Thursday, 7 April 2022

Head Stuck In A Book: ARC Review: A Beautiful Liar (Hades And Persephone #1) - Beena Khan


Released: 8th April 2022


I gave Hades a fake name at the club, and now, he's chosen me as his mate.

Once upon a myth...
I've always been sheltered by my overprotective mother, hence the nickname given to me by my tormentors. "The nun." As a geeky scholarship student at the ancient and prestigious Saint Eudora Academy, I craved freedom, so, I sneaked out into the nightlife for the first time to mend my broken heart. There, I met a pair of alluring blue eyes and our worlds collided leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

It was a single night, and we both wanted to forget someone. He said, I have six months before he returns. Six months to tell my old life goodbye. In my drunk state, I agreed, and he declared us as betrothed. The next morning, I ghosted him.

Imagine my surprise when I see him at my academy six months later. He's returned like a raging inferno to claim me.

The connection and recognition are still there. He was supposed to only be a myth. The man I meet now is different. He's tortured, dark, and deadly like Hades. A sense of danger surrounds him, trapping me toward him. I don't know what he is capable of until a favor from the reaper and a chilling murder forces us to bond.

I fear the unknown ahead of me when I finally unmask him. I'm entangled in a web of secrets and lies where money and power rule in his dark world. He says he collects souls, and now he is here to take mine.

Valerius Vitalli will never let me go.

Loosely based on the myth of Hades & Persephone.
 

Review.

A Beautiful Liar is a Hades and Persephone based dark academia, mafia story set in an atmospheric world perfect for this kind of story.
What drew me to this book was the myth of Hades and Persephone; I'm definitely not someone that will turn down anything Greek mythology related.
I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about this book, I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it either; in saying that, I will read the next book so I can see how it all ends.

I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gems; all thoughts are my own.

 

Monday, 4 April 2022

Head Stuck In A Book: ARC Book Review: Savage Princess (Savage Kingdom #1) - Jennilynn Wyer

 




Released: 5th April 2022


One strong-willed woman set on revenge.
Three childhood friends who are now her enemies.
Get ready for Alexandria to create chaos.

My name is Alexandria Donatella McCarthy, daughter of the don of the Rossi syndicate. Abused. Neglected. Underestimated. I'm about to unleash hell on this town. Keane Agosti, Rafael Ortiz, and Jaxson West don't know it yet, but I am the devil who will bring that hell to their doorsteps—and take my father down right along with them.

I was born into a life that showed me nothing but pain. A toy, a pawn, to be used by my father, Maximillian Rossi. My brother, Kellan, was the only bright light in my dark world. Then one day, he was gone. Taken from me. And it's their fault. My brother's three best friends. Keane, the leader of the group whose quest for power will be his undoing. Jax, the twisted psycho who lost his soul a long time ago. And Rafe, my ex-boyfriend who shattered my heart and left me when I needed him the most.

Now it's my turn to descend into the darkness. I will destroy them all, burn the Rossi house to the ground, and then rise from the ashes.

Are you ready for me, boys? This savage princess is coming for you.

Reader's Warning: Savage Princess is a dark, enemies to lovers, Mafia, reverse harem romance and contains scenes that may be triggering to sensitive individuals such as blood, violence, scenes depicting torture, foul language, consensual sexual content, and references to past sexual abuse/trauma. If you are not familiar with reverse harem romances, this troupe is where the female protagonist has more than one love interest and is in an intimate relationship with more than one man. Savage Princess is book 1 in the Savage Kingdom three-book series and ends with a cliffhanger. Recommended for mature readers.

Review.

When I was offered this book to review, the description sold me straight away; I wasn't expecting to find what may just be my book of the year.
What Jennilynn has written is so well done I couldn't put it down, but now I'm sad because I've finished and now I'm left desperately waiting for book two to be released, to return to this world that I've fallen in love with.
This book had amazing characters, a great plot, and twists; it was just fantastic.
One of the worst things for people who have no patience is reading a spectacular book that ends on a huge cliffhanger and then having to wait till July for the next book.
I think if I was being tortured by the Mafia to get me to talk, all they'd need to do was offer me the next book; I'd tell them whatever they wanted to know.
With all the twists, I have some theories, one that may be a bit far-fetched but I think would be a great twist is that Kellan is still alive somehow since Jax, Keane, and Rafe have a different story as to what happened; it just seems a bit iffy to me, I could be completely wrong, I could even be reading too much into it, but it's just a theory,
I'm also intrigued as to who Sarah's Mother is and why it was so hush hush; I just have so many questions; with two books still to go, I'm expecting many more twists and turns.
I cannot wait!

I received this review copy from Hidden Gems; all thoughts are my own.