I grew to love that about Willa. She really embraces that part of herself.

It took a while wrapping my head around all her guys - there are 5 of them- but I flew through the book. I was worried there was going to be bullying which seems to be common with at least one of the MMCs in RH, but there was barely any, and the guys seem to be total sweethearts trying not to be too obvious about it.

Willa cracks me up, but she's got a big heart and genuinely gets into disasters that aren't really her fault, and it really endeared me to her. She also doesn't accept love easily as she's used to rejection. I just wanted to give her a hug.
]]> <![CDATA[The Alpha’s Pack (Kit Davenport, #6)]]> 36527339
It seems all I’ve ever wanted was vengeance. I did everything right: I protected my friends, I pushed myself to the limits, and I saved lives. Once upon a time, I was an internationally renowned thief known as The Fox. Nobody knew me. Nobody could catch me.

Nobody but them, my men, my partners in crime. But their love for me, it's cost them dearly.

Our enemies keep coming for blood. They cut me. They hurt my friends. They push and push to see what will happen.

I’m Kit Davenport, and I’m going to show them what happens.

This is the end.

Theirs.]]> 412 Tate James Ria Lize 3 4.25 2018 The Alpha’s Pack (Kit Davenport, #6)
author: Tate James
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: fun, why-choose, meh-it-was-okay, yay-no-freaking-drama
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Crow’s Murder (Kit Davenport, #5)]]> 36527330
None of us saw it coming, no matter what precautions we took or how many contingencies we put into play.

What’s the point of having all this power when everyone is out to get me?

They say things are darkest before the light, and that the storm gets worse before it clears. Trust me when I say platitudes don’t do a damn bit of good when you’re in the middle of it.

I’m Kit Davenport, and my heart is breaking.]]> 290 Tate James Ria Lize 4 4.24 2018 The Crow’s Murder (Kit Davenport, #5)
author: Tate James
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: fun, made-me-cry, why-choose, wow-i-survived
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Viper's Nest (Kit Davenport, #4)]]> 37509399
But my heart can't accept the events that led us here. I need answers. Closure.

An olive branch is offered and another trap is sprung. While my relationships grow stronger by the day, new tensions arise and ghosts of my past appear. But can anyone be trusted?

I'm Kit Davenport and I didn't see that one coming.]]> 382 Tate James Ria Lize 3 fun, why-choose 4.23 2018 The Viper's Nest (Kit Davenport, #4)
author: Tate James
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: fun, why-choose
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles, #4)]]> 50757710
Once a wife to a powerful vampire knight, Maud and her young daughter, Helen, were exiled with him for his treachery to the desolate, savage planet of Karhari. Karhari killed her husband, and Maud—completely abandoned by his family—has spent over a year avenging his debts. Rescued by her sister Dina, she's sworn off all things vampire.

Except... In helping Dina save the world, she met Arland, the Marshal of House Krahr, one of the most powerful vampire houses. One thing led to another and he asked for her hand in marriage. She declined. Arland is not used to hearing the word â€no;â€� and try as she might, Maud can't just walk away from Arland. It doesn't help that being human is a lot harder for Maud than being a vampire.

To sort it all out, she accepts his invitation to visit his home planet. House Krahr is extremely influential and Maud knows that a woman—a human, with a very questionable past—who's turned down a proposal from its most beloved son won't get a warm reception. Maybe she’s not sure about marrying Arland, but House Krahr isn’t going to decide for her. Maud Demille has never run from a fight, and House Krahr will soon discover that there's a lot more to Maud than they’re expecting.]]> 311 Ilona Andrews 1641971045 Ria Lize 5
Sweet of the Blade is one of my comfort reads. ❤️ Maud and Arland just work so well together. They communicate and they're upfront with each other.

Potential interdimensional conflict is fun. âşď¸Ź And Helen! Love her.

IA writes really wonderful MCs. I can really respect who they are, what they fight for, and I think the relationships they build, romantic or otherwise, is all the more stronger for it.

I hope we get many more books from this world, because it's one of my favorites.



***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 4.66 2019 Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles, #4)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: couple-honest-and-real, comfort-read, author-i-love, favourite, fun, funny, hero-so-sweet, omg-fangirling, yay-no-freaking-drama
review:
***Re-read Dec 2024**

Sweet of the Blade is one of my comfort reads. ❤️ Maud and Arland just work so well together. They communicate and they're upfront with each other.

Potential interdimensional conflict is fun. âşď¸Ź And Helen! Love her.

IA writes really wonderful MCs. I can really respect who they are, what they fight for, and I think the relationships they build, romantic or otherwise, is all the more stronger for it.

I hope we get many more books from this world, because it's one of my favorites.



***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[A Pack for Winter (Cozyverse, #2)]]> 218625593 She’s resigned to being single.
They’re on a mission to change her mind.

Ivy Noelle Winter is content with being a 31-year-old unbonded omega with no prospects of a pack. She adores teaching fifth grade, she has wonderful friends � and that baking show marathon isn’t going to watch itself.

Until a snowstorm and power outage traps Ivy in her classroom after hours…with three men.

Rome, the new alpha music teacher.

James, the flirtatious beta vet he’s bonded to.

And Logan, the town’s grumpy alpha electrician.

Their scents call to Ivy and her body answers, setting off her first-ever mini heat. When the pheromones settle, she gets a proposition beyond her wildest dreams � a chance to be a pack.

But there’s no such thing as a perfect courtship, especially when the biggest roadblock to happiness might be Ivy herself.

A Pack for Winter is a standalone MMFM why choose small town romance. It is part of the Cozyverse shared universe, bringing you cozy omegaverse full of heart, heat and humor.]]> 334 Eliana Lee 0645971669 Ria Lize 3 4.07 2024 A Pack for Winter (Cozyverse, #2)
author: Eliana Lee
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/22
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: yay-no-freaking-drama, why-choose, made-me-cry, ku-read, comfort-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted, #1)]]> 218038285 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here

This beloved Newbery Honor-winning story about a feisty heroine is sure to enchant readers new and old.

At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy's gift—the “gift� of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it's to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate...

Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.

A tween favorite for 25 years—now shared with today's young readers by moms, teachers, and other adults who remember the pleasure of discovering this fun fairy-tale retelling themselves!]]> Gail Carson Levine 0064407055 Ria Lize 5
***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 4.31 1997 Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted, #1)
author: Gail Carson Levine
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves:
review:
I really loved this. ❤️ I remember watching the Ella Enchanted movie years ago, and while I enjoyed it, the book is so different, in the best way. It's closer to a Cinderella retelling, if Cinderella was cursed with the gift of obedience. I thought the romance was so sweet and so well done. I would've loved a lengthier epilogue, but it's all tied so neatly so I didn't mind it too much.

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[A Hunt So Wild and Cruel (Mythic Holidays, #1)]]> 199290628 They’ve been summoned for a reckoning.

Queen Lauriel hoards wealth and persecutes anyone with magic. She even cancels the Midwinter Glee festival, claiming that it wastes the Crown's money. But one cold night, the Wild Hunt rides across the sky, led by three majestic Fae. They've been called to teach the Queen a lesson, and if she can't learn it by their deadline, her throne won't be the only thing she'll lose. For the three riders, visiting the Queen is a welcome reprieve from their existence as bodiless spirits. But if they fail in their task, their place in the Wild Hunt is at risk, and the alternative is a far worse fate.

Three ghost riders...
One chance to change.

This book is a standalone spinoff of the Wicked Darlings series. It's a spicy fantasy-romance retelling of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, with a female main character and three hunky Fae spirits.
Trigger/content warnings will be available in the front matter of the book and on the author's website.]]> 429 Rebecca F. Kenney Ria Lize 3 4.08 A Hunt So Wild and Cruel (Mythic Holidays, #1)
author: Rebecca F. Kenney
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: why-choose, ku-read, yay-no-freaking-drama, made-me-cry, hero-so-sweet, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Shadow's Messenger (Aileen Travers, #1)]]> 31549771
Now I'm a messenger for Hermes Courier Service trying to make enough to support my ice cream habit while staying below vampire radar. When this newest job of mine goes disastrously awry, it puts me on the hook to be indentured to a sorcerer for the next fifty years unless I can find a way to fix things.

What's hidden can't stay in the shadow's forever and my life will never be the same.]]> 273 T.A. White Ria Lize 4 4.09 2016 Shadow's Messenger (Aileen Travers, #1)
author: T.A. White
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)]]> 26032912 He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity�

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.]]> 321 Holly Black 0316310409 Ria Lize 5 4.33 2019 The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)
author: Holly Black
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5)]]> 53439886
Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . Revealing a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan, his tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.]]> 200 Holly Black Ria Lize 4 4.15 2020 How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5)
author: Holly Black
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)]]> 26032887 The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.]]> 336 Holly Black 0316310336 Ria Lize 4 4.27 2019 The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: wtf-did-i-just-read, wow-i-survived, ku-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)]]> 26032825 Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 Ria Lize 4 couple-trust-issues, fantasy 4.01 2018 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: couple-trust-issues, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Pack for Autumn (Cozyverse, #1)]]> 218643750 She was looking for quiet.
She found them instead.

Starlight Grove needs a new Lighthouse Keeper and Olive Autumn Harvest needs a fresh start. Preferably one with as much solitude as possible. So, her new job and isolated ocean cottage is perfect—except for the eccentric, meddling townspeople, and the cat who’s adopted her.

When the town wins a grant for lighthouse restoration, Olive is forced to let the contractors into her space…a company comprised of three hot alphas:

Easton, her golden retriever stalker.

Lars, the steady, protective viking.

And Finn, who’s hiding a pain that matches her own.

Suddenly, these guys are everywhere—and they’re completely unfazed by Olive’s prickly personality as they try to care for her, protect her, and court her.

But everyone in this relationship is holding on to secrets� and it might not just be the lighthouse that needs restoration.

A Pack for Autumn is a standalone MFMM why choose small town romance. It is part of the Cozyverse shared universe, bringing you cozy omegaverse full of heart, heat, and humor. ]]> 362 Emilia Emerson Ria Lize 3 3.96 2024 A Pack for Autumn (Cozyverse, #1)
author: Emilia Emerson
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)]]> 50659472 The epic third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre's world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.]]> 699 Sarah J. Maas 1635575605 Ria Lize 5 4.47 2017 A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/27
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: fantasy, couple-honest-and-real, hero-so-sweet, need-to-mentally-prepare-first, wow-i-survived, yay-no-freaking-drama
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How My Neighbor Stole Christmas]]> 211148021 A new holiday enemies-to-lovers romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn.

Every Kringle in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot.

But Cole Black on Whistler Lane, unfortunately, did not.

As his fellow citizens decorate their quaint town, brimming with carols and glad tidings, Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the winter away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Immediately, the new neighbor turns his life into a real nightmare before Christmas, especially when she decides to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest in honor of Cindy. And better yet, Storee is determined to win.

Over Cole's dead body, she will. With help from his friend Max, Cole decides to enter the competition as well, to beat Storee at her own game by pretending that this hometown grump's heart has grown three sizes this season and he's fallen for the girl next door. And unfortunately for Storee, she has to follow his lead to have a chance at the Christmas Kringle title.

But the competition isn't the only thing that heats up. Cole and Storee's fake relationship becomes very real, and before they know it, they're attempting to hide it from Aunt Cindy. Things get complicated, the competition gets tough, and all it takes is one single night for someone to steal it all…]]> 480 Meghan Quinn 1464230153 Ria Lize 0 to-read 3.64 2024 How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)]]> 50659468
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.]]> 626 Sarah J. Maas 1635575583 Ria Lize 5 I get it. I get all the hype now. I have so many highlights for the book on my Kindle.

[spoilers removed]]]> 4.65 2016 A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: fantasy, favourite, fun, couple-honest-and-real
review:
It’s been about two weeks and a few books later, but I find myself still thinking of this book.
I get it. I get all the hype now. I have so many highlights for the book on my Kindle.

[spoilers removed]
]]> One Percent of You 43701279
His cold, blunt observation of us doesn’t differ from any other stranger. He doesn’t know me, but he’s already painting a picture of who he thinks I am in his mind. He judges my very round belly, Lucy’s inability to leave him alone, the bags under my eyes, and the fact that I could not care less what I look like anymore.

He’s a rude guy. Stays that way for months too. Then something happens, I’m not even sure what. Judgmental Guy decides Lucy and me � as well as baby Eli � are worth his friendship.

Turns out, Judgmental Guy isn’t too mean � okay, he kind of still is. But he graduates to Elijah. I build an unlikely friendship with him which deems it necessary for him to start smiling around me and my kids.

I’m wrong again. Elijah isn’t rude. He’s terrifying. His strange acts of kindness are unraveling me. Elijah is only my friend.

Right?

Oh, fudge. I think I’m wrong. Again.]]> 343 Michelle Gross Ria Lize 4 Elijah was so sweet! ]]> 4.04 2019 One Percent of You
author: Michelle Gross
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/12
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: hero-so-sweet, ku-read, made-me-cry, yay-no-freaking-drama, comfort-read, couple-honest-and-real, cute-story
review:
Picked this book up on a whim because I saw it got a special edition from Lithaven.
Elijah was so sweet!
]]> <![CDATA[Blood Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #3)]]> 59056313 Everything I ran from, all of the villains of my past, they’re all here to take another bite out of me. But this time, I’m not alone.
With my Bonds desperately trying to reach me and new friendships I never expected, I start to believe that maybe I won't become the weapon they want me to be. Maybe I’ll be a monster of my own creation.
When loyalties are questioned and Bonds are tested, everything I thought I knew gets turned upside down. Who are my friends, and who are my enemies?
Are Bond ties stronger than blood?

*Blood Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 541 J. Bree Ria Lize 5 4.20 2021 Blood Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #3)
author: J. Bree
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/16
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: why-choose, wow-i-survived, wtf-did-i-just-read, made-me-cry, need-to-mentally-prepare-first
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie, #1)]]> 58081613 I was sure everything would be okay if I had them.
It wasn’t.
The fate of our people is in my hands and I know we’re better off if I’m alone.
After five years on the run, I’m caught and dragged back to face the men I ran away from.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Now, I’m not so sure.
North, Nox, Gryphon, Atlas, and Gabe may never forgive me but one thing is for sure.
I won’t ever forgive myself.

*Broken Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 289 J. Bree Ria Lize 5 4.13 2021 Broken Bonds (The Bonds that Tie, #1)
author: J. Bree
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: couple-trust-issues, dark, dear-author-why-the-torture, fantasy, favourite, hairpulling-teethgrinding-wtfckery, hero-clueless, ku-read, wtf-did-i-just-read, wow-i-survived, need-to-mentally-prepare-first, made-me-cry, why-choose
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Savage Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #2)]]> 58410164
I’m no longer the Giftless reject, no longer the girl who’s fair game to the other students for daring to run away from my Bonds.

But there are bigger problems heading my way.

With destiny pushing me closer and closer to each of my Bonds, I’m fighting tooth and nail against nature to keep my distance.

But they’re fighting harder to keep me in their grasp.

When it becomes clear that the Resistance is closer than we ever thought, I don’t know who I can trust.

Can I finally take control of my gift, or will it take control of me?


*Savage Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 500 J. Bree Ria Lize 5 4.25 2021 Savage Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #2)
author: J. Bree
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/15
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: favourite, hero-clueless, ku-read, couple-trust-issues, dark, dear-author-why-the-torture, fantasy, wow-i-survived, wtf-did-i-just-read, made-me-cry, need-to-mentally-prepare-first, why-choose
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Forced Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #4)]]> 59819111
What if they’re one and the same?

The stable foundation I thought I’d built in the Sanctuary has been ripped away, and I find myself on the front lines of the war against the Resistance. I might have my Bonds on my side, but there are darker schemes in motion.

Can I prove myself and turn the tide to protect our most vulnerable, or am I nothing more than the monster they’ve always claimed I am?

Will we make it out of this without tragic consequences?

*Forced Bonds is a full length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 541 J. Bree Ria Lize 5 4.20 2022 Forced Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #4)
author: J. Bree
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/20
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: wow-i-survived, need-to-mentally-prepare-first, ku-read, hero-so-sweet, favourite, fun, dark, fantasy, angsty-but-i-don-t-care, why-choose
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #5)]]> 60654360
Our Bonded Group has been torn apart, and the monsters are now the prey.
But we’re not going to just wait around for our enemy to strike; the blood on his hands is unforgivable, and the god living inside of me wants her revenge paid in blood.

And a thousand souls.

We have been pushed to the limit, tested in ways that have devastating outcomes, and paid the ultimate price. Can we recover from such losses? Is the promise of a world without our enemy worth the sacrifices we’ve made?

Can we prove to everyone, and ourselves, that together our bonds are unbroken?

*Tragic Bonds is a full-length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book will end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 542 J. Bree Ria Lize 4 4.20 2022 Tragic Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #5)
author: J. Bree
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/26
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: why-choose, wtf-did-i-just-read, need-to-mentally-prepare-first
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Unbroken Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #6)]]> 60909286
I thought that the death of the man who tortured me, broke me, and then hunted me to the ends of the Earth would be the end of our fight; but it’s only the beginning.

After thousands of years of being apart, our god bonds are reunited once again; and they’re not ready to go down without a fight.

They’ve woken up hungry.

All of the research in the world couldn’t have prepared us for what’s to come, enemies and wars fought over millennia. Now we’re being forced to act, but this time, we have the advantage.

This time, we’re Bonded.

Are we strong enough to survive the gods and their plans? Will we ever live in the peaceful world we’ve fought so hard for, or is history doomed to repeat itself?


*Unbroken Bonds is a full-length reverse harem PNR novel with material that may be difficult for some readers. This book is the final installment and will not end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations. Book 6 in the 6 book series.]]> 542 J. Bree Ria Lize 4 3.5/5

This was the last book in The Bonds That Tie series, and I found it slower than the previous books. Still happy with the way it wrapped things up. :)

Overall thoughts on the series-- I usually shy away from very angsty reads, but I’m glad to have stuck with it. This is my first proper RH romance. Our FMC was holding her secrets and this caused a lot of tension and misunderstandings between our FMC and MMCs. There was a lot of trauma to unpack. If you can get past that, this is a gem of a series.

From Book 4, the pacing slows down by a notch, but I really liked how the characters got the chance to breathe and do fun things despite the impending danger.

Some nitpicks -- I was a little annoyed that in the earlier books, FMC was all like, “omg I don’t deserve them�. Girl you got yourself tortured for them. For years! You deserve to be treated this way. You deserve to be appreciated, treasured, and loved. I would’ve wanted to hear an apology from Nox after all Oli went through in the Resistance, but I guess actions do speak louder than words.

I really enjoyed that the series took the time to develop the dynamics in their bonded group even after they've stopped resisting their bonds, and I think the last 2 books really gave it a chance to do that. Overall, this was an angsty but amazing ride. Looking forward to reading more books from J Bree, although if the cliffhangers are as painful as every book except the last in this series, maybe I will wait until they're near completion :,)


***
Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> 4.01 2022 Unbroken Bonds (The Bonds That Tie, #6)
author: J. Bree
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/04
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: author-i-love, angsty-but-i-don-t-care, couple-trust-issues, dark, dear-author-why-the-torture, fantasy, favourite, fun, ku-read, made-me-cry, need-to-mentally-prepare-first, omg-fangirling, wtf-did-i-just-read, wow-i-survived, why-choose
review:
3.5/5

This was the last book in The Bonds That Tie series, and I found it slower than the previous books. Still happy with the way it wrapped things up. :)

Overall thoughts on the series-- I usually shy away from very angsty reads, but I’m glad to have stuck with it. This is my first proper RH romance. Our FMC was holding her secrets and this caused a lot of tension and misunderstandings between our FMC and MMCs. There was a lot of trauma to unpack. If you can get past that, this is a gem of a series.

From Book 4, the pacing slows down by a notch, but I really liked how the characters got the chance to breathe and do fun things despite the impending danger.

Some nitpicks -- I was a little annoyed that in the earlier books, FMC was all like, “omg I don’t deserve them�. Girl you got yourself tortured for them. For years! You deserve to be treated this way. You deserve to be appreciated, treasured, and loved. I would’ve wanted to hear an apology from Nox after all Oli went through in the Resistance, but I guess actions do speak louder than words.

I really enjoyed that the series took the time to develop the dynamics in their bonded group even after they've stopped resisting their bonds, and I think the last 2 books really gave it a chance to do that. Overall, this was an angsty but amazing ride. Looking forward to reading more books from J Bree, although if the cliffhangers are as painful as every book except the last in this series, maybe I will wait until they're near completion :,)


***
Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]

]]> Order of Scorpions 62059923
Six years ago, I was spared the flesh markets and instead thrown in with a group of savages, where I learned it was fight or die.

Now, eight Orders of Assassins are converging on the only home I’ve ever known. All in hopes of purchasing new blade slaves for their ranks.

I’m for sale, yet all I want is a life far from death and ownership. Then I meet them, the Order of Scorpions.

Their allure is a threat to the freedom I crave, but I won’t fall victim to their sting, no matter how tempting it might be.

They want to own me, to claim me, but the Scorpions have no idea what they’ve bargained for.

They’re about to learn what venom flows in my veins. I don’t just bite…I destroy.

This book is a dark fantasy romance. It contains graphic violence, strong language, explicit romance, and other content that could be triggering. Please see the author's note inside for a more detailed description of content concerns. Order of Scorpions is a Why Choose standalone story.]]> 761 Ivy Asher Ria Lize 4
Auset had her struggles which was gut-wrenching to read about, but it was really satisfying how she overcame that and found her place. Riall, Tarek and Curio were perfect for her. ]]> 4.14 2022 Order of Scorpions
author: Ivy Asher
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/18
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: dark, fantasy, hero-so-sweet, ku-read, yay-no-freaking-drama, why-choose
review:
Order of Scorpions was a really long book, and I felt it dragged quite a bit midway, but I still really enjoyed it overall.

Auset had her struggles which was gut-wrenching to read about, but it was really satisfying how she overcame that and found her place. Riall, Tarek and Curio were perfect for her.
]]> Find Me (WITSEC, #1) 58570701
My family is gone. My parents. My twin sister. All of them murdered by the man who has stalked me for years. He nearly killed me, too. But I got away and he’s still out there, searching for me. He won’t find me. At least, I hope not. Thanks to WITSEC, I’ve been given a new life with a new identity.

The present�

My uncle, my only living relative, has helped me glue myself back together and given me the tools I’ll need to survive. I’m not fixed and my grief is heavy, but I’m at a point where I can put one foot in front of the other to try to move on.
I know my future will be hard and lonely. I must stay strong and focus on the good. I’m getting a second chance at life. I am safe. My new home is beautiful. The four brothers who live next door are even more so. Little do I know that Colt, Creed, Keelan, and Knox will soon become my everything. It’s as if my lonely heart screamed out for someone good to find me. Four answered back.

***WARNING This is a reverse harem romance. Contains violence, graphic killing, foul language, and sexual content. Some parts may be triggering. Find Me is book 1 out of 4 in the series***]]> 274 Ashley N. Rostek Ria Lize 4 4.32 2021 Find Me (WITSEC, #1)
author: Ashley N. Rostek
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/20
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: ku-read, yay-no-freaking-drama, dark, why-choose
review:

]]> Save Me (WITSEC, #2) 59356763 Save me from my past.
Save me from my fear.
Save me from my pain.
Save me from myself.

The Stone brothers are the reason I can smile again. They are my only light in the drowning darkness. What started as friendship between them and me has become something more. They want me and I want them, too. But that won’t happen with my grief tearing me apart.

Will I succumb to my grief and let it destroy me? Or will my guys be able to save me?


***WARNING This is a reverse harem romance. Contains violence, graphic killing, foul language, and sexual content. Some parts may be triggering.***]]> 244 Ashley N. Rostek Ria Lize 4 dark, ku-read, why-choose 4.23 2021 Save Me (WITSEC, #2)
author: Ashley N. Rostek
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/22
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: dark, ku-read, why-choose
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Haunting Beauty (The Mate Games: Death #1)]]> 125438579 One heroic act damned me for eternity.

With a name like Tor, I should have been a hero, just like my father and twin. Turns out I’m not. Not even close.

Instead I’m the very thing we hunted. A depraved monster.

I thought there was no escaping the curse. No hope for a future.

And then I met my mate in the unlikeliest of places: Blackwood Asylum. A place for criminals. Power hungry madmen. Supernatural outcasts. And her, the curvaceous writer who sees ghosts.

I’m not the only one with a need to claim her though and I don’t know which of us she’ll choose.

The dragon
The pirate
The lost soul
or me� the beast.

Dahlia was my reason for holding on to the last shreds of my humanity, but with every passing day I lose more of myself. And I’m starting to think that’s for the best.

With threats closing in from all sides and a serial killer on the loose, maybe fate brought us together because she doesn’t need a hero.

Maybe what my beauty really needs is a villain.

Warning: The Mate Games: Death is a spicy paranormal series with a cast of antiheroes utterly devoted to their heroine (even if they haven’t realized it yet). It contains a cursed Novasgardian berserker with primal energy, a dastardly pirate captain who deals in pixie dust, a possessive fae dragon shifter who is fond of hand necklaces, and a mysterious Southern gentleman who’d show her what he liked if only he could remember.

Please refer to the authors' website for all tropes, tags, and CWs.]]> 374 K. Loraine Ria Lize 3 why-choose
For RH, I appreciated how distinct the MMCs are, but this was so character driven, I wish we got a bit more danger, because I'm so curious about Jack the Ripper and the mysterious ominous ghost(s??).

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
Separation [spoilers removed]]]> 4.17 Haunting Beauty (The Mate Games: Death #1)
author: K. Loraine
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/28
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: why-choose
review:
I was hoping for more serial killer plot but got a lot of bickering between MMCs instead. :(

For RH, I appreciated how distinct the MMCs are, but this was so character driven, I wish we got a bit more danger, because I'm so curious about Jack the Ripper and the mysterious ominous ghost(s??).

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
Separation [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[Cherished (Luna & Sol Omegaverse, #3)]]> 199502208 I’m destined to be alone. They think they can rewrite my fate.

One year after the fall of the Designation Government, Westin Anderson can barely comprehend her freedom. Now she can have a job and take part in the newly formed Omega Rights Committee, but she’s still barred from doing the one thing her heart desires—joining a pack.

Plagued by a mysterious illness that doctors continue to dismiss, Westin plays fast and loose with her new life. For every quiet day behind the bakery counter, there’s a reckless night she’s not sure she’ll come back from.

Then a broken bike, a vicious attack, and a stint on a "sugar alpha" site leads Westin to four

Gray, a protective alpha bodyguard whose priority is guarding his own heart.

Henry, a sweet beta lawyer who has always dreamed of pack life.

Liam, an alpha nurse who spends all his time taking care of others.

And Bear, an alpha motorcycle shop owner with a past that has left him convinced no pack would ever want him.

Suddenly, Westin has four different men vying for her attention and filling her head with dreams of becoming a pack. But she has always believed her time is running out � and her secrets are too heavy for anyone else to carry.

Cherished is part of the Luna & Sol Omegaverse but can be read as a standalone. It’s a first-person, multiple POV, reverse harem omegaverse romance featuring spicy MFMMM scenes.

Please be sure to read the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book for content warnings!]]> 738 Emilia Emerson Ria Lize 4 3.5/5

Cherished is my first omegaverse book, and really liked it. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Westin and her pack. All of them have distinct personalities, although at times I caught myself checking whose POV it was as the chapters are quite short.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it turned out to be a heavier read than I thought it would be, although there is so much sweetness to soften the emotional turmoil.

I feel like the spice bogged down the plot a fair bit midway, and I found myself skimming a bit to see if the plot would move much.

It's not an easy journey for Westin, but I truly appreciate how it ended [spoilers removed]. It's immensely gratifying to see Westin accept herself and learn to open up to all the people around her.


***
Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]]]> 4.11 Cherished (Luna & Sol Omegaverse, #3)
author: Emilia Emerson
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: made-me-cry, wow-i-survived, ku-read, hero-so-sweet, couple-trust-issues, why-choose
review:
3.5/5

Cherished is my first omegaverse book, and really liked it. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Westin and her pack. All of them have distinct personalities, although at times I caught myself checking whose POV it was as the chapters are quite short.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it turned out to be a heavier read than I thought it would be, although there is so much sweetness to soften the emotional turmoil.

I feel like the spice bogged down the plot a fair bit midway, and I found myself skimming a bit to see if the plot would move much.

It's not an easy journey for Westin, but I truly appreciate how it ended [spoilers removed]. It's immensely gratifying to see Westin accept herself and learn to open up to all the people around her.


***
Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)]]> 196864520

The viral TikTok friends-to-lovers dark romantic comedy full of murder, chaos, and spice—unlike anything you’ve read before—now available in all bookstores.


When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of like-minded, pitch-black souls. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country.


But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

]]> 360 Brynne Weaver Ria Lize 4 4.00 2023 Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: hero-so-sweet, ku-read, funny, fun
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal, #1)]]> 213309864
Neither is the encounter with an enemy soldier.

Returning home to Alaha, she’s confronted with the aftermath of the day’s events. The future is uncertain as the threat of hunger looms over the people. With rumors of a growing rebellion, Brynn and her closest friends promise to stick together.

When an unexpected visitor arrives, Brynn’s loyalty will be tested as she learns of a world of magic and treachery. Once her enemy, always her enemy, right? But the dark, knowing eyes of a stranger make her question everything�

…including her heart.]]> 497 Rachel Schneider Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.28 Metal Slinger (Fire & Metal, #1)
author: Rachel Schneider
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Four Psychos (The Dark Side, #1)]]> 36550871 Like everyone else, I have life goals.

Goal #1: Become a real girl instead of this invisible ghost thing I currently am.

Goal #2: Convince the four men I've been haunting for the past five years to pick me to be their new toy after goal one is complete.

Goal #3: Figure out who/what I am and why I can't remember anything past the five years I've been haunting this quad.

Goal #4: Eat popcorn.

See? Perfectly normal. Sort of.
Gotta start small, after all.
It's not like anyone else is perfect either.

**Sexual situations
**Reverse Harem
**Dark humor galore
**Language warning]]> 173 Kristy Cunning Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.10 2017 Four Psychos (The Dark Side, #1)
author: Kristy Cunning
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Inked (Gilded Blood, #1) 59963160 When Zayn, your smoking hot boss, tells you never to touch the cache of deluxe tattoo ink locked away in his office, you listen to him� until the day you run out of your own ink, your squirming client is on the verge of peeing his pants, and your boss is nowhere to be found. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

I fully expected Zayn to yell at me when he returned to the shop. What I didn't expect was the fresh cobra tattoo on my client’s butt magically springing to life. Or the interdimensional filing cabinet hiding in the back of Zayn's office. And, oh, did I mention that my gorgeous, magic-ink-hoarding boss is actually an incubus?

Now � through (mostly) no fault of my own � we have to venture into a strange and distant land where a never-ending list of lethal flora, fauna, and fae await us. When you add in my Jewish mother’s string of poorly-timed, hysterical phone calls, there is one thing I’m grateful for: there’s no cell service in the fae realm. ]]> 347 Rachel Rener Ria Lize 4 <b>3.5/5</b><br /> 4.21 2022 Inked (Gilded Blood, #1)
author: Rachel Rener
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:
3.5/5

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)]]> 50659467
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.]]> 419 Sarah J. Maas 1635575567 Ria Lize 4 fun, fantasy 4.16 2015 A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/02
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves: fun, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)]]> 209741142 A spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.]]> 688 Keri Lake Ria Lize 4 4/5

I really enjoyed the gothic vibes and the world-building of Anathema. It reminded me a bit of Quicksilver-except creepier- with how our FMC is snatched away from the world she's known, to another that's altogether new and exciting. But for how long the book is, it feels like the plot hasn’t really moved much. Still, I love the banter between the H/h. The secondary characters are also wonderful.

I'm really looking forward to the next book as I need to know how this ends. :,)

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 4.14 2024 Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)
author: Keri Lake
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/28
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: ku-read, yay-no-freaking-drama, need-to-mentally-prepare-first
review:
4/5

I really enjoyed the gothic vibes and the world-building of Anathema. It reminded me a bit of Quicksilver-except creepier- with how our FMC is snatched away from the world she's known, to another that's altogether new and exciting. But for how long the book is, it feels like the plot hasn’t really moved much. Still, I love the banter between the H/h. The secondary characters are also wonderful.

I'm really looking forward to the next book as I need to know how this ends. :,)

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> <![CDATA[The Wraith King (The Rise of Northgall, #1)]]> 202452565 Una Hartstone, Princess of Issos, learns the price the Wraith King demands to end the war once and for all. Her. In exchange for the safety of her people, she agrees to give her life—and her body—to her greatest enemy.

Gollaya Verbane is determined to fulfill his destiny and his god’s prophecy. When his seer points to the Princess of Issos as the key to the rise of the dark fae, he demands her submission. But when she finally yields, he realizes Una is much more to him than a priceless weapon.

A mystery that has haunted Una for years awakens when she is abducted and dragged back to Näkt Mir. The palace hides many dark secrets…and at least one traitor. A traitor determined to take King Goll’s throne—and all he possesses. What he doesn’t know is that Una’s magick is more powerful than he can imagine, and that Goll will burn the whole world to save her.]]> 452 Juliette Cross Ria Lize 0 to-read 3.66 2024 The Wraith King (The Rise of Northgall, #1)
author: Juliette Cross
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Brightest Light of Sunshine (The Brightest Light, #1)]]> 63831009
Determined to walk away from a traumatic past, 22-year-old Grace Allen feels ready to take the next step in her healing journey—dipping a toe into the dating pool. Although she should probably start by making a friend or two, right?

Samuel â€Calâ€� Callaghan isn’t who she had envisioned as her first male friend inâ€� well, forever. With an intimidating build, tattoos everywhere, eight years her senior, and a little sister under his care, the last thing she expected was to warm up to him so easily. As their friendship evolves, Grace can’t help but wonder if Cal is exactly who she’s been looking for all this time.

Cal can’t afford to lose sight of his priorities—making sure his tattoo parlor thrives and taking care of his little sister. Especially the latter. He wants to make sure 4-year-old Maddie has a healthy and happy childhood despite their mother going off the rails and her father’s blatant neglect. There’s certainly no room for love in his life right now. But when a sweet blonde with a veiled past breaks down his walls, he finds it difficult to stick to his guns.

CONTENT NOTES: This book contains themes of sexual assault (there are no explicit scenes depicting sexual assault), profanity, alcoholism, and explicit sexual content. Recommended for 18+.]]> 412 Lisina Coney Ria Lize 0 to-read 3.84 2023 The Brightest Light of Sunshine (The Brightest Light, #1)
author: Lisina Coney
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Jane Eyre 10210 Alternate editions can be found here and here.

A gothic masterpiece of tempestuous passions and dark secrets, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is edited with an introduction and notes by Stevie Davis in Penguin Classics.

Charlotte Brontë tells the story of orphaned Jane Eyre, who grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, enduring loneliness and cruelty. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane's natural independence and spirit - which prove necessary when she finds employment as a governess to the young ward of Byronic, brooding Mr Rochester. As her feelings for Rochester develop, Jane gradually uncovers Thornfield Hall's terrible secret, forcing her to make a choice. Should she stay with Rochester and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions - even if it means leaving the man she loves? A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzled readers with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom.]]> 532 Charlotte Brontë 0142437204 Ria Lize 2 4.14 1847 Jane Eyre
author: Charlotte Brontë
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1847
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/10/23
shelves:
review:
I cannot say I was a fan of the book's ending. I'm not sure how I would've liked it to end, but I wanted a bit more. We're taken through Jane's childhood, her experiences when she meets Rochester, and I felt rather disappointed that it ended so abruptly, so quickly, and then we were left to a summary of her life in the epilogue.However, to be fair, it all ended on a happy note, where the main issues were resolved.
]]> <![CDATA[The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas, #2)]]> 157596797 The Songbird:
Captive. Challenger. Queen.

Enemies took her from the man who holds her heart. They might see her as weak, as a pawn in wicked games, but they’re no match for the first Ever Queen.

Let them think they’ve won. Her heart belongs to a beautiful monster, and she will never stop fighting until she’s back in his arms.

The Serpent:
Captor. Villain. King.

His enemies stole the woman who claimed his soul. They betrayed him out of greed and desire for the crown, but they won't die for that betrayal. No.

They’ll die for touching her.

His heart belongs to a stunning little bird. He will never stop searching for her light across the skies. Not until the blood of his enemies spills at her feet, and his queen wears their bones around her neck.

Welcome back to the world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates collide with Vikings in passionate romance, brutal battles, and an unforgettable dark fantasy world. This book concludes the love story between Erik and Livia, but new, standalone romances with other favorite characters will continue to build the world. Readers are encouraged to check the TW inside the book for their reading comfort.]]> 452 L.J. Andrews Ria Lize 4 4.12 2024 The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas, #2)
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/19
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves: comfort-read, couple-honest-and-real, cute-story, fantasy, fun, ku-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)]]> 75384035 They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter�

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

*Please note: This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside*]]> 408 L.J. Andrews Ria Lize 4 4.15 2023 The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: comfort-read, couple-honest-and-real, fun, funny, fantasy, ku-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1)]]> 201017011 “I don’t need another kink.�

That thought pops into my head whenever I pull up my favorite social media app, but alas, every time I scroll, I learn something new about myself, and another one is born. And yes, I know I’m responsible for what the algorithm shows me, but I’m trying to ignore that fact.

Lately, my feed has been dominated by masked men. I’ve favorited videos with them dressed in full cosplay, decked out in futuristic military apparel, and wrapped up like ghouls.

But more than anything else, my FYP is filled with shirtless men wearing ghost masks. Bonus points if they’re heavily tattooed, wielding a knife, or covered in fake blood. At night, I dream about being chased by them, of them catching me and doing deliciously dark things to my more than willing body.

I never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become my new reality.

Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally grey male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book. ]]> 338 Navessa Allen Ria Lize 3 4.17 2024 Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1)
author: Navessa Allen
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/10/06
shelves: yay-no-freaking-drama, wtf-did-i-just-read, hero-so-sweet, cute-story, couple-honest-and-real
review:

]]> <![CDATA[First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)]]> 213243908 A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.08 2025 First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Magic Rises (Kate Daniels, #6)]]> 11544421 Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap�

Includes the short story "An Ill-Advised Rescue"]]> 355 Ilona Andrews 1937007588 Ria Lize 5 "Learning other things was a priority."
"What other things?"
"How to effectively kill one of you with a six-inch knife. I'm a fast learner and I had a lot of practice. Turns out there is a way to jam the knife blade under the cervical vertebrae in such a way that hour neck pops right out. Remind me some time, I'll show you." <3 <3
]]> 4.43 2013 Magic Rises (Kate Daniels, #6)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2013/10/09
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: wow-i-survived, favourite, fun, dear-author-why-the-torture, author-i-love
review:
"Learning other things was a priority."
"What other things?"
"How to effectively kill one of you with a six-inch knife. I'm a fast learner and I had a lot of practice. Turns out there is a way to jam the knife blade under the cervical vertebrae in such a way that hour neck pops right out. Remind me some time, I'll show you."
<3 <3

]]> <![CDATA[Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3)]]> 4345498
But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games � an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament � she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta’s shapeshifting community…]]> 310 Ilona Andrews 0441017029 Ria Lize 5
This book was so much fun, and still remains one of my favourites in the series.

This time we get to see our group of misfits participate in the Midnight Games. Love their team name. ]]> 4.42 2009 Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/22
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: love-at-first-word, omg-fangirling, author-i-love
review:
**Re-read January 2024*

This book was so much fun, and still remains one of my favourites in the series.

This time we get to see our group of misfits participate in the Midnight Games. Love their team name.
]]> <![CDATA[Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2)]]> 1811543
As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest � and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…]]> 261 Ilona Andrews 0441015832 Ria Lize 5
Yep, still amazing the third time round.

This time we meet Julie and Andrea. More characters to love. ❤️

The way the chicken soup scene went down is gold. ]]> 4.30 2008 Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/21
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: love-at-first-word, author-i-love
review:
**Re-read January 2024**

Yep, still amazing the third time round.

This time we meet Julie and Andrea. More characters to love. ❤️

The way the chicken soup scene went down is gold.
]]> <![CDATA[Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)]]> 38619 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780441014897.

Ilona Andrews invites you to experience the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring the intriguing fantasy world of mercenary Kate Daniels�

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…]]> 260 Ilona Andrews Ria Lize 5 author-i-love
Crazy to think I'm re-reading this again after almost 15~ years. So much nostalgia for me with this series, and even after all this time, it's not hard to see why I fell in love with this world.

Kate is one of my most fav MCs I've read. She acquired a lot of her skills because she studied, she trained hard. Because she had to survive. Even with her bravado she remains grounded and self-aware, and with so many MCs out there that are all talk, Kate actually backs it up and it's so wonderfully satisfying to read. :)

I respect her grit, her wit, and despite all odds, her propensity to run into a really deadly situation so fearlessly because she cares.

Curran was not my favorite in this book but man does he leave a strong impression. ;D
Re-reading this book was like meeting old friends. Looking forward to some of my favorite scenes in this series. While I'm at it, I'll go through all the Curran POVs in order.
]]> 4.06 2007 Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/12
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: author-i-love
review:
**Jan 2024 Reread**

Crazy to think I'm re-reading this again after almost 15~ years. So much nostalgia for me with this series, and even after all this time, it's not hard to see why I fell in love with this world.

Kate is one of my most fav MCs I've read. She acquired a lot of her skills because she studied, she trained hard. Because she had to survive. Even with her bravado she remains grounded and self-aware, and with so many MCs out there that are all talk, Kate actually backs it up and it's so wonderfully satisfying to read. :)

I respect her grit, her wit, and despite all odds, her propensity to run into a really deadly situation so fearlessly because she cares.

Curran was not my favorite in this book but man does he leave a strong impression. ;D
Re-reading this book was like meeting old friends. Looking forward to some of my favorite scenes in this series. While I'm at it, I'll go through all the Curran POVs in order.

]]> Obsidian (Lux, #1) 12578077
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring� until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something� unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.]]> 335 Jennifer L. Armentrout Ria Lize 3
]]> 4.14 2011 Obsidian (Lux, #1)
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2013/01/03
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: annoying, hairpulling-teethgrinding-wtfckery
review:
3.5 stars /5 (Not quite a 4.)


]]> <![CDATA[Meet Me Halfway (Meet Me Halfway, #1)]]> 61199573
Alone with a baby and desperate for the love she hadn’t found, she turned to a man who sealed his claim of devotion with a diamond ring.

He promised her a family. A life. A future. But his lies had only been a cover for the personal hell he introduced her to daily.

Now, at twenty-five, Madison has long since stopped believing in love. It’s simply not a square on her bingo card.

Balancing single parenthood, three jobs, and online courses, she doesn’t have the time anyway.

So when the broody neighbor living in the other side of her duplex leaves a rude note on her door, she’s not interested.

Not in his dark hair, not in his physique, and definitely not in the dimples she’s only seen a hint of. She’s one hundred percent, absolutely, not interested.

Not even a little.

Author's Note: Head to the author's website for a full list of all content descriptions, tropes, etc.]]> 386 Lilian T. James Ria Lize 5

***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]]]> 3.78 2022 Meet Me Halfway (Meet Me Halfway, #1)
author: Lilian T. James
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: comfort-read, couple-honest-and-real, couple-trust-issues, cute-story
review:
Was not expecting to love this, but this was a really sweet slow burn book that I was totally in the mood for. ❤️ Not a lot of angst/drama, just a simmering build-up between the H/h.


***

Push-pull? [spoilers removed]
Cheating? [spoilers removed]
OW/OM [spoilers removed]
HEA/HFN? [spoilers removed]
Separation? [spoilers removed]
]]> Jingle This! 16282154
Angie Miller has to write sizzling, evocative, heart-melting holiday stories about love, romance and diamonds for her company's newest client…an assignment that isn't so easy when she's just had her heart broken. When her first not-so-cheery story nearly gets her company fired, her boss Kyle Black makes it his personal mission to get Angie in the right mood to wax poetic about love and romance. The fact that there's three years' worth of unrequited sexual tension simmering between them? It just makes it all the more interesting when Kyle shows up in her office with his oh-so-broad shoulders, smoldering smile and…oh, yeah� his slightly autocratic ways� How is Angie supposed to find her muse again when Kyle keeps trying to have his way with her? Not "that" kind of way, but a girl can dream�

*Author's Note: Jingle This! is a short novel that was originally published 2004 in mass market paperback by Dorchester Publishing as part of the holiday anthology Shop 'til Yule Drop. It has been substantially revised and expanded. It is approximately 180 pages in length.]]> 172 Stephanie Rowe 0985179295 Ria Lize 2 annoying
I was in tears reading this book. No, they weren't happy tears. They were frustrated tears. I mentioned once in a review that I'm sensitive when it comes to books. I take them too seriously. This wasn't my idea of a light-hearted read at all.No one told me what an infuriating read this was. If they had, I never would've picked this up.

Let me tell you how this story went:

Heroine falls in love with guy, Kyle.
Kyle hooks up instead with heroine's SISTER.
Heroine then falls to arms of Kyle's business partner, Roger.
Roger dumps heroine.
Rogers hooks up with heroine's sister.
Heroine falls in love again with Kyle.

Aannd..that was how this story pretty much went.

He sleeps with her sister. Her SISTER. That's got to be a violation of chick-lit code or something. Although it was only mentioned a couple of times. Seriously? Her sister of all people? How could he hurt her like that? He could've slept with anyone. >:(

This book was ridden with unlikeable characters. The only two characters I could stand were the heroine and the hero. Her best friend, I did warm up to towards the end, but I didn't like her insensitivity at first. The heroine's family was not redeemed at all. I don't think they were redeemable anyway. Do people like that even exist? No one even comforted her, said, "Hey, I'm sorry this happened to you. Here's some ice cream." No one condemned her sister. Where was the family spirit? The comfort? No, where were their manners? Gosh, I didn't like them at all. >.<

This kicked off with a hilarious start, with the heroine in a burning rage, she wanted to burn everything that reflected Christmas spirit... Then it went downhill from there. At least it had a HEA. But meh. Should've picked up Steel's Edge instead.

Merged review:

Oh joy. The things I hate the most in a book: Messy relationships and feelings. I empathised with the heroine so much that I hated everyone else.

I was in tears reading this book. No, they weren't happy tears. They were frustrated tears. I mentioned once in a review that I'm sensitive when it comes to books. I take them too seriously. This wasn't my idea of a light-hearted read at all.No one told me what an infuriating read this was. If they had, I never would've picked this up.

Let me tell you how this story went:

Heroine falls in love with guy, Kyle.
Kyle hooks up instead with heroine's SISTER.
Heroine then falls to arms of Kyle's business partner, Roger.
Roger dumps heroine.
Rogers hooks up with heroine's sister.
Heroine falls in love again with Kyle.

Aannd..that was how this story pretty much went.

He sleeps with her sister. Her SISTER. That's got to be a violation of chick-lit code or something. Although it was only mentioned a couple of times. Seriously? Her sister of all people? How could he hurt her like that? He could've slept with anyone. >:(

This book was ridden with unlikeable characters. The only two characters I could stand were the heroine and the hero. Her best friend, I did warm up to towards the end, but I didn't like her insensitivity at first. The heroine's family was not redeemed at all. I don't think they were redeemable anyway. Do people like that even exist? No one even comforted her, said, "Hey, I'm sorry this happened to you. Here's some ice cream." No one condemned her sister. Where was the family spirit? The comfort? No, where were their manners? Gosh, I didn't like them at all. >.<

This kicked off with a hilarious start, with the heroine in a burning rage, she wanted to burn everything that reflected Christmas spirit... Then it went downhill from there. At least it had a HEA. But meh. Should've picked up Steel's Edge instead.]]> 3.51 2004 Jingle This!
author: Stephanie Rowe
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2004
rating: 2
read at: 2012/12/09
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: annoying
review:
Oh joy. The things I hate the most in a book: Messy relationships and feelings. I empathised with the heroine so much that I hated everyone else.

I was in tears reading this book. No, they weren't happy tears. They were frustrated tears. I mentioned once in a review that I'm sensitive when it comes to books. I take them too seriously. This wasn't my idea of a light-hearted read at all.No one told me what an infuriating read this was. If they had, I never would've picked this up.

Let me tell you how this story went:

Heroine falls in love with guy, Kyle.
Kyle hooks up instead with heroine's SISTER.
Heroine then falls to arms of Kyle's business partner, Roger.
Roger dumps heroine.
Rogers hooks up with heroine's sister.
Heroine falls in love again with Kyle.

Aannd..that was how this story pretty much went.

He sleeps with her sister. Her SISTER. That's got to be a violation of chick-lit code or something. Although it was only mentioned a couple of times. Seriously? Her sister of all people? How could he hurt her like that? He could've slept with anyone. >:(

This book was ridden with unlikeable characters. The only two characters I could stand were the heroine and the hero. Her best friend, I did warm up to towards the end, but I didn't like her insensitivity at first. The heroine's family was not redeemed at all. I don't think they were redeemable anyway. Do people like that even exist? No one even comforted her, said, "Hey, I'm sorry this happened to you. Here's some ice cream." No one condemned her sister. Where was the family spirit? The comfort? No, where were their manners? Gosh, I didn't like them at all. >.<

This kicked off with a hilarious start, with the heroine in a burning rage, she wanted to burn everything that reflected Christmas spirit... Then it went downhill from there. At least it had a HEA. But meh. Should've picked up Steel's Edge instead.

Merged review:

Oh joy. The things I hate the most in a book: Messy relationships and feelings. I empathised with the heroine so much that I hated everyone else.

I was in tears reading this book. No, they weren't happy tears. They were frustrated tears. I mentioned once in a review that I'm sensitive when it comes to books. I take them too seriously. This wasn't my idea of a light-hearted read at all.No one told me what an infuriating read this was. If they had, I never would've picked this up.

Let me tell you how this story went:

Heroine falls in love with guy, Kyle.
Kyle hooks up instead with heroine's SISTER.
Heroine then falls to arms of Kyle's business partner, Roger.
Roger dumps heroine.
Rogers hooks up with heroine's sister.
Heroine falls in love again with Kyle.

Aannd..that was how this story pretty much went.

He sleeps with her sister. Her SISTER. That's got to be a violation of chick-lit code or something. Although it was only mentioned a couple of times. Seriously? Her sister of all people? How could he hurt her like that? He could've slept with anyone. >:(

This book was ridden with unlikeable characters. The only two characters I could stand were the heroine and the hero. Her best friend, I did warm up to towards the end, but I didn't like her insensitivity at first. The heroine's family was not redeemed at all. I don't think they were redeemable anyway. Do people like that even exist? No one even comforted her, said, "Hey, I'm sorry this happened to you. Here's some ice cream." No one condemned her sister. Where was the family spirit? The comfort? No, where were their manners? Gosh, I didn't like them at all. >.<

This kicked off with a hilarious start, with the heroine in a burning rage, she wanted to burn everything that reflected Christmas spirit... Then it went downhill from there. At least it had a HEA. But meh. Should've picked up Steel's Edge instead.
]]> <![CDATA[Shutter speed (Snapshot, #0.5)]]> 34312770 But when she's working on making her dreams come true, she inadvertently captures something in her viewfinder she can’t un-see.

He wasn’t supposed to be here, but he can’t seem to escape his old life. Stuck in an old trailer in the mountains, he walks a fine line between ruse and reality. With the arrival of a young-looking pixie—who turns out to be a full grown, hot-blooded woman—his balance is thrown.
He tries to avoid her, but with the little pixel peeper snapping everything in sight, she unintentionally risks his exposure.

And his focus needs to be sharp to keep her from danger.
]]> 126 Freya Barker 1988733014 Ria Lize 4 ku-read 4.26 2017 Shutter speed (Snapshot, #0.5)
author: Freya Barker
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2019/12/17
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: ku-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Her Feral Beasts (Her Vicious Beasts, #1)]]> 125035180
With my life going down in literal flames I ran from everything. From my father, from a forced marriage, from my mates .

Now, charged with a crime I didn’t commit, they’re all hunting me . And they’re all furious.

The dangerous deputy headmaster of Animus Academy manages to catch me and along with three of my five mates we’re taken back to the prison-school they use to teach feral beasts how to be civilised. Now I’m locked up with the very men I’ve been trying to avoid all my life.

No one can know who my mates are. No one can know who I really am. Because if they do, it’s lights out for me. I’ll be chained up and bred until I die. And I refuse to allow that to happen.]]> 570 E.P. Bali 0645690996 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.09 2023 Her Feral Beasts (Her Vicious Beasts, #1)
author: E.P. Bali
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)]]> 22299763
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.]]> 561 Leigh Bardugo Ria Lize 4 4.25/5


Oh, my heart. This would’ve been perfect except for Nina/Matthias ending. ]]> 4.58 2016 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/25
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves:
review:
4.25/5


Oh, my heart. This would’ve been perfect except for Nina/Matthias ending.
]]> <![CDATA[High Stakes (High Mountain Trackers, #2)]]> 60096949
But Nella can be persuasive.

The first time High Mountain Tracker, Fletch Boone, laid eyes on Nella, her ass was stuck in his grocery cart. The next time was at the ranch; she was wearing mud, head to toe. But when he catches sight of her a third time, hanging off a cliff, he can’t turn his back again. What Nella lacks in survival skills she makes up for in sheer determination. Unfortunately, neither of those is enough protection when bullets start flying.

Fletch has no choice but to jump in before the woman gets herself killed.

And that would be a damn shame.]]> 281 Freya Barker 1988733731 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.48 2022 High Stakes (High Mountain Trackers, #2)
author: Freya Barker
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Shaw (Hell Squad, #7) 28699571 In the aftermath of a deadly alien invasion, a band of survivors fights on...

Hell Squad sniper Shaw Baird is a man on a mission. His squad is his family and now the invading aliens have done the unforgivable... taken one of his team. Claudia Frost - soldier, friend, and all-round badass - is running on borrowed time. Shaw has vowed to bring her home, whatever it takes... and he’s only just realising now she’s been taken that Claudia is a vital piece of him.

Claudia Frost is surviving... barely. Kept in chains, made to fight for the aliens� enjoyment, she can’t survive much longer. But she knows her squad is coming for her... knows Shaw is coming. Only thoughts of the sexy, charming sniper get her through the hell, and for the first time in forever, she wishes she hadn’t let the wounds of her past stop her from taking a taste of the man who is her friend, her sanity and her secret obsession.

But rescuing Claudia is only the first dangerous step. The alien keeping Claudia prisoner is far more intelligent, far more patient and a hell of a lot deadlier than any they’ve faced before. Not only is he hunting their band of human survivors through the forests of the Blue Mountains, but he wants Claudia. And he’ll let nothing get in his way.

]]> 241 Anna Hackett 0994358482 Ria Lize 0 maybe-reads 4.36 2016 Shaw (Hell Squad, #7)
author: Anna Hackett
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: maybe-reads
review:

]]> Splendor (Inevitable, #2) 21416370 468 Janet Nissenson 1483524949 Ria Lize 0 maybe-reads 4.19 2014 Splendor (Inevitable, #2)
author: Janet Nissenson
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: maybe-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Melting into You (Stewart Island, #2)]]> 42182876 Big, sexy men who don’t relate well to kids need not apply�

Kezia Murphy plays her widow card well. When you don’t trust people not to let you down, it’s easier to not get involved—and getting involved with a man who makes her skin sizzle just by looking at him would be una pazzia—crazy! Four years ago while Kezia’s daughter, Zoe, battled leukaemia, a tragic accident stole her husband’s life. Starting over in the little town of Oban where she’s adopted into the close knit community on Stewart Island, Kezia and her daughter are all the family the other needs. Except Zoe yearns for more.

New Zealand’s worst candidate for instant fatherhood�

Ben doesn’t do gooey emotional stuff. He doesn’t do cosy home and family. And he sure isn’t the big teddy-bear Kezia Murphy, the woman he secretly fantasises about, thinks he is. So when Jade, his surprise eight-year-old daughter arrives on his doorstep, he’s a D-minus student struggling to pass a crash-course in parenting.

They’ll either melt or raze their lives to the ground�

When the sparks of attraction between Kezia and Ben fan into an inferno, Ben doesn’t know how much longer the layers of resistance around his heart can resist melting into the gooey mess he fears. The more he fights it the harder it is to make the choice that will destroy the family he now longs to claim.]]> 304 Tracey Alvarez 0473285940 Ria Lize 0 to-read 4.18 2014 Melting into You (Stewart Island, #2)
author: Tracey Alvarez
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Talk Me Down (Tumble Creek #1)]]> 19186899 352 Victoria Dahl 1460309049 Ria Lize 0 to-read 3.61 2008 Talk Me Down (Tumble Creek #1)
author: Victoria Dahl
name: Ria Lize
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>