What do you think?
Rate this book
Diary of Thorns
*Greater understanding of some themes may be had by reading The Empty Wishing House Trilogy first*
You should be scared of me
Devane has always been an outsider in her own home. The lure of books and fantasy have kept her sane. Between her over-conservative mother, the inherent need to look after her little brother, and her unwell father, she loves nothing more than getting lost in stories and lore she finds as a barista in a bookstore known for carrying old tomes.
Desperate for something more, a purpose, she can’t help but agree when a handsome and mysterious stranger enters her shop and asks her to locate a missing diary. Finding those hard-to-find books is something she’s always been able to do with more intuition than internet searching. When it turns out the diary could mean the difference between life and death, Devane tries to back out of the deal, but the vampires, demons, demigods, and she’s not sure what else aren’t giving her much choice.
Devane falls into a world she only could have imagined, but the stakes are very real.
This YA Vampire Romantasy is set in the world of The Empty Wishing House and some characters from the trilogy make brief appearances. For more on those characters' back stories, please refer to The Empty Wishing House series.
You should be scared of me
Devane has always been an outsider in her own home. The lure of books and fantasy have kept her sane. Between her over-conservative mother, the inherent need to look after her little brother, and her unwell father, she loves nothing more than getting lost in stories and lore she finds as a barista in a bookstore known for carrying old tomes.
Desperate for something more, a purpose, she can’t help but agree when a handsome and mysterious stranger enters her shop and asks her to locate a missing diary. Finding those hard-to-find books is something she’s always been able to do with more intuition than internet searching. When it turns out the diary could mean the difference between life and death, Devane tries to back out of the deal, but the vampires, demons, demigods, and she’s not sure what else aren’t giving her much choice.
Devane falls into a world she only could have imagined, but the stakes are very real.
This YA Vampire Romantasy is set in the world of The Empty Wishing House and some characters from the trilogy make brief appearances. For more on those characters' back stories, please refer to The Empty Wishing House series.
- GenresVampires
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2024
6 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 13, 2024
****I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.****
I think I should begin by saying that I could not relate to the main character. Devane really annoyed me, as much as I tried to sympathize with her.
My mind was consistently preoccupied with the fact that Devane is a character presented as a 25-year-old. Her stream of consciousness feels much more youthful to me, and I think if she were closer to 20 instead of 30, her childish thoughts might have made more sense. Me being a year younger than the MC, I did not find it believable at all that someone older than I would think or feel this way – much less remain at home with a parent who treats them like a pre-teen.
To me, staying to support your sick father (who your heretic mother never lets you see anyways) and little brother in the wake of having to hide the clothes you wear, the texts you send, the men you date, and the books you read is unfathomable. I mean, Devane’s mother destroying her room? Crazy. Devane, 25 years old, crying in the middle of the heaping mess over her shredded posters? Even crazier. Just move out girl, you are 25.
I googled the meaning of Devane (because I look for meaning in everything), and it translates to “little dark one,” which confirms my suspicion that the choice of such an unusual name was calculated and subtle. But that is the only calculated and subtle instance in this book. Most of the book, the main character was repeating and SHOUTING the obvious at me, the reader. I find these types of books tedious to read – you do not have to TELL me, just show me with dialogue and descriptions. I can figure things out myself, which is the fun of reading.
I was also disappointed in the love interest, Alastair. Oh Alaistair, mysterious character with no mystery. He touches Devane’s face upon first meeting, and she is entranced. I understand a beautiful man mystifying and occupying your mind, but I think that I personally would have felt more devoted to him as a reader had his character been more developed. I feel like there are a lot of interesting qualities about him, but some were added as an after-thought. (Like the fact that Devane has had several altercations with him, and suddenly we learn that he is Russian, even though there has been no mention of an accent in any previous dialogue).
I also cannot fathom that Alastair entrusts a stranger (and a human, at that) to find a mystical book of super importance almost immediately after meeting her. There is just not enough credibility here for me.
There are many concepts in this book that were interesting, but the book was also much too short for their execution. Several characters felt as if they were added on sudden whims (like Julian) and provided nothing to the storyline. I felt no connection to Alastair, our beautiful stranger, because everything moved so quickly. I did not even know his last name until our MC had already been EXTENSIVELY involved with him (wink wink). Emotional devotion is important when reading a romance because I, as the reader, want to fall in love with the love interest.
I marked a point in the book, 75% finished, when I finally had a smidge of information about our MC’s identity and the background of her supernatural gift. I felt like this came much too late, as it left the book ending feeling rushed. There was no climax (except for that of the main character, about 5 times). I just felt like I needed more; more descriptions, more background, more connection, more pages. If given that, the book could have been a knockout.
I think I should begin by saying that I could not relate to the main character. Devane really annoyed me, as much as I tried to sympathize with her.
My mind was consistently preoccupied with the fact that Devane is a character presented as a 25-year-old. Her stream of consciousness feels much more youthful to me, and I think if she were closer to 20 instead of 30, her childish thoughts might have made more sense. Me being a year younger than the MC, I did not find it believable at all that someone older than I would think or feel this way – much less remain at home with a parent who treats them like a pre-teen.
To me, staying to support your sick father (who your heretic mother never lets you see anyways) and little brother in the wake of having to hide the clothes you wear, the texts you send, the men you date, and the books you read is unfathomable. I mean, Devane’s mother destroying her room? Crazy. Devane, 25 years old, crying in the middle of the heaping mess over her shredded posters? Even crazier. Just move out girl, you are 25.
I googled the meaning of Devane (because I look for meaning in everything), and it translates to “little dark one,” which confirms my suspicion that the choice of such an unusual name was calculated and subtle. But that is the only calculated and subtle instance in this book. Most of the book, the main character was repeating and SHOUTING the obvious at me, the reader. I find these types of books tedious to read – you do not have to TELL me, just show me with dialogue and descriptions. I can figure things out myself, which is the fun of reading.
I was also disappointed in the love interest, Alastair. Oh Alaistair, mysterious character with no mystery. He touches Devane’s face upon first meeting, and she is entranced. I understand a beautiful man mystifying and occupying your mind, but I think that I personally would have felt more devoted to him as a reader had his character been more developed. I feel like there are a lot of interesting qualities about him, but some were added as an after-thought. (Like the fact that Devane has had several altercations with him, and suddenly we learn that he is Russian, even though there has been no mention of an accent in any previous dialogue).
I also cannot fathom that Alastair entrusts a stranger (and a human, at that) to find a mystical book of super importance almost immediately after meeting her. There is just not enough credibility here for me.
There are many concepts in this book that were interesting, but the book was also much too short for their execution. Several characters felt as if they were added on sudden whims (like Julian) and provided nothing to the storyline. I felt no connection to Alastair, our beautiful stranger, because everything moved so quickly. I did not even know his last name until our MC had already been EXTENSIVELY involved with him (wink wink). Emotional devotion is important when reading a romance because I, as the reader, want to fall in love with the love interest.
I marked a point in the book, 75% finished, when I finally had a smidge of information about our MC’s identity and the background of her supernatural gift. I felt like this came much too late, as it left the book ending feeling rushed. There was no climax (except for that of the main character, about 5 times). I just felt like I needed more; more descriptions, more background, more connection, more pages. If given that, the book could have been a knockout.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2024
Let me start by saying that I think that reading the first 3 books (The Empty Wishing House trilogy) would have helped me appreciate this story more. Now I sometimes had the feeling I was missing something. Info about some of the characters, the diary..
In general I liked the story. Though I did think that some of Devane's decisions or how she acted didn't feel fitting to her character and age to me. Still, it was interesting and I loved learning how it would progress. So I was surprised when I was reading, expecting another chapter, but found nothing. It was the end.
It was very abrupt. Maybe not for Devane and her way of thinking about herself, but it was abrupt for the story. Unless this wasn't a standalone?
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Booksirens for the ARC.
This review is my honest opinion.
In general I liked the story. Though I did think that some of Devane's decisions or how she acted didn't feel fitting to her character and age to me. Still, it was interesting and I loved learning how it would progress. So I was surprised when I was reading, expecting another chapter, but found nothing. It was the end.
It was very abrupt. Maybe not for Devane and her way of thinking about herself, but it was abrupt for the story. Unless this wasn't a standalone?
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Booksirens for the ARC.
This review is my honest opinion.
May 19, 2024
This is the first book I've read from this author and I WILL BE reading her other work!
Devane has always known there was something different about herself. The only thing that was standing in her way was her extremely strict and possessive mother.
Alastair has been following Devane around biding his time to make his move and give her an opportunity that will change her life forever.
Filled with magic, vampires, demons, angels and full of elements of the spiritual realm, Diary of Thorns will keep you hooked from page one.
Highly, highly recommended!
Devane has always known there was something different about herself. The only thing that was standing in her way was her extremely strict and possessive mother.
Alastair has been following Devane around biding his time to make his move and give her an opportunity that will change her life forever.
Filled with magic, vampires, demons, angels and full of elements of the spiritual realm, Diary of Thorns will keep you hooked from page one.
Highly, highly recommended!
May 2, 2024
Diary of Thorns started out well.
I found the premise of Devane's life an interesting place to start. She has an abusive adoptive mother who uses religion to justify her mental illness. Devane has always been interested in books and works at a coffee shop and frequently reads books on mystical creatures. At first I thought Devane was much younger than twenty five when she describes tolerating the abuse. She frequently makes excuses for the bad behavior of her mother and later Alistair.
I was unfamiliar with this author and that this was more of a paranormal romance. It wasn't my cup of tea but I did enjoy the author's writing for the most part.
In a couple of spots I feel like story switches gears really quickly and I'd get a little lost.
Alistair is controlling and don't like the way he talks to Devane when she says she wants to leave situations she uncomfortable with. She was abused it makes sense that she goes along with what he wants anyway. I found it frustrating personally.
I received and advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found the premise of Devane's life an interesting place to start. She has an abusive adoptive mother who uses religion to justify her mental illness. Devane has always been interested in books and works at a coffee shop and frequently reads books on mystical creatures. At first I thought Devane was much younger than twenty five when she describes tolerating the abuse. She frequently makes excuses for the bad behavior of her mother and later Alistair.
I was unfamiliar with this author and that this was more of a paranormal romance. It wasn't my cup of tea but I did enjoy the author's writing for the most part.
In a couple of spots I feel like story switches gears really quickly and I'd get a little lost.
Alistair is controlling and don't like the way he talks to Devane when she says she wants to leave situations she uncomfortable with. She was abused it makes sense that she goes along with what he wants anyway. I found it frustrating personally.
I received and advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 22, 2024
I read the 3 books in the Empty Wishing House series first and I feel like these just keep getting better and better. Alastair was briefly introduced in A Sacrifice to the Gods and I’m so glad he got his own book. I thought he was hot before and lordttt this man 🥵🥵🥵 One day while at the coffee/bookshop she worked at Devane, ran into a mysterious man who offers her a job finding a diary. If you’ve read the other books, yes that diary. She has this sixth sense that something is different about him. After being introduced into his world she discovers just how different he is and she is. Things she never knew about herself are brought to light. I’m absolutely in love with this world and can’t wait for the up coming books. I don’t care how morally grey some of these men, they all deserve their happy ending in my mind. Highly recommend!! The world building and character development is next level.
5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️
5/5⭐️ 4/5🌶️
April 24, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book made me so angry, I didn't know it was possible. Let's start with the good:
- I like that the story/action starts right away. In such a short book, I don't want to spend 60 pages just introducing characters and settings.
Now for the bad:
- I still have a lot of unanswered questions about Devane's background. I don't know if it will be explored in future books, but I am dissatisfied at the moment with the amount of knowledge I have about her.
- I am not a fan of insta-love. After spending maybe 15 minutes together and exchanging something like 20 lines of dialogue, Devane and Alastair are having sex.
- Overall, characters are not developed enough, if at all. I don't even know Devane, the main character. And what about her 3 friends? Thet are present for one scene and are useless. 1 friend would have been more than enough, as they were useless.
- The plot feels rushed; there is no character development.
- The reader is told about events and facts, but gets to experience none of it. Show; don't tell.
- Devane is unbelievably idiotic; she never asks any pertinent questions and accepts everything as face value.
- There are many typos. For example, " hors d'oeuvres" are spelled " hors de ouvers", and Alastair's last name changes from "Zharkov" to "Zarkhov" in the span of a few pages.
And finally the ugly:
- The author has obviously no understanding of mental health and diagnoses. As a trained professional in the field of metal health, I was disgusted by her repeated misuse of the terms "psychotic", "psychopath", "sociopath", and more. It contributes to the stigma surrounding psychological disorders and mental health.
- Devane has absolutely no agency throughout the book. She is simply under one man's influence or another's.
Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Repeat after me: CONSENT CAN BE WITHDRAWN AT ANY TIME.
Overall, this book had potential, but it feels like the author rushed the writing and editing process.
This book made me so angry, I didn't know it was possible. Let's start with the good:
- I like that the story/action starts right away. In such a short book, I don't want to spend 60 pages just introducing characters and settings.
Now for the bad:
- I still have a lot of unanswered questions about Devane's background. I don't know if it will be explored in future books, but I am dissatisfied at the moment with the amount of knowledge I have about her.
- I am not a fan of insta-love. After spending maybe 15 minutes together and exchanging something like 20 lines of dialogue, Devane and Alastair are having sex.
- Overall, characters are not developed enough, if at all. I don't even know Devane, the main character. And what about her 3 friends? Thet are present for one scene and are useless. 1 friend would have been more than enough, as they were useless.
- The plot feels rushed; there is no character development.
- The reader is told about events and facts, but gets to experience none of it. Show; don't tell.
- Devane is unbelievably idiotic; she never asks any pertinent questions and accepts everything as face value.
- There are many typos. For example, " hors d'oeuvres" are spelled " hors de ouvers", and Alastair's last name changes from "Zharkov" to "Zarkhov" in the span of a few pages.
And finally the ugly:
- The author has obviously no understanding of mental health and diagnoses. As a trained professional in the field of metal health, I was disgusted by her repeated misuse of the terms "psychotic", "psychopath", "sociopath", and more. It contributes to the stigma surrounding psychological disorders and mental health.
- Devane has absolutely no agency throughout the book. She is simply under one man's influence or another's.
Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Repeat after me: CONSENT CAN BE WITHDRAWN AT ANY TIME.
Overall, this book had potential, but it feels like the author rushed the writing and editing process.
April 28, 2024
Diary of Thorns by Larissa Vincente
Want to read a book with sexy monsters, lustful romance, and a relatable girl who just wants to be cared for? Then look no further! This book is not a vampire romance that leaves you cringing. You will be entranced in the hot scenes of blood lust, magic, and strife among the headstrong characters.
My personal review:
This book was captivating from the moment I began reading. There are many books in this genre, but this book stood out because of the main characters traumatic background. Typically, the over done angsty girl, who has a good life meets vampire is something I can’t get on board with, but Devane (main character) had trauma that led her to seek out someone who would truly want her, and when she got it, she got lost in the trance of it all. Devanes past trauma and gifts made the fast-paced love affair more believable.
There are a few things I didn’t enjoy, did like the development of the characters overall, and it may be me being picky, but some of the vampires and demons names were a bit overdone due to them being unoriginal, such as Elena and Stefan, which reminded me of the popular series, “Vampire Diaries”.
Secondly, I do hope there is a second book because we are left with many unanswered questions about Devanes past, and what happened to her friends, they were integral to the beginning of the book, but then vanished.
Lastly, one of the most distracting issues in the book is the amount of grammatical errors, the beginning and end was not terrible, but the middle had many, which made the book seem like it was rushed during the editing process.
My overall conclusion is that I greatly enjoyed reading this book, despite some of the issues I mentioned previously. I look forward to reading more books by Larissa Vincente, and I very much hope she writes a second book that relates to this part of the series.
This review is for an advance copy I received for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily. There is a three-part trilogy that dives deeper into Kiara’s story, that I have yet to read.
Want to read a book with sexy monsters, lustful romance, and a relatable girl who just wants to be cared for? Then look no further! This book is not a vampire romance that leaves you cringing. You will be entranced in the hot scenes of blood lust, magic, and strife among the headstrong characters.
My personal review:
This book was captivating from the moment I began reading. There are many books in this genre, but this book stood out because of the main characters traumatic background. Typically, the over done angsty girl, who has a good life meets vampire is something I can’t get on board with, but Devane (main character) had trauma that led her to seek out someone who would truly want her, and when she got it, she got lost in the trance of it all. Devanes past trauma and gifts made the fast-paced love affair more believable.
There are a few things I didn’t enjoy, did like the development of the characters overall, and it may be me being picky, but some of the vampires and demons names were a bit overdone due to them being unoriginal, such as Elena and Stefan, which reminded me of the popular series, “Vampire Diaries”.
Secondly, I do hope there is a second book because we are left with many unanswered questions about Devanes past, and what happened to her friends, they were integral to the beginning of the book, but then vanished.
Lastly, one of the most distracting issues in the book is the amount of grammatical errors, the beginning and end was not terrible, but the middle had many, which made the book seem like it was rushed during the editing process.
My overall conclusion is that I greatly enjoyed reading this book, despite some of the issues I mentioned previously. I look forward to reading more books by Larissa Vincente, and I very much hope she writes a second book that relates to this part of the series.
This review is for an advance copy I received for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily. There is a three-part trilogy that dives deeper into Kiara’s story, that I have yet to read.
May 14, 2024
I'll begin and say that I did have fun during some of the book, and I think the author is close to figuring out the niche that they want to be in, I just think this maybe missed the mark and is in need of some more editing.
My biggest critique and tip for the author would be to mature up her female main characters. Devane is introduced to us as a 25 year old barista/bookstore worker, but her inner dialogue and decision making processes read more like a 16 year old, and because of this, a lot of the scenes felt icky or forced. We are supposed to believe that all powerful angels, demons, and vampires want her, but she can't make up her mind and she seems a little confused
Also Devane staying in the house for her sick father (who she wasn't allowed to see anyways) didn't make much sense.
Alastair, the main mysterious vampire, had no mystery. He had some really cool qualities and he definitely had the spice aspects down, but his every move was predictable..also why are we trusting a random young barista with a centuries old diary???
Like I said, I had a lot of fun, and I think we definitely have some major potential here, I just want some things to be fine tuned and edited. I'm wishing the author well and hope for continued success. :)
*I received an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens, and this review is voluntary
My biggest critique and tip for the author would be to mature up her female main characters. Devane is introduced to us as a 25 year old barista/bookstore worker, but her inner dialogue and decision making processes read more like a 16 year old, and because of this, a lot of the scenes felt icky or forced. We are supposed to believe that all powerful angels, demons, and vampires want her, but she can't make up her mind and she seems a little confused
Also Devane staying in the house for her sick father (who she wasn't allowed to see anyways) didn't make much sense.
Alastair, the main mysterious vampire, had no mystery. He had some really cool qualities and he definitely had the spice aspects down, but his every move was predictable..also why are we trusting a random young barista with a centuries old diary???
Like I said, I had a lot of fun, and I think we definitely have some major potential here, I just want some things to be fine tuned and edited. I'm wishing the author well and hope for continued success. :)
*I received an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens, and this review is voluntary
May 17, 2024
The premise of this book intrigued me. However, it fell flat. Devane, our FMC, shows very little growth throughout the book. She goes from one abusive situation to one controlling situation to the next. Alastair, our MMC, the vampire, is best described in the book as a morally grey hero, of sorts. Matthew, the archangel, comes off as our villain, possible love triangle in another book. There are other sub-characters of paranormal descents that play heavy roles but you don’t get a lot of distinct information about all of them.
I really felt the book needed more information throughout. I was left wondering what the importance of the diary was once it was found and how the knowledge in it would be used against our characters. The ending also just felt very abrupt, but did leave it open for another novel. Hopefully, with more information about the diary’s importance and the possible love triangle between Matthew, Alastair, and Devane.
Overall, the theme and ideas in the book were great. I loved the realm jumping in lucid dreaming. I loved the different paranormal characters and the idea of a diary holding information that everyone was after. This book would be ideal for those that like paranormal entities collaborating together.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really felt the book needed more information throughout. I was left wondering what the importance of the diary was once it was found and how the knowledge in it would be used against our characters. The ending also just felt very abrupt, but did leave it open for another novel. Hopefully, with more information about the diary’s importance and the possible love triangle between Matthew, Alastair, and Devane.
Overall, the theme and ideas in the book were great. I loved the realm jumping in lucid dreaming. I loved the different paranormal characters and the idea of a diary holding information that everyone was after. This book would be ideal for those that like paranormal entities collaborating together.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 16, 2024
I'm still working on it...
I just want to say that I can so relate to the uncertain balance of Christian/crazy coming from the mother
Love the descriptions, and Devanne, in her situation, makes quite understandable actions. One thing I would say is maybe it would be better if she was a bit younger?
Anyway, full review soon
----
Post-read:
Okay
Somehow I made it through that
The beginning had promise... then we meet hot sexy vampire Alistair
After that, things go downhill
I understand that she technically was not actually in the act, but more than once males in this book forced the MC to technically be sexually assaulted
It made me want to burn the book, though it was online so I could not
Then Alistair was not a dark broody vampire. He was a rich a-hole and he put Devanne in horrible situations. He literally kidnaps her!!!! Because she doesn't want to be forced into this lifestyle!!!!
I hated him
And then she turned from this intelligent, curious young woman into a man-obsessed weakling
And her mother turned out to be a demon, not a human
Like what??
all the side characters were so useless, and they were all jerks
Anyway
That wasn't the best, but three stars due to the fact that I was drawn in by the opening
I just want to say that I can so relate to the uncertain balance of Christian/crazy coming from the mother
Love the descriptions, and Devanne, in her situation, makes quite understandable actions. One thing I would say is maybe it would be better if she was a bit younger?
Anyway, full review soon
----
Post-read:
Okay
Somehow I made it through that
The beginning had promise... then we meet hot sexy vampire Alistair
After that, things go downhill
I understand that she technically was not actually in the act, but more than once males in this book forced the MC to technically be sexually assaulted
It made me want to burn the book, though it was online so I could not
Then Alistair was not a dark broody vampire. He was a rich a-hole and he put Devanne in horrible situations. He literally kidnaps her!!!! Because she doesn't want to be forced into this lifestyle!!!!
I hated him
And then she turned from this intelligent, curious young woman into a man-obsessed weakling
And her mother turned out to be a demon, not a human
Like what??
all the side characters were so useless, and they were all jerks
Anyway
That wasn't the best, but three stars due to the fact that I was drawn in by the opening
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
And I am sick to my stomach to have to rate this low. In fact I hate it, hate it, hate it.
Why? Because being an author is hard. Because writing is hard. Because this industry is hard.
In short - this book needed a lot more editing before it was sent out as an ARC, it feels more like a Beta Read or even before Beta. Sorry,….I am hoping that these issues are addressed before final printing; and that is the case usually with ARC's. I just wonder what happened between Beta Reading, editing and revision and ARC prints going out.
- Characters are underdeveloped.
- Plot feels rushed.
- The main characters do not even know each other but are immediately in love and in bed together - that's a no for me. I want to see relationship develop over time.
- Back story needs to be better plotted out and given.
I believe the author has a good idea here, maybe even the skeleton of a good story. However, it needs a lot more work.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Why? Because being an author is hard. Because writing is hard. Because this industry is hard.
In short - this book needed a lot more editing before it was sent out as an ARC, it feels more like a Beta Read or even before Beta. Sorry,….I am hoping that these issues are addressed before final printing; and that is the case usually with ARC's. I just wonder what happened between Beta Reading, editing and revision and ARC prints going out.
- Characters are underdeveloped.
- Plot feels rushed.
- The main characters do not even know each other but are immediately in love and in bed together - that's a no for me. I want to see relationship develop over time.
- Back story needs to be better plotted out and given.
I believe the author has a good idea here, maybe even the skeleton of a good story. However, it needs a lot more work.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 25, 2024
I really want to give a 3.5 here. I liked this book, the characters are interesting, and I liked the development overall. There were some things that I stuggled with. The first was grammar and spelling, I think it could use another edit to tidy up. I also kind of struggled with Alastair. In the beginning, he came off too fatherly to be believably as her love interest for me. I kept being disconnected because I wasn't fully on board. It seemed to clear up as the story progressed but I also struggled with understanding him and his reasoning. I wanted more insight into him and his motivations. The last thing that I will say is I wondered about the ending. Was that a wrap up of the story or is there another one coming. It felt rushed and like it was trying to button up. However, I really enjoyed the story, I thought it was interesting and fun. The characters had depth and I liked reading it.
April 26, 2024
“I was tired of holding the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
“Diary of Thorns,” by Larissa Vincente
Devane has a lot of her plate; dealing with a controlling mother, taking care of her younger brother and her unwell father, but she finds joy in books and her stories and imagination. When an attractive stranger asks for her help in locating a special book she agrees. The search has opened her eyes to the world of vampires, demons, angels, gods and isn’t sure how to get out of it or if she even wants to.
I really like this book. The vampire dark romance is tense and dangerous which I loved. The main character’s relationship kept me glued to the pages. The lore and story were unique and interesting, and it kept me on my toes with what would happen at the end. The FMC, being a huge book lover, was perfect. 4 out of 5 stars. I adore Larissa Vincente’s books, and this did not disappoint.
Thank you for the ARC, Booksirens.
“Diary of Thorns,” by Larissa Vincente
Devane has a lot of her plate; dealing with a controlling mother, taking care of her younger brother and her unwell father, but she finds joy in books and her stories and imagination. When an attractive stranger asks for her help in locating a special book she agrees. The search has opened her eyes to the world of vampires, demons, angels, gods and isn’t sure how to get out of it or if she even wants to.
I really like this book. The vampire dark romance is tense and dangerous which I loved. The main character’s relationship kept me glued to the pages. The lore and story were unique and interesting, and it kept me on my toes with what would happen at the end. The FMC, being a huge book lover, was perfect. 4 out of 5 stars. I adore Larissa Vincente’s books, and this did not disappoint.
Thank you for the ARC, Booksirens.
June 6, 2024
I received an ARC copy of this book and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
I liked and disliked this book. I liked that it jumped right in and didn't have anything boring going on to have to wade through to get to the meat of everything. I also like the darkness and the religious trauma representation in this book.
That being said, I don't think this book was for me.
I felt like it was trying too hard and it was also rough to get through. I don't like instalove. Insta-connection, I get. But it wasn't adversarial enough for me. Again, just isn't the type of book for me. I also felt like there were some confusing aspects that didn't have a solid enough answer for me, like why she was still living at home when she was 25...I know there's a "reason" but it felt flimsy and not substantial enough for me to get behind. I also felt like the mental health aspects were written by someone not well informed enough.
I liked and disliked this book. I liked that it jumped right in and didn't have anything boring going on to have to wade through to get to the meat of everything. I also like the darkness and the religious trauma representation in this book.
That being said, I don't think this book was for me.
I felt like it was trying too hard and it was also rough to get through. I don't like instalove. Insta-connection, I get. But it wasn't adversarial enough for me. Again, just isn't the type of book for me. I also felt like there were some confusing aspects that didn't have a solid enough answer for me, like why she was still living at home when she was 25...I know there's a "reason" but it felt flimsy and not substantial enough for me to get behind. I also felt like the mental health aspects were written by someone not well informed enough.
May 4, 2024
"But they were my monsters, and I was in love with my own personal devil."
The story was intriguing. At first i couldn't help but read words. I had trouble getting lost in the story. As the story progressed I was better able to be into the story. I was left wanting more. He never tells her why he called her his since their first encounter. Were they soulmates or what? Why the instant attraction? The H also confused me, he seems to be obsessed with her but he spends weeks absent from her life. I felt that an H that would be obsessed would constantly seek out the h. I was upset that the H kept promising to keep the h safe and the constant failing drove me nuts. The intimate scenes were steamy. The h was also no Damsel. I liked that.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story was intriguing. At first i couldn't help but read words. I had trouble getting lost in the story. As the story progressed I was better able to be into the story. I was left wanting more. He never tells her why he called her his since their first encounter. Were they soulmates or what? Why the instant attraction? The H also confused me, he seems to be obsessed with her but he spends weeks absent from her life. I felt that an H that would be obsessed would constantly seek out the h. I was upset that the H kept promising to keep the h safe and the constant failing drove me nuts. The intimate scenes were steamy. The h was also no Damsel. I liked that.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 9, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
2.5 stars.. I really struggled through this. It started off well (but I did think our main character was younger than 25) but it quickly lost its way.
I liked the introduction of the main characters group of friends but then they just disappeared and made me wonder why they were in the book at all.
Some parts of the book just happened off page (her dad is ill and then the next chapter he’s just dead?) and I was left with a lot of questions.
Don’t get me started on the vampire lover, this is not a relationship, it was just an extremely possessive man with no redeeming qualities.
I did finish this book but it really was a struggle. Personally, I think the author put too many ideas into one story and the book would have been much better if she just focused on one or two of these ideas.
2.5 stars.. I really struggled through this. It started off well (but I did think our main character was younger than 25) but it quickly lost its way.
I liked the introduction of the main characters group of friends but then they just disappeared and made me wonder why they were in the book at all.
Some parts of the book just happened off page (her dad is ill and then the next chapter he’s just dead?) and I was left with a lot of questions.
Don’t get me started on the vampire lover, this is not a relationship, it was just an extremely possessive man with no redeeming qualities.
I did finish this book but it really was a struggle. Personally, I think the author put too many ideas into one story and the book would have been much better if she just focused on one or two of these ideas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2024
I liked the sound of this so I had good expectations but sadly this book fell flat for me. Devane is 25 but the way she behaved felt like she was a young teen. She was abused by her mother and treated like dirt, which can kind of explain her attitude towards her mom, but to me she just switched abusers when she met Alastair. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them what so ever, he just liked to repeat you’re mine, I’ll keep you safe over and over and he never took no for answer, he was just throwing up 🚩 all over the place. I did like the pacing of this, but the characters felt underdeveloped and the story was hit and miss in parts. I would have loved more description and details surrounding the diary, about the Thorne family and even some more about the demons & angels.
I received this arc in return for an honest review.
I received this arc in return for an honest review.
April 21, 2024
This was my first book by Larissa Vincente and it won’t be my last! I loved each character she created. The amount of detail she put in developing Devane’s character with her messed up past/present made her easy to connect with and feel that emotion. Alastair is another possessive, protective MMC that you just have to love despite his jerk tendencies. Overall, this book had a good plot that was executed well and had the spice to keep you wanting more. I was on the fence about starting The Empty Wishing House series, but not anymore! Can’t wait to see Kiara’s side of the story!
Thank you to Booksirens and Larissa Vincente for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to Booksirens and Larissa Vincente for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 9, 2024
DNF @ 63%
I wanted to like this book, and at first, I was super interested even though I found the writing hard to follow. The main character (Devane) was interesting, but I did assume she was a lot younger than her 25 years, and I was disappointed by the lack of interactions with her father. The more I read the harder it was to stay on track with the story, it was very choppy and I didn't like the relationship between Devane and Alistar (even thoughbI read dark romance, there are some parts of this book that made me say eww out loud) and I unfortunately can't bring myself to keep reading anymore.
I wanted to like this book, and at first, I was super interested even though I found the writing hard to follow. The main character (Devane) was interesting, but I did assume she was a lot younger than her 25 years, and I was disappointed by the lack of interactions with her father. The more I read the harder it was to stay on track with the story, it was very choppy and I didn't like the relationship between Devane and Alistar (even thoughbI read dark romance, there are some parts of this book that made me say eww out loud) and I unfortunately can't bring myself to keep reading anymore.
May 22, 2024
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I will be reading more of her work as I am intrigued, so please don't let the 3 star review fool you, I was torn on how many stars to give it, as I did enjoy it, it just had some flaws. I was drawn into the story line almost straight away and liked the fact that it felt action packed right from the start. I do feel that the characters were not quiet developed enough for my liking, hence the 3 stars. In parts it felt quite rushed and I think if it had been filled out slightly then it would of been a more enjoyable read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 21, 2024
I enjoyed this story a lot, from the plot to its pacing, but felt that it fell a bit short when it came to fully developing its characters. I felt like, even though I liked the characters well enough, I never really got to know them. Sure, we got to watch Devane learn more about herself throughout the story, and we got to know other characters bit by bit, but I don’t think enough attention was given to this aspect of the story in the end. I’ll definitely be reading other works by this author now, but I wish these characters would’ve gotten even a little bit more love and effort (especially seeing that the main story this is branched off of is a whole trilogy). I received a free eARC of this, and am choosing to leave an honest review.
May 21, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
This book was good but could be better. I love Alistair and Devan didn't act her age at all and had no growth throughout the story. The premise was very interesting and different which is refreshing. I feel like there could have been more and more explanation on some stuff. Once you get to the middle it seems rushed. There are some typos and errors but nothing that makes it impossible to read and no reason to deter anyone from doing so. Hopefully there will be another one and maybe it will pick up from this one left off and be more in depth.
🌶🌶
This book was good but could be better. I love Alistair and Devan didn't act her age at all and had no growth throughout the story. The premise was very interesting and different which is refreshing. I feel like there could have been more and more explanation on some stuff. Once you get to the middle it seems rushed. There are some typos and errors but nothing that makes it impossible to read and no reason to deter anyone from doing so. Hopefully there will be another one and maybe it will pick up from this one left off and be more in depth.
May 28, 2024
This is a wonderful story. The world building is just amazing. I love the different way that the author has approached commonly known and thought of creatures. The characters that the author created are very intense and made me feel a myriad of different feelings as the story unraveled. The plot was a very complex and intriguing rollercoaster ride full of twists and curves. I am still going what the? Please give this book a chance.
May 11, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this very original book. The characters are rich and the story is intricate and detailed. I’m a real book freak so a majic power like Devane’s was very intriguing. I’m hoping there will be more to follow.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 19, 2024
DNF at 46%
Stick with the plot. Was our MC kicked out of her home or was she still living there? A funeral within the same chapter where she just notices how sick he is? Grammatical/editing errors throughout (and this has a published date of 2023 so not a true ARC). Alistair was truly the only thing I liked about this.
Stick with the plot. Was our MC kicked out of her home or was she still living there? A funeral within the same chapter where she just notices how sick he is? Grammatical/editing errors throughout (and this has a published date of 2023 so not a true ARC). Alistair was truly the only thing I liked about this.
June 3, 2024
Please check CW and TW before starting this one. This one had a promise of being a really interesting story. There were times where it seemed to a bit all over the place. Devane reads as a younger character than the 25 year old she is. She has a crappy home life and then she runs into Alistair and his group of friends and things just get crazy.
May 2, 2024
This was a great book with a lot of twists and turns. I'm looking forward to more books from this universe and to see where her story goes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 30, 2024
*2.5 Stars *
At first, I found this story very intriguing, however, as it progressed I lost interest in it.
It felt jumbled and confusing. I might even say that it felt rushed.
I found out after finishing that this book is set in the world of another series, so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read those books first.
I also very much disliked how Alastair kept violating and disregarding Devane's choices and requests even though he proclaimed to have her best interest and would protect her.
At first, I found this story very intriguing, however, as it progressed I lost interest in it.
It felt jumbled and confusing. I might even say that it felt rushed.
I found out after finishing that this book is set in the world of another series, so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read those books first.
I also very much disliked how Alastair kept violating and disregarding Devane's choices and requests even though he proclaimed to have her best interest and would protect her.
June 16, 2024
Maybe I should have read The Empty Wishing House Trilogy first, like suggested. But the story sounded good, and normally I don't have any trouble getting into books, and to be fair, I didn't have any trouble while reading.
But I did have trouble connecting to the characters. The one person that got me to want to know about them, was sidelined in the second half of the book.
The story itself feels a little superficial, the relationships with Devane's friends just vanish and even her brother gets pushed aside, for instalust where I didn't feel the spark between the two MC's.
And even though I grew up with a christian mother, having to hide some of my books, it wasn't enough to get a connection with the female main character. She doesn't feel 25, it's almost like the age just got scaled up because there are a lot of stories about teenage-somethings.
I really liked the idea, the setting and the magic system, but it all kept too much to the surface for me to rate it higher.
But I did have trouble connecting to the characters. The one person that got me to want to know about them, was sidelined in the second half of the book.
The story itself feels a little superficial, the relationships with Devane's friends just vanish and even her brother gets pushed aside, for instalust where I didn't feel the spark between the two MC's.
And even though I grew up with a christian mother, having to hide some of my books, it wasn't enough to get a connection with the female main character. She doesn't feel 25, it's almost like the age just got scaled up because there are a lot of stories about teenage-somethings.
I really liked the idea, the setting and the magic system, but it all kept too much to the surface for me to rate it higher.
May 1, 2024
I technically received an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review, but I'm not sure it's considered an 'Advance Reader's Copy', because the interior of the book indicates that it's already been published.
Immediately on page 1, the story felt superficial, and almost clinically detached in its descriptions. The first 4 pages were almost painful to read, detailing a superficial interaction between Devane and her mother, and based on the interaction I assumed Devane was in high school. Having gotten to page 9 (the end of the Chapter 1), it felt like the first 4 pages were part of an entirely different book. The book also had some spacing issues. Some words ran together when they shouldn't, because the space between them was missing, and some words were too far apart, because there were too many spaces instead. On page 137, the author typed 'aa' instead of 'a' in one spot. Numerous words on page 138 ran together because spaces between the words were missing. Normally I'd ignore errors like this in an ARC, but if it has already been published, somebody should've noticed these things.
This story is very odd. The writing is clunky in some places, and smooth in others, almost like it was written by two different people working together. Very disjointed and stiff. I wanted to finish it, just to be able to say I had, but there were too many things about it that just didn't make sense. The narrator, Devane, has very specific language, almost as though her emotional growth has been stunted. This would make sense, seeing as how she is treated by her adoptive mother, but somewhere later on we read that Devane is 25, and then things make less sense after that. Her adoptive mother only appears in the story when it's convenient for the character to interact with her, and if something else is going on, there might not be a single mention of this woman for several days.
The relationship between Devane and Alistair is very awkward. The language in the book is fairly formal and stiff throughout, but then suddenly as soon as the character talks about having sex with Alistair, she's using vulgar slang to refer to their body parts--transitions like this just don't make the story feel like it's flowing naturally. Devane's reactions to unexplained events are incredibly watered down, compared to an average person in reality, and they're even stranger when you consider that her adoptive mother raised her in a super religious household. Even if she's not afraid of this woman, she should still be thinking inwardly about how she's going to hide parts of her life from her, and if her mother is willing to go through her room and tear up all of her stuff, she would've torn the room apart and sent this girl off to a secret bible camp a long time ago. Getting the parents 'out of the way' for convenience's sake doesn't really work for this book, it instead makes us wonder what the heck is going on here. I love reading books about vampires, but these vampires appear abruptly, just get to have their way with people, rudely, in some cases, and the reader is just supposed to accept that this is how it is and the narrator and her friends aren't going to raise absolute hell or try to physically defend themselves? It's weird. She gets bit by a vampire, then has sex with the guy who brought her to the house against her will, and a couple of days later, after returning home and having zero interaction with the mother that angrily kicked her out of the house the day before, spends another several days home without any other interactions with her, and then is suddenly going to meet the vampire's family, like it's just no big deal. It's actually pretty rare that I decide not to finish a book, but the relationships feel forced and uncomfortable here, I don't like the narrator, and I don't care enough about these vampires to want to read anymore.
Immediately on page 1, the story felt superficial, and almost clinically detached in its descriptions. The first 4 pages were almost painful to read, detailing a superficial interaction between Devane and her mother, and based on the interaction I assumed Devane was in high school. Having gotten to page 9 (the end of the Chapter 1), it felt like the first 4 pages were part of an entirely different book. The book also had some spacing issues. Some words ran together when they shouldn't, because the space between them was missing, and some words were too far apart, because there were too many spaces instead. On page 137, the author typed 'aa' instead of 'a' in one spot. Numerous words on page 138 ran together because spaces between the words were missing. Normally I'd ignore errors like this in an ARC, but if it has already been published, somebody should've noticed these things.
This story is very odd. The writing is clunky in some places, and smooth in others, almost like it was written by two different people working together. Very disjointed and stiff. I wanted to finish it, just to be able to say I had, but there were too many things about it that just didn't make sense. The narrator, Devane, has very specific language, almost as though her emotional growth has been stunted. This would make sense, seeing as how she is treated by her adoptive mother, but somewhere later on we read that Devane is 25, and then things make less sense after that. Her adoptive mother only appears in the story when it's convenient for the character to interact with her, and if something else is going on, there might not be a single mention of this woman for several days.
The relationship between Devane and Alistair is very awkward. The language in the book is fairly formal and stiff throughout, but then suddenly as soon as the character talks about having sex with Alistair, she's using vulgar slang to refer to their body parts--transitions like this just don't make the story feel like it's flowing naturally. Devane's reactions to unexplained events are incredibly watered down, compared to an average person in reality, and they're even stranger when you consider that her adoptive mother raised her in a super religious household. Even if she's not afraid of this woman, she should still be thinking inwardly about how she's going to hide parts of her life from her, and if her mother is willing to go through her room and tear up all of her stuff, she would've torn the room apart and sent this girl off to a secret bible camp a long time ago. Getting the parents 'out of the way' for convenience's sake doesn't really work for this book, it instead makes us wonder what the heck is going on here. I love reading books about vampires, but these vampires appear abruptly, just get to have their way with people, rudely, in some cases, and the reader is just supposed to accept that this is how it is and the narrator and her friends aren't going to raise absolute hell or try to physically defend themselves? It's weird. She gets bit by a vampire, then has sex with the guy who brought her to the house against her will, and a couple of days later, after returning home and having zero interaction with the mother that angrily kicked her out of the house the day before, spends another several days home without any other interactions with her, and then is suddenly going to meet the vampire's family, like it's just no big deal. It's actually pretty rare that I decide not to finish a book, but the relationships feel forced and uncomfortable here, I don't like the narrator, and I don't care enough about these vampires to want to read anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews