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Infatuated Fae #1
How Does It Feel?
Er hält sie gefangen, um sie zu vernichten. Sie muss drei Prüfungen bestehen, um zu überleben.
Die junge Biologin Callie fällt bei einer Expedition aus Versehen durch ein Portal ins düstere Reich der Unseelie-Fae. Sie stürzt dabei in die Arme des dunklen Fae-Prinzen Mendax, der sie für eine Attentäterin hält. Doch anstatt sie sofort zu töten, nimmt er sie gefangen und zwingt sie zu drei tödlichen Prüfungen, die sie nicht bestehen kann. Denn auch wenn Mendax es sich nicht eingesteht: Etwas hält ihn davon ab, Callie selbst zu töten. Etwas Dunkles. Brennendes. Verzehrendes.
Die junge Biologin Callie fällt bei einer Expedition aus Versehen durch ein Portal ins düstere Reich der Unseelie-Fae. Sie stürzt dabei in die Arme des dunklen Fae-Prinzen Mendax, der sie für eine Attentäterin hält. Doch anstatt sie sofort zu töten, nimmt er sie gefangen und zwingt sie zu drei tödlichen Prüfungen, die sie nicht bestehen kann. Denn auch wenn Mendax es sich nicht eingesteht: Etwas hält ihn davon ab, Callie selbst zu töten. Etwas Dunkles. Brennendes. Verzehrendes.
432 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2023
10662 people are currently reading
157554 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,925 reviews
September 30, 2023
okay so i read this in one sitting in like 3 hours. and had a good laugh. i first laughed at the 2% mark when i read “I will go back to sleep after I kill you and use you slowly, you human piece of shit.” i was like okay? this is so not terrifying that its laughable. and all the “villains” speak like this. its like they’re trying too hard to be scary that you just end up laughing at them.
the fmc, callie. she’s this town’s sweetheart. she’s portrayed as a disney princess/barbie mix. she loves animals and feels connected to them. and she looks just like a barbie: blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect figure. she doesn’t curse for some odd reason that’s never explained. so she acts all quirky and says stuff like “holy stars!” and “holy esophagus!” and shes a biologist i guess. she loves to use exclamation points as well! she’s so happy! anyways, i don’t even feel any particular way about her character she’s just there. her character has no depth to her.
the mmc, mendax. oh me oh my. his only personality trait is loving to scare people: ”I’d sooner kill my mother than relinquish the power I held over others and the fear I brought them. Why? Because I could. What did anything matter? The only time I ever felt anything was as I watched another suffer in the pain I caused them. I enjoyed that.” also side note why does he talk like that it makes me laugh so much. so we meet him when callie appears in the fae realm and he’s tryna murder her. he’s tryna find people that can kill her and talking about how he hates her and all other humans. and suddenly he starts talking about how shes so irresistible. two seconds later he’s ready to fuck her. and 30 seconds after that he’s in love with her. whiplash.
the romance was just a hot mf mess. bro they had like (maybe?) one conversation and mans is suddenly all like ”I knew in that very moment I was so deeply in love with her, and she would be the one thing capable of my demise. The weak point in my unbreakable armor. I stared at her, and it scared me to death. It scared me to death what I wouldn’t do for her.” bitch whet?? he starts talking about how he can’t live without her and he would destroy anyone for her. there’s no development in this relationship. chemistry is nonexistent. we go from 0-100 so mf quick it makes no sense.
the writing did not move me in any way. it felt very juvenile. i didn’t connect to anything in here. but this wasn’t a boring bad i zoomed through the book it was a very quick read. it was just also a very silly read. the plot was giving very much walmart version of acotar. and then there’s a (hilarious) twist at the end.
if you ever decide to read this, do yourself a favour and read it as a comedy.
the fmc, callie. she’s this town’s sweetheart. she’s portrayed as a disney princess/barbie mix. she loves animals and feels connected to them. and she looks just like a barbie: blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect figure. she doesn’t curse for some odd reason that’s never explained. so she acts all quirky and says stuff like “holy stars!” and “holy esophagus!” and shes a biologist i guess. she loves to use exclamation points as well! she’s so happy! anyways, i don’t even feel any particular way about her character she’s just there. her character has no depth to her.
the mmc, mendax. oh me oh my. his only personality trait is loving to scare people: ”I’d sooner kill my mother than relinquish the power I held over others and the fear I brought them. Why? Because I could. What did anything matter? The only time I ever felt anything was as I watched another suffer in the pain I caused them. I enjoyed that.” also side note why does he talk like that it makes me laugh so much. so we meet him when callie appears in the fae realm and he’s tryna murder her. he’s tryna find people that can kill her and talking about how he hates her and all other humans. and suddenly he starts talking about how shes so irresistible. two seconds later he’s ready to fuck her. and 30 seconds after that he’s in love with her. whiplash.
the romance was just a hot mf mess. bro they had like (maybe?) one conversation and mans is suddenly all like ”I knew in that very moment I was so deeply in love with her, and she would be the one thing capable of my demise. The weak point in my unbreakable armor. I stared at her, and it scared me to death. It scared me to death what I wouldn’t do for her.” bitch whet?? he starts talking about how he can’t live without her and he would destroy anyone for her. there’s no development in this relationship. chemistry is nonexistent. we go from 0-100 so mf quick it makes no sense.
the writing did not move me in any way. it felt very juvenile. i didn’t connect to anything in here. but this wasn’t a boring bad i zoomed through the book it was a very quick read. it was just also a very silly read. the plot was giving very much walmart version of acotar. and then there’s a (hilarious) twist at the end.
if you ever decide to read this, do yourself a favour and read it as a comedy.
September 27, 2023
I am the girl from tiktok🫡 happy to see us united on Goodreads. As I’m sure you already know this book made me feel all the things.
Want to read
November 7, 2024👁️👄👁️
May 29, 2023
rating: 1.25
This was ridiculous.
The FMC was horrific. She was the embodiment of special snowflake syndrome. Everyone in her hometown is apparently in love with her, and the author doesn't let you forget it. There are constant reminders of how long her blonde hair is, how slim her waist is, how strong her figure is, etc. It was exhausting. She refuses to curse for no apparent reason, which is incredibly bizarre because everyone else in the book uses profanity. She has no social life or friends and only cares about having awkward one-sided conversations with random wildlife.
The MMC was potentially even worse. He supposedly has "no emotion," as said by himself and every other character that encounters him. Despite this, he falls ridiculously in love with the FMC after two weeks of knowing her. Keep in mind; he spent ninety percent of that time attempting various methods of murdering her. It was boring and felt like an extremely poor caricature of a bad-boy love interest.
The romance also was a burning train wreck. There was no tension; the pair suddenly are having sex and then in love about ten pages later. It was jarring, uncomfortable, and not enjoyable to read.
The ending of the story was also beyond outlandish and didn't fit with a single fucking thing that happened in the whole plot. Very awkward and out of nowhere.
Parting thoughts; I'm sad and disappointed with just about every aspect of this book.
This was ridiculous.
The FMC was horrific. She was the embodiment of special snowflake syndrome. Everyone in her hometown is apparently in love with her, and the author doesn't let you forget it. There are constant reminders of how long her blonde hair is, how slim her waist is, how strong her figure is, etc. It was exhausting. She refuses to curse for no apparent reason, which is incredibly bizarre because everyone else in the book uses profanity. She has no social life or friends and only cares about having awkward one-sided conversations with random wildlife.
The MMC was potentially even worse. He supposedly has "no emotion," as said by himself and every other character that encounters him. Despite this, he falls ridiculously in love with the FMC after two weeks of knowing her. Keep in mind; he spent ninety percent of that time attempting various methods of murdering her. It was boring and felt like an extremely poor caricature of a bad-boy love interest.
The romance also was a burning train wreck. There was no tension; the pair suddenly are having sex and then in love about ten pages later. It was jarring, uncomfortable, and not enjoyable to read.
The ending of the story was also beyond outlandish and didn't fit with a single fucking thing that happened in the whole plot. Very awkward and out of nowhere.
Parting thoughts; I'm sad and disappointed with just about every aspect of this book.
September 25, 2023
Never trusting BookTok again
June 21, 2024
edit: i have to come back here to add that i unfortunately was super disappointed by book 2. i feel like i need to update this review bc while book 1 was fun, i don't want to mislead y'all for book 2 😅
_______________
OMG YOU GUYS, I UNDERSTAND HOW TIKTOK GIRL FEELS NOW.
it was wild GO READ IT.
You didn’t fall into the bad guy’s traps, and you certainly—certainly—didn’t fall in love with him.
the villain love interest be villaining.
the enemies to lovers be enemying (and loving).
forced proximity.
dark ass fae.
hurt/comfort.
a lil smut.
“Until this moment, I’ve never known you could crave something you’ve never wanted."
STEM queen who is giving me low key heisenberg vibes. she's a bad ass who uses her scientific knowledge to outsmart fae and beat challenges.
villain fae prince w a dimple, be still my heart. he's evil but possessive and it's so fun.
“I am the bad guy, Callie.” He pulled away from my lips just enough to lay his whisper upon them, never opening his eyes. “Which is why you will never, ever be free from me again.”
the ending omg... i need book 2 STAT.
i am sooooo intrigued to see how this series goes!
check TWs !!
_______________
OMG YOU GUYS, I UNDERSTAND HOW TIKTOK GIRL FEELS NOW.
it was wild GO READ IT.
You didn’t fall into the bad guy’s traps, and you certainly—certainly—didn’t fall in love with him.
the villain love interest be villaining.
the enemies to lovers be enemying (and loving).
forced proximity.
dark ass fae.
hurt/comfort.
a lil smut.
“Until this moment, I’ve never known you could crave something you’ve never wanted."
STEM queen who is giving me low key heisenberg vibes. she's a bad ass who uses her scientific knowledge to outsmart fae and beat challenges.
villain fae prince w a dimple, be still my heart. he's evil but possessive and it's so fun.
“I am the bad guy, Callie.” He pulled away from my lips just enough to lay his whisper upon them, never opening his eyes. “Which is why you will never, ever be free from me again.”
the ending omg... i need book 2 STAT.
i am sooooo intrigued to see how this series goes!
check TWs !!
September 25, 2023
If you’re here from TikTok, let me save you some time and sanity: this was honestly and genuinely the worst book I’ve read this year. A poorly written, embarrassingly cliched, predictable ACOTAR knock-off. There are much, MUCH better books out there - I recommend we all get back on BookTok and find them.
September 25, 2023
Poorly written with a slew of tired tropes.
* updating review to say how shocked I am this book is trending on TikTok. It might be one of the worst books I’ve ever even attempted to read this year. The author needs a better editor because dayuuum. How did it feel? Terrible.
* updating review to say how shocked I am this book is trending on TikTok. It might be one of the worst books I’ve ever even attempted to read this year. The author needs a better editor because dayuuum. How did it feel? Terrible.
October 8, 2023
5/5 vomits. 🤢
I want my money back, I want my credit back, I want my time back, my sanity. All of it. By 50%, I went from moderately intrigued to hate, hate, double hate, loath entirely.
I can’t even begin the unpack how horrific this is. Poorly executed on all fronts. What an absolute mess. This book is ‘I’m not like the other girls’ on crack. And she really isn’t like the other girls, she’s so so so SO much worse. This was genuinely insensitive at best and problematic at worst.
And I’m so here for self love but if I have to hear about how beautiful the FMC is and how hard her life is because she’s so smart and beautiful and everyone just wants to be with her but she just wants friends and moths and butterflies.. I will throw things. So many things.
Honestly.. Throughout this entire read, I kept questioning if this was truly written by the author. This is filled with such random one-liners that don’t have make sense for the scene they occur in. It truly reads like a man pretending to understand what it’s like to be a woman. I wouldn’t be surprised if AI had something to do with this.
*updated section*
The words ‘but you’re the villain in my story’ were said OUT LOUD from the FMC’s mouth directly to the MMC. MULTIPLE TIMES. That is so cringe.
Also, where the actual frick is the chemistry between these two love interests? No where. Somewhere near the stick man who SA’d the FMC, perhaps?
And let’s talk about the slût shaming language used throughout this story.
What about the entirety of chapter seven?
And sorry, who said this was like ACOTAR? You’re joking me right? Supposedly human girl ends up in fairy land and has to compete in trials to save her life. That’s where the comparison ends. And quite frankly, that is far too close to ACOTAR, anyhow.
*update ends*
Don’t read it because of the twist. The twist was trash. It doesn’t even make sense. You can’t have a twist like that when you’ve been writing in first person POV. There is withholding information and then there is attempting to gaslight your readers.
I want my money back, I want my credit back, I want my time back, my sanity. All of it. By 50%, I went from moderately intrigued to hate, hate, double hate, loath entirely.
I can’t even begin the unpack how horrific this is. Poorly executed on all fronts. What an absolute mess. This book is ‘I’m not like the other girls’ on crack. And she really isn’t like the other girls, she’s so so so SO much worse. This was genuinely insensitive at best and problematic at worst.
And I’m so here for self love but if I have to hear about how beautiful the FMC is and how hard her life is because she’s so smart and beautiful and everyone just wants to be with her but she just wants friends and moths and butterflies.. I will throw things. So many things.
Honestly.. Throughout this entire read, I kept questioning if this was truly written by the author. This is filled with such random one-liners that don’t have make sense for the scene they occur in. It truly reads like a man pretending to understand what it’s like to be a woman. I wouldn’t be surprised if AI had something to do with this.
*updated section*
The words ‘but you’re the villain in my story’ were said OUT LOUD from the FMC’s mouth directly to the MMC. MULTIPLE TIMES. That is so cringe.
Also, where the actual frick is the chemistry between these two love interests? No where. Somewhere near the stick man who SA’d the FMC, perhaps?
And let’s talk about the slût shaming language used throughout this story.
What about the entirety of chapter seven?
And sorry, who said this was like ACOTAR? You’re joking me right? Supposedly human girl ends up in fairy land and has to compete in trials to save her life. That’s where the comparison ends. And quite frankly, that is far too close to ACOTAR, anyhow.
*update ends*
Don’t read it because of the twist. The twist was trash. It doesn’t even make sense. You can’t have a twist like that when you’ve been writing in first person POV. There is withholding information and then there is attempting to gaslight your readers.
October 6, 2023
Read this if you hate yourself
September 28, 2023
Some things in this book were just utterly laughable.
"One time in college, a professor convinced me I was in the wrong class, only to send me to a fashion and textiles classroom. Shortly after that, I stopped wearing makeup. I was so tired of not fitting in anywhere. That very same professor asked me out later that very same year. What a joke. At least until the higher-ups told him I had been offered the job to replace him. I hadn’t accepted, but it was so great of them to offer. I’ll never forget the look on his face."
Lmfao yeah, that's not how academic hiring works, O'Riley 😂
"One time in college, a professor convinced me I was in the wrong class, only to send me to a fashion and textiles classroom. Shortly after that, I stopped wearing makeup. I was so tired of not fitting in anywhere. That very same professor asked me out later that very same year. What a joke. At least until the higher-ups told him I had been offered the job to replace him. I hadn’t accepted, but it was so great of them to offer. I’ll never forget the look on his face."
Lmfao yeah, that's not how academic hiring works, O'Riley 😂
Want to read
September 29, 2023Is it just me, or is this an ugly ass cover? lol.
Also, I do not trust BookTok..
Also, I do not trust BookTok..
July 8, 2024
kinda like acotar if you got it off temu
September 26, 2023
I really gotta stop reading these horrible booktok books
Read
September 24, 2023I DNF’d this book at 21%, so I will not be rating BUT, OH MY GOD, this was AWFUL.
The grammar, the punctuation, the main character, the side characters, the hyper-focus on everyone’s bodies and appearance, all of it was SO. BAD.
Reasons why I DNF’d:
*21% in, and the FMC was still in the human realm, giggling about how tiny and beautiful she is while everyone else has “saggy boobs” and “thin legs”.
*Even though she looks like a Barbie doll, she’s SCIENTIST Barbie, and NOBODY understands her except Crazy (!!) Earl, so she’s going to roam the forest with him at night and all is fine and dandy because he is a scientist too!! Can you believe it??
*She can talk to animals, it’s really cool, she’s basically a Disney Princess. A fox even smiled at her once.
*She refuses to cuss because she’s a “scientist, not a sailor”. Is that childish? She doesn’t care, she has MORALS.
*She stopped wearing make up because a professor kicked her out of a science class and thought she was supposed to be in a fashion class. Nobody takes her seriously because she’s just so pretty.
*Apparently, all the women in town don’t like her because they think she will “steal their out-of-shape, misogynistic, hillbilly husbands or take all the available wrangler-wearing, dip-chewing men.” Because those are the only options, obviously.
The words in quotations are actual quotes from the book… just 20% of it too.
Beware, lots of internalized misogyny and the writing itself is very sub par. The book is not interesting enough to grab my attention in the first quarter (almost), so I can’t finish it in good conscience knowing I already hate it this much.
The grammar, the punctuation, the main character, the side characters, the hyper-focus on everyone’s bodies and appearance, all of it was SO. BAD.
Reasons why I DNF’d:
*21% in, and the FMC was still in the human realm, giggling about how tiny and beautiful she is while everyone else has “saggy boobs” and “thin legs”.
*Even though she looks like a Barbie doll, she’s SCIENTIST Barbie, and NOBODY understands her except Crazy (!!) Earl, so she’s going to roam the forest with him at night and all is fine and dandy because he is a scientist too!! Can you believe it??
*She can talk to animals, it’s really cool, she’s basically a Disney Princess. A fox even smiled at her once.
*She refuses to cuss because she’s a “scientist, not a sailor”. Is that childish? She doesn’t care, she has MORALS.
*She stopped wearing make up because a professor kicked her out of a science class and thought she was supposed to be in a fashion class. Nobody takes her seriously because she’s just so pretty.
*Apparently, all the women in town don’t like her because they think she will “steal their out-of-shape, misogynistic, hillbilly husbands or take all the available wrangler-wearing, dip-chewing men.” Because those are the only options, obviously.
The words in quotations are actual quotes from the book… just 20% of it too.
Beware, lots of internalized misogyny and the writing itself is very sub par. The book is not interesting enough to grab my attention in the first quarter (almost), so I can’t finish it in good conscience knowing I already hate it this much.
November 23, 2023
WTF! This was an insane ride and I'm still shocked by the ending.. I did NOT expect it and I NEED answers NOW.. when is the 2nd book coming 🤣
This is a dark, depraved novel and is NOT for the weak of heart. Read at your own risk. The male character is morally black and wants to kill Callie for more than half of the novel. You will find yourself questioning certain acts. You will question your tastes and what you want in life 😈🤪
This might not be a 5 read but if a friend asked for a book recommendation this would be one of the options I would suggest.
Things I did not like:
1. The FMC in the beginning of the novel is super annoying. Her appearance is talked about constantly and it seemed redundant to the story. Her bright blonde hair, big boobs and short height were mentioned several times.
2. The writing is terrible. But it's not a deal breaker because that's not the reason that gravitated me to read this novel.
3. The romance shift is like a light switch. One minute he is trying to kill her and out of nowhere he starts to develop feelings.
Things I did like:
1. This is an extremely addicting read and the story is interesting. I did not want to put the book down.
2. Once the MMC is at peace with his feelings he is a major cinnamon roll and will unalive anyone who tries to hurt her.
3. The FMC is in her twenties and is a biologist.
“How does it feel?” he said, breathing heavily. “To know that I love you and that you have doomed me? That you and only you have the power to disarm and debilitate me. That you, a human, have dismantled every part of me and rebuilt it as a shrine in your honor.”
“You develop a taste for blood when you’re constantly licking your own wounds,”
This is a dark, depraved novel and is NOT for the weak of heart. Read at your own risk. The male character is morally black and wants to kill Callie for more than half of the novel. You will find yourself questioning certain acts. You will question your tastes and what you want in life 😈🤪
This might not be a 5 read but if a friend asked for a book recommendation this would be one of the options I would suggest.
Things I did not like:
1. The FMC in the beginning of the novel is super annoying. Her appearance is talked about constantly and it seemed redundant to the story. Her bright blonde hair, big boobs and short height were mentioned several times.
2. The writing is terrible. But it's not a deal breaker because that's not the reason that gravitated me to read this novel.
3. The romance shift is like a light switch. One minute he is trying to kill her and out of nowhere he starts to develop feelings.
Things I did like:
1. This is an extremely addicting read and the story is interesting. I did not want to put the book down.
2. Once the MMC is at peace with his feelings he is a major cinnamon roll and will unalive anyone who tries to hurt her.
3. The FMC is in her twenties and is a biologist.
“How does it feel?” he said, breathing heavily. “To know that I love you and that you have doomed me? That you and only you have the power to disarm and debilitate me. That you, a human, have dismantled every part of me and rebuilt it as a shrine in your honor.”
“You develop a taste for blood when you’re constantly licking your own wounds,”
October 1, 2023
This was a fever dream of horrible writing.
It’s not very often I actually finish a unreadable book. I have been more cautious with my time lately, and have leaned toward a DNF. But I truly believe you shouldn’t rate or review a book you didn’t read, so I finished this so I could do just that.
📔 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼: How does it feel, book one in the Infatuated Fae series by Jeneane O’Riley.
📚𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Dark fantasy romance, enemies-to-lovers.
📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Callie slips through a magical ring of mushrooms in the forest and falls on top of the Unseelie prince. He takes her prisoner and tried repeatedly to kill her.
🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: If you don’t want to read a scathing review, let me give you two sentences. Don’t pick up this book. It was a giant waste of time.
For those who like their reviews to elaborate, let me explain my thoughts.
This is O’Riley’s first book. And while I truly hope it gets better for her, it reads like she might have written it when she was in high school.
The plot has so many holes it’s impossible to connect a story. It’s also beyond slow - she doesn’t even fall into the ring of mushrooms until 30%. On the fantasy side, the world building is completely missing. There’s typos, sentence structure issues, you name it. I guess I should have guessed when the title wasn’t even capitalized correctly.
Both main characters are unbelievably unlikeable. Everything about Callie is a contradiction. She will say something in one paragraph and do the opposite in the next. And yes, we love a dark prince, but this version is barely passable.
On the romance side, the characters do NOTHING to establish a romance, yet end the book in love (or at least he is. I have no idea if she is).
And then this twist - which I won’t spoil because I want this review to remain above the spoiler tag - comes, and O’Riley spends maybe three pages explaining her entire 350 page book.
I don’t like trashing authors. But I also don’t like when books like this go viral. Because there’s indie authors out there with more talent who get overlooked, and who pay good money for an editor regardless. I worry for the people who thought this was a good book, because it almost fried my brain.
🔮 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗲: If you’re a seasoned fantasy reader, you’ll probably do fine. But there is almost zero world building and a good amount of the writing relies on you knowing elements of fae lore in order to understand.
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 1/5 ⭐
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3/5 🌶🌶🌶️
🆓️ on KU
It’s not very often I actually finish a unreadable book. I have been more cautious with my time lately, and have leaned toward a DNF. But I truly believe you shouldn’t rate or review a book you didn’t read, so I finished this so I could do just that.
📔 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼: How does it feel, book one in the Infatuated Fae series by Jeneane O’Riley.
📚𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Dark fantasy romance, enemies-to-lovers.
📖 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Callie slips through a magical ring of mushrooms in the forest and falls on top of the Unseelie prince. He takes her prisoner and tried repeatedly to kill her.
🌟 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: If you don’t want to read a scathing review, let me give you two sentences. Don’t pick up this book. It was a giant waste of time.
For those who like their reviews to elaborate, let me explain my thoughts.
This is O’Riley’s first book. And while I truly hope it gets better for her, it reads like she might have written it when she was in high school.
The plot has so many holes it’s impossible to connect a story. It’s also beyond slow - she doesn’t even fall into the ring of mushrooms until 30%. On the fantasy side, the world building is completely missing. There’s typos, sentence structure issues, you name it. I guess I should have guessed when the title wasn’t even capitalized correctly.
Both main characters are unbelievably unlikeable. Everything about Callie is a contradiction. She will say something in one paragraph and do the opposite in the next. And yes, we love a dark prince, but this version is barely passable.
On the romance side, the characters do NOTHING to establish a romance, yet end the book in love (or at least he is. I have no idea if she is).
And then this twist - which I won’t spoil because I want this review to remain above the spoiler tag - comes, and O’Riley spends maybe three pages explaining her entire 350 page book.
I don’t like trashing authors. But I also don’t like when books like this go viral. Because there’s indie authors out there with more talent who get overlooked, and who pay good money for an editor regardless. I worry for the people who thought this was a good book, because it almost fried my brain.
🔮 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗲: If you’re a seasoned fantasy reader, you’ll probably do fine. But there is almost zero world building and a good amount of the writing relies on you knowing elements of fae lore in order to understand.
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 1/5 ⭐
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3/5 🌶🌶🌶️
🆓️ on KU
March 16, 2025
4.5⭐️. dark fae fantasy, TRUE enemies to lovers(?), slow burn, he falls first (& HARD), crazy plot twists. IMMEDIATELY YES!! i ate this up. delicious, thank you jeneane.
Read
May 19, 2024I'm bored and I'm not feeling this AT ALL.
Also not a fan of the writing 😩
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Also not a fan of the writing 😩
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July 7, 2025
✩ 2 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Assumptions & Miscommunication
➼ Deadly Trials
➼ Morally Black MMC
➼ Fae Magic
➼ Touch Her & Die
➼ Captor x Captive
➼ Dark Romantasy
➼ Plot Twist/Cliffhanger Ending
➼ Dual Narration
➼ First Person POV
As a reader, I’m generally just here for the vibes and the romance. I can typically ignore a lot as long as an author delivers a good mix of tropes and tension. What can I say, I’m a simple gal. On a personal level, if run on sentences were a crime, I would have been locked up a long time ago. 😅 I’m not an author, and I’m definitely not claiming to be perfect, but it needs to be said that the writing in this book was bad. 😬
The first quarter of the book was basically just the FMC hunting for bugs and talking about her super special microscope while using some of the most cringeworthy lines I can think of. There were a lot of overly descriptive paragraphs about her precious bugs and the use of a lot of corny phrases like “oh my heavens,” or “holy esophagus,” or “son of a trash can,” etc. I felt like the author was trying hard to make the FMC feel quirky and relatable, but she only succeeded in making her seem really lame.
The “romance” was one of the most bizarre I’ve read. The fairy prince accuses her of being an assassin sent to kill him with zero evidence that this is true and then doubles and triples down on his accusation throughout the book. After trying to kill her three times unsuccessfully, he forces her to participate in 3 more deadly trials even though he is becoming increasingly more infatuated with her. If she survives them, he claims he will let her go. How would her survival prove that she wasn’t an assassin though? If anything, I’d be more sure she was out to get me if she could survive that many attempts on her life. The plot just didn’t make any sense. His mom seemed to be against him being with her and then in the next second, she would do something to strengthen their bond. Why? He would give someone a “touch her and die” type speech and then lead her to the next deadly trial like a sacrificial lamb. It was all just completely nonsensical and I got whiplash from all the mixed messages these characters were sending.
Animals were mysteriously obsessed with her and driven to protect her which is how she survived most of the trials. The reasoning behind their attraction to her is never really explained, which I’m still honestly annoyed about. There is also a big plot twist/reveal at the end that I found extremely confusing. Franky, I have all the books, so I’m probably going to read them. 🙃 I’m bumping my rating for this up to two stars, because for whatever reason, I do still want to know what happens next.
So far, this is not a series I would recommend, but we’ll see if that changes after book two…
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Okay, so I’m actually like 18% in and… am I missing something? So far this is legit terrible and it’s reading like it’s from the early 2000s despite being published in 2023? Y’all love this? 🤔
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
What to Expect:
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Assumptions & Miscommunication
➼ Deadly Trials
➼ Morally Black MMC
➼ Fae Magic
➼ Touch Her & Die
➼ Captor x Captive
➼ Dark Romantasy
➼ Plot Twist/Cliffhanger Ending
➼ Dual Narration
➼ First Person POV
As a reader, I’m generally just here for the vibes and the romance. I can typically ignore a lot as long as an author delivers a good mix of tropes and tension. What can I say, I’m a simple gal. On a personal level, if run on sentences were a crime, I would have been locked up a long time ago. 😅 I’m not an author, and I’m definitely not claiming to be perfect, but it needs to be said that the writing in this book was bad. 😬
The first quarter of the book was basically just the FMC hunting for bugs and talking about her super special microscope while using some of the most cringeworthy lines I can think of. There were a lot of overly descriptive paragraphs about her precious bugs and the use of a lot of corny phrases like “oh my heavens,” or “holy esophagus,” or “son of a trash can,” etc. I felt like the author was trying hard to make the FMC feel quirky and relatable, but she only succeeded in making her seem really lame.
The “romance” was one of the most bizarre I’ve read. The fairy prince accuses her of being an assassin sent to kill him with zero evidence that this is true and then doubles and triples down on his accusation throughout the book. After trying to kill her three times unsuccessfully, he forces her to participate in 3 more deadly trials even though he is becoming increasingly more infatuated with her. If she survives them, he claims he will let her go. How would her survival prove that she wasn’t an assassin though? If anything, I’d be more sure she was out to get me if she could survive that many attempts on her life. The plot just didn’t make any sense. His mom seemed to be against him being with her and then in the next second, she would do something to strengthen their bond. Why? He would give someone a “touch her and die” type speech and then lead her to the next deadly trial like a sacrificial lamb. It was all just completely nonsensical and I got whiplash from all the mixed messages these characters were sending.
Animals were mysteriously obsessed with her and driven to protect her which is how she survived most of the trials. The reasoning behind their attraction to her is never really explained, which I’m still honestly annoyed about. There is also a big plot twist/reveal at the end that I found extremely confusing. Franky, I have all the books, so I’m probably going to read them. 🙃 I’m bumping my rating for this up to two stars, because for whatever reason, I do still want to know what happens next.
So far, this is not a series I would recommend, but we’ll see if that changes after book two…
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: Okay, so I’m actually like 18% in and… am I missing something? So far this is legit terrible and it’s reading like it’s from the early 2000s despite being published in 2023? Y’all love this? 🤔
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram
September 27, 2023
Please research the book & see other reviews before you blindly listen to the tiktok girl, as I did. 😂 Her enthusiasm and energy are amazing, so I just got the book not knowing what it’s even about.. and wow. Am I disappointed. 😩
I kept reading on - because she had a wild reaction + said it reminded her of Acotar (in terms of how much it affected her), constantly thinking something big will happen.. what happened was pointless and made no sense. It’s a bunch of fantasy ideas smushed into one book, and quite poorly. I actually liked the beginning, when she was in the real world & I thought something cool will go down. So, when the fantasy started - it ended, pretty much.
The romance - if I can call it that - is the worst I’ve EVER seen it. Characters are bland and irritating. The spice is so cringe I would be mortified if anyone I know read it - and knows I have read it, too. 💀
And the writing… We have : “I can’t lose you, I’ll kill anyone who touches you, you’re mine, LAMB” repeated and inserted in the book a hundred times.. and simple lines like “But, I’m human. I like sunshine and animals!” (I KID YOU NOT!!)
I simply HAVE to warn you, even tho I rarely review on here.. because I regret deeply spending the few hours I had daily reading this book when so many good ones exist !!
All I’m saying is.. Try it. If it doesn’t seem good - it’s because it’s not; don’t continue.
I kept reading on - because she had a wild reaction + said it reminded her of Acotar (in terms of how much it affected her), constantly thinking something big will happen.. what happened was pointless and made no sense. It’s a bunch of fantasy ideas smushed into one book, and quite poorly. I actually liked the beginning, when she was in the real world & I thought something cool will go down. So, when the fantasy started - it ended, pretty much.
The romance - if I can call it that - is the worst I’ve EVER seen it. Characters are bland and irritating. The spice is so cringe I would be mortified if anyone I know read it - and knows I have read it, too. 💀
And the writing… We have : “I can’t lose you, I’ll kill anyone who touches you, you’re mine, LAMB” repeated and inserted in the book a hundred times.. and simple lines like “But, I’m human. I like sunshine and animals!” (I KID YOU NOT!!)
I simply HAVE to warn you, even tho I rarely review on here.. because I regret deeply spending the few hours I had daily reading this book when so many good ones exist !!
All I’m saying is.. Try it. If it doesn’t seem good - it’s because it’s not; don’t continue.
September 26, 2023
DNF, i have half the mind to block that girl hyping it up on tiktok 😭 i know everyone has their own tastes—and I hate to be so harsh— but the author could use a much better editor. I’ll try rereading it in a month or so to see if I change my mind, because the plot alone sounds interesting and I would love to know about this “plot twist” but if I don’t like the main character to begin with how am I suppose to sit with her for an entire novel? Anyways for now it’s a hard pass.
September 20, 2024
did i hate this book? 100%
did i love this book? 100%
was i unable to put it down? 100%
did it make me cringe internally? 100%
was i on the edge of my seat? 100%
is it the only thing i will be thinking about for the foreseeable future? 100%
did this book feel like it written by a middle schooler? 100%
will i read the next one? 100%
did i love this book? 100%
was i unable to put it down? 100%
did it make me cringe internally? 100%
was i on the edge of my seat? 100%
is it the only thing i will be thinking about for the foreseeable future? 100%
did this book feel like it written by a middle schooler? 100%
will i read the next one? 100%
September 26, 2023
wattpad level writing. only finished for the supposed "crazy plot twist" at the end but it was so random and out of nowhere. like she just added a whole new plotline to the book in the last two chapters with no prior mention of it. also, the mc's emoting was super weird, she kept making noises out loud at inappropriate moments in the book. the romance in this book was also super rushed, somehow they "fell in love" with each other and he "understands every part of her" when he was barely in her presence for the month she was there?
would give a 0/5 if possible. i equate this to reading pucked. iykyk
would give a 0/5 if possible. i equate this to reading pucked. iykyk
January 30, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
he’s a 10 but he wants you dead 💀
he’s a 10 but he wears ur molar around his neck like a souvenir 💀
“That’s it, my little hellhound, rub that pussy against my face so hard we both forget how much we hate each other.”
“How does it feel?” he said, breathing heavily. “To know that I love you and that you have doomed me? That you and only you have the power to disarm and debilitate me. That you, a human, have dismantled every part of me and rebuilt it as a shrine in your honor.” 😻
PS: crying and throwing up, THE PLOT TWIST WAS INSANE! need book 2 ASAP!
PPS: besties it’s pacing is slow (u won’t meet our H until chap 10 and the writing style is probably not for everyone! you’re welcome 💛
PPPS: ignore the ugly ass cover guys 💀
he’s a 10 but he wants you dead 💀
he’s a 10 but he wears ur molar around his neck like a souvenir 💀
“That’s it, my little hellhound, rub that pussy against my face so hard we both forget how much we hate each other.”
“How does it feel?” he said, breathing heavily. “To know that I love you and that you have doomed me? That you and only you have the power to disarm and debilitate me. That you, a human, have dismantled every part of me and rebuilt it as a shrine in your honor.” 😻
PS: crying and throwing up, THE PLOT TWIST WAS INSANE! need book 2 ASAP!
PPS: besties it’s pacing is slow (u won’t meet our H until chap 10 and the writing style is probably not for everyone! you’re welcome 💛
PPPS: ignore the ugly ass cover guys 💀
December 7, 2024
Before I say what I didn't like, I want to say that this writer has potential. With better editing and review processes so that story flows a little better.
Now. This book was jarring, unoriginal, fast in some parts and slow in others. The main character is beautiful... we hear this AT LEAST 50 times in the first part of the book. And everyone wants her, but she's not like other girls because.. she's a scientist and doesn't wear make up... k. It was almost annoying the amount of times her beauty was mentioned. She also doesn't curse and as a 29yr old woman, she has a 5 yr old vocabulary when she tries to curse.. cringey. But wait... as soon as she fall through the portal she starts cussing up a storm.
We get introduced the male love interest who is absolutely horrible. I don't care how hot a man is, you spit on me, stab me, throw me in prison AND THEN SEND A GUY (THING) THAT YOU KNOW IS GOING TO R*PE ME !?!? I would be gouging that man's eye out with my fingers - not getting turned on as soon as he gets close. Like please... please... the way she handled that scene with that thing was too blasé for me - very jarring. No trigger warning and I had to take a moment. All of a sudden the MCs pov of him changes from terrified of him to turned on.. don't know why.. cus he's hot? Idk... I'm tired of weak female characters. I think she was trying for a redemption arc for him but ?? not believe-able, his subjects like him but then he'll kill them over something basic... make it make sense.
Then the love story, is no love story. Just instant. He's head over heels as soon as he touches her. He doesn't even know her favorite color, what she likes to eat. Nothing, but he will break the world for her... k.
Twist at the end was not thought out thoroughly. Wasn't shocked by it just... hmm "how is she going to explain this?"... and it was not well.
This book also needs a better editor. Convinced these 5 star reviews are from people who started reading fantasy yesterday. There's like no way.
Now. This book was jarring, unoriginal, fast in some parts and slow in others. The main character is beautiful... we hear this AT LEAST 50 times in the first part of the book. And everyone wants her, but she's not like other girls because.. she's a scientist and doesn't wear make up... k. It was almost annoying the amount of times her beauty was mentioned. She also doesn't curse and as a 29yr old woman, she has a 5 yr old vocabulary when she tries to curse.. cringey. But wait... as soon as she fall through the portal she starts cussing up a storm.
We get introduced the male love interest who is absolutely horrible. I don't care how hot a man is, you spit on me, stab me, throw me in prison AND THEN SEND A GUY (THING) THAT YOU KNOW IS GOING TO R*PE ME !?!? I would be gouging that man's eye out with my fingers - not getting turned on as soon as he gets close. Like please... please... the way she handled that scene with that thing was too blasé for me - very jarring. No trigger warning and I had to take a moment. All of a sudden the MCs pov of him changes from terrified of him to turned on.. don't know why.. cus he's hot? Idk... I'm tired of weak female characters. I think she was trying for a redemption arc for him but ?? not believe-able, his subjects like him but then he'll kill them over something basic... make it make sense.
Then the love story, is no love story. Just instant. He's head over heels as soon as he touches her. He doesn't even know her favorite color, what she likes to eat. Nothing, but he will break the world for her... k.
Twist at the end was not thought out thoroughly. Wasn't shocked by it just... hmm "how is she going to explain this?"... and it was not well.
This book also needs a better editor. Convinced these 5 star reviews are from people who started reading fantasy yesterday. There's like no way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2023
Booktok is one of the worst things that has happened to the literary community. I 👏🏻 said 👏🏻 what 👏🏻 I 👏🏻 said👏🏻
October 6, 2023
it was giving very much wish.com version of acotar
November 16, 2025
1⭐️
“𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗. 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚗.”
My downfall was our FMC Callie .
She is scientist- ( She will gladly remind that to all of us many times throughout of the book ) . I thought that scientists are supposed to be clever. But I kid you not this chick would not be able to figure the way out of the open paper bag.
Let’s just forget I’ve ever red this 👌🤣.
“𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗. 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚗.”
My downfall was our FMC Callie .
She is scientist- ( She will gladly remind that to all of us many times throughout of the book ) . I thought that scientists are supposed to be clever. But I kid you not this chick would not be able to figure the way out of the open paper bag.
Let’s just forget I’ve ever red this 👌🤣.
October 1, 2023
What is up with that ending ????
I’m convinced the people who made Tik toks about this book were paid to give fake 5 star reviews.
I’m just disappointed
I’m convinced the people who made Tik toks about this book were paid to give fake 5 star reviews.
I’m just disappointed
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