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State of Grace #1
Run Riot
By the time an agathos woman reaches 25, she’s supposed to be one thing, and one thing only:
Bonded.
I'm zero for four soul bonds, a disgrace to my family, and the black sheep of my community.
It had me feeling reckless. Impulsive. Daring.
In a moment of weakness, I let the darkness lurking inside of me rule, and it changed everything.
I was supposed to embrace the light, but how could I fear the dark, when it brought me Riot?
Run Riot is the first book in the State of Grace series. It is a slow burn reverse harem romance suitable for readers 18+
Bonded.
I'm zero for four soul bonds, a disgrace to my family, and the black sheep of my community.
It had me feeling reckless. Impulsive. Daring.
In a moment of weakness, I let the darkness lurking inside of me rule, and it changed everything.
I was supposed to embrace the light, but how could I fear the dark, when it brought me Riot?
Run Riot is the first book in the State of Grace series. It is a slow burn reverse harem romance suitable for readers 18+
299 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2021
1929 people are currently reading
8176 people want to read
About the author
Colette Rhodes
36 books1,796 followersColette Rhodes is a paranormal romance author from New Zealand. She loves to write about love in all its forms, and adores imperfect heroes and heroines who find perfection in each other. You’ll often find her trying to justify her degree by including ancient history and mythological influences in her work.
If she’s not writing, then you’re almost certain to find her reading—ideally with a cup of tea in hand and a scented candle burning to match the mood.
Keep up with Colette here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
If she’s not writing, then you’re almost certain to find her reading—ideally with a cup of tea in hand and a scented candle burning to match the mood.
Keep up with Colette here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 566 reviews
November 10, 2021
Frustrating read, DNF 78%
Like, I don’t always want to climb up on my feminism soap box. I am a middle aged married lady who absolutely loves love in all forms, so I’m no man hater. I read almost nothing but the smuttiest of romances.
90% of those romances can’t pass the Bechdel test. I think we can do better. It feels like I’m shouting into the void from up here on my soap box. But here we are anyways.
I get that the heroine’s situation is supposed to be a very unsubtle allegory of being raised in a religious cult. But even children raised in the staunchest of cults would not be as naive as her. She’s 25 and utterly powerless. Most of her internal dialogue is about finding the men who will complete her as a person, and how sad she is that she’s a failure for not having them. She is absolutely nothing without this longing. A vessel for the expectations of the people around her. Her situation is bad and she needs a flock of men to save her. Like, she has access to pop culture and can’t see how effed up her situation is until a man comes along to change her way of thinking. She’s a wet paper towel with no spine and everyone takes advantage of her, but she’s just so ***pure*** that she takes it because she’s what all women are expected to be.
Two stars because the writing was technically good in an English class kind of way and the editing was perfect enough that I didn’t notice any errors. It was just the story that was bad.
And remember that a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle, kids. We were all born complete. Don’t let this propaganda from the patriarchy make you question your completeness, even with your imperfections.
Like, I don’t always want to climb up on my feminism soap box. I am a middle aged married lady who absolutely loves love in all forms, so I’m no man hater. I read almost nothing but the smuttiest of romances.
90% of those romances can’t pass the Bechdel test. I think we can do better. It feels like I’m shouting into the void from up here on my soap box. But here we are anyways.
I get that the heroine’s situation is supposed to be a very unsubtle allegory of being raised in a religious cult. But even children raised in the staunchest of cults would not be as naive as her. She’s 25 and utterly powerless. Most of her internal dialogue is about finding the men who will complete her as a person, and how sad she is that she’s a failure for not having them. She is absolutely nothing without this longing. A vessel for the expectations of the people around her. Her situation is bad and she needs a flock of men to save her. Like, she has access to pop culture and can’t see how effed up her situation is until a man comes along to change her way of thinking. She’s a wet paper towel with no spine and everyone takes advantage of her, but she’s just so ***pure*** that she takes it because she’s what all women are expected to be.
Two stars because the writing was technically good in an English class kind of way and the editing was perfect enough that I didn’t notice any errors. It was just the story that was bad.
And remember that a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle, kids. We were all born complete. Don’t let this propaganda from the patriarchy make you question your completeness, even with your imperfections.
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June 13, 2021
⤅ 3.5 stars, rounded down.
Not a bad book by any means, but certainly not as good as Rhodes's dragon duology, to which I gave 4 stars. So this one will have to settle for 3 - but I will say that it's a fulsome, well-rounded 3.
This one is a vaguely Greek-mythology-inspired undertaking, featuring paranormal creatures called agathos and daimons who move among humans. Agathos are the 'good', sweet ones - they work to help humans, though there's always a cost for them. Agathos women have four soulmates, and 25-year-old Grace is basically an outcast among her people because she's the only woman to have never found any soulmates, despite her advanced age. It means she has a difficult relationship with her mother and fathers, so she's grasped some independence and moved out to a rundown town nearby.
There she meets Riot. As a daimon, he's her opposite - he's supposed to tempt humans into corruption, but he's not very good at it. They immediately feel drawn to each other, but surely a daimon can't be the soulmate to an agathos. Can he?
Right, let's start with the good.
✔️ I really like that Grace is half Indian. More diversity in RH heroines is always a plus.
✔️ Rhodes's technical writing is basically flawless. I have zero complaints regarding typos or weird sentence structure.
✔️ The premise is quite interesting. I would have liked to learn more about the mythology of this world, but what we did get was good.
However...
❌ I'm not really a fan of RH where each guy is individually added to the harem one by one, rather than developing in tandem with each other. In this one, the entire book is just about Riot. Until the end, we don't even learn who else is in the harem (though I have my guesses) and then it's just one person, whom she doesn't actually meet. I might as well be reading an MF romance.
❌ I don't really feel the connection between Riot and Grace. Since it's a soulmate thing, it's very insta - which I don't generally mind. But here, it just felt like it moved ridiculously quickly, considering Grace's background. She has never ever been alone with a man, and yet she suddenly invites a random guy she's just met - a daimon, no less - to move in with her? Quite a few steps seem to have been skipped.
❌ Okay, so Grace is the archetypical virgin heroine. I am okay with this - I certainly am not automatically opposed to virgin heroines, particularly in RH. But one who actually asks the hero if it's 'normal' for her pussy to get wet when she's aroused? Are you serious? This brings me back to the worst parts of reading historical romance, when the heroine has to discover EVERYTHING about her sexuality from the hero. But at least there, she can plausibly claim she had no other way to learn. Grace has the entirety of the modern internet at her disposal - Google, Wikipedia - but hasn't educated herself about this?
I do certainly want to read the rest of the series, which hopefully will not be long in forthcoming. But I hope it gets more interesting.
Not a bad book by any means, but certainly not as good as Rhodes's dragon duology, to which I gave 4 stars. So this one will have to settle for 3 - but I will say that it's a fulsome, well-rounded 3.
This one is a vaguely Greek-mythology-inspired undertaking, featuring paranormal creatures called agathos and daimons who move among humans. Agathos are the 'good', sweet ones - they work to help humans, though there's always a cost for them. Agathos women have four soulmates, and 25-year-old Grace is basically an outcast among her people because she's the only woman to have never found any soulmates, despite her advanced age. It means she has a difficult relationship with her mother and fathers, so she's grasped some independence and moved out to a rundown town nearby.
There she meets Riot. As a daimon, he's her opposite - he's supposed to tempt humans into corruption, but he's not very good at it. They immediately feel drawn to each other, but surely a daimon can't be the soulmate to an agathos. Can he?
Right, let's start with the good.
✔️ I really like that Grace is half Indian. More diversity in RH heroines is always a plus.
✔️ Rhodes's technical writing is basically flawless. I have zero complaints regarding typos or weird sentence structure.
✔️ The premise is quite interesting. I would have liked to learn more about the mythology of this world, but what we did get was good.
However...
❌ I'm not really a fan of RH where each guy is individually added to the harem one by one, rather than developing in tandem with each other. In this one, the entire book is just about Riot. Until the end, we don't even learn who else is in the harem (though I have my guesses) and then it's just one person, whom she doesn't actually meet. I might as well be reading an MF romance.
❌ I don't really feel the connection between Riot and Grace. Since it's a soulmate thing, it's very insta - which I don't generally mind. But here, it just felt like it moved ridiculously quickly, considering Grace's background. She has never ever been alone with a man, and yet she suddenly invites a random guy she's just met - a daimon, no less - to move in with her? Quite a few steps seem to have been skipped.
❌ Okay, so Grace is the archetypical virgin heroine. I am okay with this - I certainly am not automatically opposed to virgin heroines, particularly in RH. But one who actually asks the hero if it's 'normal' for her pussy to get wet when she's aroused? Are you serious? This brings me back to the worst parts of reading historical romance, when the heroine has to discover EVERYTHING about her sexuality from the hero. But at least there, she can plausibly claim she had no other way to learn. Grace has the entirety of the modern internet at her disposal - Google, Wikipedia - but hasn't educated herself about this?
I do certainly want to read the rest of the series, which hopefully will not be long in forthcoming. But I hope it gets more interesting.
November 16, 2023
Entertaining! I skimmed a bit but I still had fun. Easy reads :)
May 4, 2025
AMAZING. Somewhat similar to lost feather by merri bright. Half Indian FMC. BEWARE if you have religious trauma
June 11, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars! (I’d give this all the stars if that was possible)
ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Once again I find myself absolutely captivated by page 1. Colette has this natural gift for drawing her readers in immediately. It's uncanny.
First can we talk about how Grace is half Indian? It's so amazing seeing a character that's a POC in one of Colette's books. We never see that as readers and it was awesome. Also, I'd like to (once again) piggy back off my previous reviews about how amazing Colette is when it comes to writing different FMC's. I didn't think I could like a FMC more than I liked Ria from her prior release, but shockingly I was wrong. Grace is .. well.. a lot like all of us. She's determined but scared. Selfless and struggling with wanting to be selfish at the same time. Kind but also struggles with “morality.” She's constantly chastising herself for her angry thoughts while trying to be a better person and don't we all do that? Colette has written so many amazing FMC's and somehow I always adore them so much.. from strong and willful Porcia, to hilarious and sweetly self-centered Ria, to vengeful Shira. But Grace has a little of us all in her and fuck if that isn't refreshing. I'm constantly amazed that Colette can manage to write such different FMC's and that I love all of them. No matter what their personalities I fall in love and for someone who reads 500-700 books a year, it's a huge testament to her writing that I can remember each one clear as a bell.
Grace, our FMC is an agathos- born good and pious and kind, she has a dark part of her that seeks out the light. This is a slow-burn so we only really meet and deal with one of Grace’s guys in this book. Riot-our MMC , is a daimon - born dark and reckless and temperamental-- he finds himself weirdly drawn toward the light, questioning the bad they're supposed to be doing. He’s not supposed to feel guilty about pushing humans toward doom, but he does. Both the Agathos (the children of Anesidora), are put on this earth to help humans and draw them away from corruption. Daimons, (the children of the Goddess of Night), are put on this earth to do the opposite; corrupt humans and draw them away from the light.
The central idea around the pathos of this story is an age-old tale. What is it Melisandre says in A Game of Thrones..? "We all must choose, man or woman, young or old, lord or peasant, our choices are the same. We choose light or we choose darkness. We choose good or we choose evil." And that is what is plaguing both our female and male protagonists. It doesn't always come down to one or the other, does it? There's a little of both in all of us. And while Grace is surrounded by well-meaning agathos, she struggles with a monster inside of her dying to be set free. While all her friends and family find their 4 soul-bonded males, at age 25 she is alone and lonely- no matter how often she tries to tell herself she's fine. She knows she wants nothing more than to be loved (and not pitied by the pretentious assholes around her who have around found that soul-bonded happiness).
Colette's ability to SHOW so much and not info dump is amazing. Take Bullet, for example. We don't see much of him on page but the way he's written has me legit obsessed with him. I normally don't favorite a guy unless he's kinda an alpha-Dick but the situation surrounding this particular guy and his personality just shine so damn BRIGHT that I can't help but wish he were real. Theres so much to his personality that just draws me in, and Colette is able to get that across on the page even if he’s barely actually there in this first book.
I won’t get super into the plot because *spoilers,* but I want to also say that I am amazed and Colette’s ability to deal with the different views on morality in this book. I grew up in a very strict Catholic household and sex was always something vaguely “dirty,” and not something that was ever really talked about. The way that idea of sex and morality and purity was handled in this book was so well and tactfully done. I relate so so so much to Grace and I think thats part of what makes her my fave character of Colette’s so far.
All-in-all, this book is def her best work yet. I cant wait for book 2 and can’t wait to find out what happens. The spin on mythology is not only interesting, its genius and well-done and the world building is top-notch. Sometimes its not always easy to get a mythology spin done correctly, but Colette kills it. Its obvious how much she loves it and how that bleeds into her writing.
5/5 stars. I’d give it more if I could. 🙌🏼
ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Once again I find myself absolutely captivated by page 1. Colette has this natural gift for drawing her readers in immediately. It's uncanny.
First can we talk about how Grace is half Indian? It's so amazing seeing a character that's a POC in one of Colette's books. We never see that as readers and it was awesome. Also, I'd like to (once again) piggy back off my previous reviews about how amazing Colette is when it comes to writing different FMC's. I didn't think I could like a FMC more than I liked Ria from her prior release, but shockingly I was wrong. Grace is .. well.. a lot like all of us. She's determined but scared. Selfless and struggling with wanting to be selfish at the same time. Kind but also struggles with “morality.” She's constantly chastising herself for her angry thoughts while trying to be a better person and don't we all do that? Colette has written so many amazing FMC's and somehow I always adore them so much.. from strong and willful Porcia, to hilarious and sweetly self-centered Ria, to vengeful Shira. But Grace has a little of us all in her and fuck if that isn't refreshing. I'm constantly amazed that Colette can manage to write such different FMC's and that I love all of them. No matter what their personalities I fall in love and for someone who reads 500-700 books a year, it's a huge testament to her writing that I can remember each one clear as a bell.
Grace, our FMC is an agathos- born good and pious and kind, she has a dark part of her that seeks out the light. This is a slow-burn so we only really meet and deal with one of Grace’s guys in this book. Riot-our MMC , is a daimon - born dark and reckless and temperamental-- he finds himself weirdly drawn toward the light, questioning the bad they're supposed to be doing. He’s not supposed to feel guilty about pushing humans toward doom, but he does. Both the Agathos (the children of Anesidora), are put on this earth to help humans and draw them away from corruption. Daimons, (the children of the Goddess of Night), are put on this earth to do the opposite; corrupt humans and draw them away from the light.
The central idea around the pathos of this story is an age-old tale. What is it Melisandre says in A Game of Thrones..? "We all must choose, man or woman, young or old, lord or peasant, our choices are the same. We choose light or we choose darkness. We choose good or we choose evil." And that is what is plaguing both our female and male protagonists. It doesn't always come down to one or the other, does it? There's a little of both in all of us. And while Grace is surrounded by well-meaning agathos, she struggles with a monster inside of her dying to be set free. While all her friends and family find their 4 soul-bonded males, at age 25 she is alone and lonely- no matter how often she tries to tell herself she's fine. She knows she wants nothing more than to be loved (and not pitied by the pretentious assholes around her who have around found that soul-bonded happiness).
Colette's ability to SHOW so much and not info dump is amazing. Take Bullet, for example. We don't see much of him on page but the way he's written has me legit obsessed with him. I normally don't favorite a guy unless he's kinda an alpha-Dick but the situation surrounding this particular guy and his personality just shine so damn BRIGHT that I can't help but wish he were real. Theres so much to his personality that just draws me in, and Colette is able to get that across on the page even if he’s barely actually there in this first book.
I won’t get super into the plot because *spoilers,* but I want to also say that I am amazed and Colette’s ability to deal with the different views on morality in this book. I grew up in a very strict Catholic household and sex was always something vaguely “dirty,” and not something that was ever really talked about. The way that idea of sex and morality and purity was handled in this book was so well and tactfully done. I relate so so so much to Grace and I think thats part of what makes her my fave character of Colette’s so far.
All-in-all, this book is def her best work yet. I cant wait for book 2 and can’t wait to find out what happens. The spin on mythology is not only interesting, its genius and well-done and the world building is top-notch. Sometimes its not always easy to get a mythology spin done correctly, but Colette kills it. Its obvious how much she loves it and how that bleeds into her writing.
5/5 stars. I’d give it more if I could. 🙌🏼
October 21, 2021
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. The main character is a variation of Lady Luck but for every luck she has to instinctively give she gets bad luck and she is not a fan. The problem is that that is the way of life for her people. Not only does she not want to give out good luck but she has also not found her bonded partners, this is something that every one of them has by the time they get to her age.
She lives her stifling mother and goes to live in a demon territory to get some peace and quiet and there she finds one of her mates, having a demon mate is taboo so she has to hide it from everyone.
It was interesting to read in the sense that Grace was very goody-two-shoes and Riot has to let her know that she should have the authority to decide things herself and not to be beholden to the goddess that never answered her prayers or her mother who finds fault in everything she does.
I wish we didn't have to read about the characters one by one because this book mainly centered around Riot and Grace. I want to see the entire harem dynamic instead of the piecemeal that this book presents.
Cant wait for the next book.
She lives her stifling mother and goes to live in a demon territory to get some peace and quiet and there she finds one of her mates, having a demon mate is taboo so she has to hide it from everyone.
It was interesting to read in the sense that Grace was very goody-two-shoes and Riot has to let her know that she should have the authority to decide things herself and not to be beholden to the goddess that never answered her prayers or her mother who finds fault in everything she does.
I wish we didn't have to read about the characters one by one because this book mainly centered around Riot and Grace. I want to see the entire harem dynamic instead of the piecemeal that this book presents.
Cant wait for the next book.
February 19, 2025
well I had this really big review from when I read this the first time a year ago, but goodreads decided that no I didn't
5 fucking stars. I love this universe, the characters. I honestly thought that this would be a dnf considering I don't like rereads, but boy was I wrong!!! nothing to say other than I CAN FINALLY READ SILVER BULLET
5 fucking stars. I love this universe, the characters. I honestly thought that this would be a dnf considering I don't like rereads, but boy was I wrong!!! nothing to say other than I CAN FINALLY READ SILVER BULLET
June 13, 2021
One of the parts of Ms. Rhodes's stories that keeps me coming back as a reader is her ability to make me relate to and cheer for her characters. I had that here in spades. In Run Riot, the story focuses primarily on Grace, who is different from everyone else in her community but still ticking away and trying to do good, and Riot, who is also different from everyone surrounding him but more coasting along. These two meet randomly and their worlds are basically rocked to the foundation because their people are enemies, but Grace and Riot feel a heck of a lot more than enmity for each other. Which I love!
This series is going to be a slow burn and a slow building RH so we get hints of other guys who may be joining Grace and Riot in their bond in the future, but one of the characters makes it clear that the future is uncertain. Meanwhile, Grace and Riot are adorable together while they learn about each other, try to figure out what's going on, and build each other up. Grace especially has a warped view of herself and the world because of how she was raised and I want her so badly to find her voice and her own way, with the support of Riot and any other guys that are coming along of course. We also get the slow start to some steam, which fits to me because of Grace's background and what is happening.
The world building for this book is phenomenal with agathos (Grace's community) being more like angels and daimons (Riot's community) being more like demonic influences. Each side has individual gifts/powers typically used to help/influence humans. There are also two goddesses and significantly more going on than what our characters know about. But learning is half the fun right? This book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm hooked for the next one.
This series is going to be a slow burn and a slow building RH so we get hints of other guys who may be joining Grace and Riot in their bond in the future, but one of the characters makes it clear that the future is uncertain. Meanwhile, Grace and Riot are adorable together while they learn about each other, try to figure out what's going on, and build each other up. Grace especially has a warped view of herself and the world because of how she was raised and I want her so badly to find her voice and her own way, with the support of Riot and any other guys that are coming along of course. We also get the slow start to some steam, which fits to me because of Grace's background and what is happening.
The world building for this book is phenomenal with agathos (Grace's community) being more like angels and daimons (Riot's community) being more like demonic influences. Each side has individual gifts/powers typically used to help/influence humans. There are also two goddesses and significantly more going on than what our characters know about. But learning is half the fun right? This book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm hooked for the next one.
August 4, 2023
Okay enough that I’m going to give the second book a shot.
June 18, 2021
utterly singular- five ⭐️s
**review still in progress**
i just want to start by saying that if this review makes me sound like a fan girl- know that it’s because I AM a fan girl.
Colette is a perfect example of an underdog- a less known author that is on her way to taking the RH world by storm.
This book is unlike any other RH i’ve read, and the authors range is seriously incredible. I’ve never had another author be able to utilize and execute so many contrasting tropes throughout their portfolio.
Enemies to lovers? Academy? Vampires? Fae? Shifters? RH? MF? Slow Burn? Fast Burn? no matter what you want, she’s got it all, and she has done AMAZING every time.
This book’s take on greek mythology and angels/ demons is utterly unique and to be quite frank- i don’t know if anyone else could pull it off.
The drama, the tension (sexual and other wise 😉), the characters, the story telling, the world building... it’s all next level and comes together to form another absolute must read by Mrs. Colette Rhodes.
i cannot tell you enough- read it. move it to the top of your list, and do it now!
**review still in progress**
i just want to start by saying that if this review makes me sound like a fan girl- know that it’s because I AM a fan girl.
Colette is a perfect example of an underdog- a less known author that is on her way to taking the RH world by storm.
This book is unlike any other RH i’ve read, and the authors range is seriously incredible. I’ve never had another author be able to utilize and execute so many contrasting tropes throughout their portfolio.
Enemies to lovers? Academy? Vampires? Fae? Shifters? RH? MF? Slow Burn? Fast Burn? no matter what you want, she’s got it all, and she has done AMAZING every time.
This book’s take on greek mythology and angels/ demons is utterly unique and to be quite frank- i don’t know if anyone else could pull it off.
The drama, the tension (sexual and other wise 😉), the characters, the story telling, the world building... it’s all next level and comes together to form another absolute must read by Mrs. Colette Rhodes.
i cannot tell you enough- read it. move it to the top of your list, and do it now!
September 24, 2023
WARNING: Spoilers will be present, so continue if you dare!
UMMMM.....YEAH, that was AWESOME!
Lately, I've been too busy to really find time to read. It's a real tragedy because books are even better than all the coffee and chocolate in the world. Not to mention, I have been in such a book rut, since I feel like the true masterpiece books have been very far and few between this year.
Why? I dunno, but I definitely was looking for SOMETHING to really pop and shine on my book list.
This book was IT.
It was the diamond in the rough. The shining emblem of the book world, at least for the year.
I ATE IT UP! It was just that good!
Let's start with the characters. More specifically, with Grace. She is just all around, a great character. She is what I usually like in an MC. Yes, she's sweet, but not toxic sweet. The author did a great job of making Grace's character strong despite her naivety, and grounded, despite her little insecurities. Yet, I think that's what I liked so much about her character. She was insecure, but not to the point of not trying something, becoming spiteful or judgmental, or even becoming pissy or spoiled. She just was.
She had class. She had spunk. Not only that, but she had a conscience. She didn't just judge because it was expected. She thought things through. She made her own analysis on events and on people, before acting on what she gathered. She genuinely just wanted to be good and to help other people.
I liked the pacing of the book, which helped enhance everything that Grace did and gave a better depth to her character. We learned little by little (but not too slowly) about her dysfunctional/toxic/abusive family, how she handles herself, how she views the world despite the influence of her family & community, and the rules to the world that this story is set in (an urban fantasy set in the real world, but with paranormal dynamics hidden from the humans).
Honestly, I felt bad for Grace because although she tried her hardest to relate to her family, she never became as cold as they were. She was also curious and open-minded, as well as, open-hearted. It was refreshing to see her point of view on things because for the most part she seemed to be a good mixture of objective and subjective. I liked how I could relate to a lot of her thoughts and actions.
Here are some examples:
💜"Negativity was very un-agathos, and I was really trying to work on that."
💜 "While I had returned here all on my lonesome to a grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables, and to rewatch 10 Things I Hate About You."
💜"(Curse word), how did people live with all this stress? How did they just go around making decisions all the time? (This one was not Grace, but it was still relatable and hilarious).
In all honesty, every character (except for most of Grace's family) were pretty awesome. Riot being my favorite out of them all. I liked the fact that the author took her time introducing each one of the guys. We started in this book with Riot (which out of all of them, he was IMO the BEST).
He was very realistic, and I loved how he just rolled with the punches. He didn't spend much time questioning things, he just tried to understand his feelings and learn more about Grace. It was very cute!
I think that Riot and Grace really complimented each other in different ways. Where Grace was soft, Riot was rough around the edges. Riot was street smart and looked out for Grace, when she would just help anyone she met, even if it hurt her in the process. Riot was thoughtful, and I loved how he really took Grace under his wing, but didn't rush the relationship. They took their time getting to know each other and build their bond. It wasn't just insta-love because they were fated.
At the end of the day, this book was just very well written. It had humor, was good-hearted, and hit the feels perfectly (in my opinion). I will write more for the last book's review, but I do highly recommend this book! Happy reading!
UMMMM.....YEAH, that was AWESOME!
Lately, I've been too busy to really find time to read. It's a real tragedy because books are even better than all the coffee and chocolate in the world. Not to mention, I have been in such a book rut, since I feel like the true masterpiece books have been very far and few between this year.
Why? I dunno, but I definitely was looking for SOMETHING to really pop and shine on my book list.
This book was IT.
It was the diamond in the rough. The shining emblem of the book world, at least for the year.
I ATE IT UP! It was just that good!
Let's start with the characters. More specifically, with Grace. She is just all around, a great character. She is what I usually like in an MC. Yes, she's sweet, but not toxic sweet. The author did a great job of making Grace's character strong despite her naivety, and grounded, despite her little insecurities. Yet, I think that's what I liked so much about her character. She was insecure, but not to the point of not trying something, becoming spiteful or judgmental, or even becoming pissy or spoiled. She just was.
She had class. She had spunk. Not only that, but she had a conscience. She didn't just judge because it was expected. She thought things through. She made her own analysis on events and on people, before acting on what she gathered. She genuinely just wanted to be good and to help other people.
I liked the pacing of the book, which helped enhance everything that Grace did and gave a better depth to her character. We learned little by little (but not too slowly) about her dysfunctional/toxic/abusive family, how she handles herself, how she views the world despite the influence of her family & community, and the rules to the world that this story is set in (an urban fantasy set in the real world, but with paranormal dynamics hidden from the humans).
Honestly, I felt bad for Grace because although she tried her hardest to relate to her family, she never became as cold as they were. She was also curious and open-minded, as well as, open-hearted. It was refreshing to see her point of view on things because for the most part she seemed to be a good mixture of objective and subjective. I liked how I could relate to a lot of her thoughts and actions.
Here are some examples:
💜"Negativity was very un-agathos, and I was really trying to work on that."
💜 "While I had returned here all on my lonesome to a grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables, and to rewatch 10 Things I Hate About You."
💜"(Curse word), how did people live with all this stress? How did they just go around making decisions all the time? (This one was not Grace, but it was still relatable and hilarious).
In all honesty, every character (except for most of Grace's family) were pretty awesome. Riot being my favorite out of them all. I liked the fact that the author took her time introducing each one of the guys. We started in this book with Riot (which out of all of them, he was IMO the BEST).
He was very realistic, and I loved how he just rolled with the punches. He didn't spend much time questioning things, he just tried to understand his feelings and learn more about Grace. It was very cute!
I think that Riot and Grace really complimented each other in different ways. Where Grace was soft, Riot was rough around the edges. Riot was street smart and looked out for Grace, when she would just help anyone she met, even if it hurt her in the process. Riot was thoughtful, and I loved how he really took Grace under his wing, but didn't rush the relationship. They took their time getting to know each other and build their bond. It wasn't just insta-love because they were fated.
At the end of the day, this book was just very well written. It had humor, was good-hearted, and hit the feels perfectly (in my opinion). I will write more for the last book's review, but I do highly recommend this book! Happy reading!
June 24, 2023
4.5 stars.
So far, I’m really enjoying this series.
I’m reserving judgment for now, since this book was mainly just some world building and set up for the next books, but I have high hopes.
I really like these characters so far and I’m hoping we get Much closer to them in the coming books.
So far, I’m really enjoying this series.
I’m reserving judgment for now, since this book was mainly just some world building and set up for the next books, but I have high hopes.
I really like these characters so far and I’m hoping we get Much closer to them in the coming books.
December 9, 2021
PNR RH
Grace, Riot, Bullet, Dare
I.... fucking loved this. Agathos and daimons live amongst humans, all having their own talent and place within the world. The Agathos are purity, wisdom, luck, light and goodness... always being prompted to help humans in their daily struggles and grief. The Daimons are the dark side, chaos, rage, fear, anguish, addiction... feeding humans whatever they need to crash and burn.
The agathos form soul bonds with complimentary partners.... everyone has had them since the beginning of time... except Grace. Grace has always been and felt different, and had a full spectrum of emotions and wants that reside outside the norm for agathos. Then she meets Riot... a daimon. And the two know that no matter how impossible their lives are about to become, they are intertwined.
The plotline and depth of character and legend is glorious. I absolutely loved it and just grabbed book 2.
Grace, Riot, Bullet, Dare
I.... fucking loved this. Agathos and daimons live amongst humans, all having their own talent and place within the world. The Agathos are purity, wisdom, luck, light and goodness... always being prompted to help humans in their daily struggles and grief. The Daimons are the dark side, chaos, rage, fear, anguish, addiction... feeding humans whatever they need to crash and burn.
The agathos form soul bonds with complimentary partners.... everyone has had them since the beginning of time... except Grace. Grace has always been and felt different, and had a full spectrum of emotions and wants that reside outside the norm for agathos. Then she meets Riot... a daimon. And the two know that no matter how impossible their lives are about to become, they are intertwined.
The plotline and depth of character and legend is glorious. I absolutely loved it and just grabbed book 2.
June 20, 2021
I loved this book! Based on the blurb and some teasers I had seen, I was so excited for it and it did not disappoint.
The set up was unlike any books I’ve read recently. I hadn’t heard of agathos or daimons as related to Greek mythology, so i already loved that. The world building really immersed me into their world and had me feeling and relating to Grace. Her family is really intense and her community is honestly awful, but there’s so many expectations still on her.
I loved Riot. He was kind of lost, hating his reality, and meeting Grace opens him up some. I loved the connection that they have and how they continue to build on that. It’s a bit of a slow burn but I really appreciated it, seeing as how Grace was raised and the guilt she feels about going against that.
I am SO excited to meet the rest of her bonded and get their stories! Counting down until book 2.
The set up was unlike any books I’ve read recently. I hadn’t heard of agathos or daimons as related to Greek mythology, so i already loved that. The world building really immersed me into their world and had me feeling and relating to Grace. Her family is really intense and her community is honestly awful, but there’s so many expectations still on her.
I loved Riot. He was kind of lost, hating his reality, and meeting Grace opens him up some. I loved the connection that they have and how they continue to build on that. It’s a bit of a slow burn but I really appreciated it, seeing as how Grace was raised and the guilt she feels about going against that.
I am SO excited to meet the rest of her bonded and get their stories! Counting down until book 2.
April 21, 2023
10/10 Ms. Rhodes delivers on plot, character development, and man does she have a plan for this series. All the foreshadowing just in the prologue from a scene from I believe Dare Not? Mega galaxy brain shit. I also just love Riot. And now that I know smut isn’t the focus of this series, Grace’s innocence and hesitance is a lot more tolerable. Plus I always forget how fast time moves in books and this book literally takes place over a week. I guess most people don’t fuck on the first date ….
October 5, 2023
October 2023
Kindle edition
RHR bingo time and this one is off my TBR. I went in expecting a slow burn reverse harem and whereas the harem system is all set up, this one looks to be an add a guy per book. From the titles it looks like it's Riot, Bullet and Dare. Whereas Riot was a sweet opener, I was more interested in the mysterious Bullet. Dream walkers are cool. The cliffhanger was a bit of a pain. It was very culty. Couldn't stand the mother or Grace's boss. Harmony felt very John Wick adjudicator. I might give the next one a go. I think I need a break from books with shitty families for a while.
FMC - Grace
Guys - Riot, Bullet (confirmed), Dare (By title)
Bad guys - Parents, the light cult, possibly everyone.
Recap - Grace is an outcast with no bonds. Prays to dark goddess, meets Riot, then Bullet in dreams. Good/bad luck power. Shitty boss, shitty parents minus one. Planned exile. Kidnapped to be given to dead Joy's bonds. Riot arrives to play rescue.
Kindle edition
RHR bingo time and this one is off my TBR. I went in expecting a slow burn reverse harem and whereas the harem system is all set up, this one looks to be an add a guy per book. From the titles it looks like it's Riot, Bullet and Dare. Whereas Riot was a sweet opener, I was more interested in the mysterious Bullet. Dream walkers are cool. The cliffhanger was a bit of a pain. It was very culty. Couldn't stand the mother or Grace's boss. Harmony felt very John Wick adjudicator. I might give the next one a go. I think I need a break from books with shitty families for a while.
FMC - Grace
Guys - Riot, Bullet (confirmed), Dare (By title)
Bad guys - Parents, the light cult, possibly everyone.
Recap - Grace is an outcast with no bonds. Prays to dark goddess, meets Riot, then Bullet in dreams. Good/bad luck power. Shitty boss, shitty parents minus one. Planned exile. Kidnapped to be given to dead Joy's bonds. Riot arrives to play rescue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2023
Hard one to rate because it felt like such a small taste of what this series will become. It’s a RH but for 75% of the book she only interacts with one of her men and we have yet to meet all of them.
I love how innocent and sweet but strong the h is though! The timid, selfless, virgin h is an unicorn in RH books nowadays. The scenes between her and riot were so sweet and sexy.
I’m hoping that we get to see the H (and hopefully the other Hs) get to be really alpha. At the end he is def take charge and will burn the world to get to his girl but he’s a secret for a lot of this book and really let’s her take the lead because of the soul bond plot. I love how he loyally supports her but would have liked to see him bulldoze some more of these situations with her parents and the elders. He did when given the opportunity but the author just didn’t give him enough opportunities. What’s the point of having these delicious alpha men if they aren’t being used?
I hope to see some more magic in the upcoming books!
Overall: 3.5
I love how innocent and sweet but strong the h is though! The timid, selfless, virgin h is an unicorn in RH books nowadays. The scenes between her and riot were so sweet and sexy.
I’m hoping that we get to see the H (and hopefully the other Hs) get to be really alpha. At the end he is def take charge and will burn the world to get to his girl but he’s a secret for a lot of this book and really let’s her take the lead because of the soul bond plot. I love how he loyally supports her but would have liked to see him bulldoze some more of these situations with her parents and the elders. He did when given the opportunity but the author just didn’t give him enough opportunities. What’s the point of having these delicious alpha men if they aren’t being used?
I hope to see some more magic in the upcoming books!
Overall: 3.5
June 17, 2025
Well dang, with how this book started, I didn't think I was going to end up liking it! But those last 100 pages completely changed my mind. The first half of the book I was very much getting bored with the plot. I was waiting for more to happen besides her trying to figure out her one bond, but that did quickly change and I can now see there is a much bigger plot point here. I'm excited to keep reading this series!
September 25, 2022
DNF - quit at 8%
The book starts out right away talking about daimons & agathos but never explains what those are (I assume daimons are demons but I’m not sure?), or gives a world building or background to give me solid ground to understand the concept of them or even where or when this world takes place. There may be more story building as it goes, but not enough with all the talk of daimons & agathos to help pull me into the story, that alone is pulling me out of the story right away. For all I know this is splintered off another series that has that info, but that would mean this book/series is not stand-alone & I didn’t care enough to look into that theory. The female main character who supposedly is an agathos, just didn’t get my interest, & I found myself watching videos on Facebook instead of reading. I need something to pull me into the story pretty quick, to catch my attention, or it’s all over before it gets very far. Other readers might enjoy this or at least have more patience to delve further into the book to get drawn into the story. The plus for this book, the cover is great.
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
The book starts out right away talking about daimons & agathos but never explains what those are (I assume daimons are demons but I’m not sure?), or gives a world building or background to give me solid ground to understand the concept of them or even where or when this world takes place. There may be more story building as it goes, but not enough with all the talk of daimons & agathos to help pull me into the story, that alone is pulling me out of the story right away. For all I know this is splintered off another series that has that info, but that would mean this book/series is not stand-alone & I didn’t care enough to look into that theory. The female main character who supposedly is an agathos, just didn’t get my interest, & I found myself watching videos on Facebook instead of reading. I need something to pull me into the story pretty quick, to catch my attention, or it’s all over before it gets very far. Other readers might enjoy this or at least have more patience to delve further into the book to get drawn into the story. The plus for this book, the cover is great.
At my age (approaching 60), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
November 23, 2022
DNF @ 30%. Tried hard to like this but i couldnt get into this story. Maybe I need to try again later.
April 5, 2025
Eu 🫱🏻🫲🏼 Reverse Harems em livros de Fantasia.
É isso, obrigada, li a série toda seguida.
É isso, obrigada, li a série toda seguida.
August 31, 2023
Cliffhanger - but an expected one
This book was the perfect mirror for me dealing with my own religious trauma and upbringing. Grace was raised in such a strict way that she was expected to monitor and repent for even her thoughts. She was supposed to sacrifice endlessly at the cost of her own suffering, for some greater good.
Riot was someone in the worst of upbringings trying to break free but also experiencing inertia. The 2 collide and break into motion, challenging everything the other thought they knew about their own people.
Excited for book 2!
Spice: 2/5 - petting, dry humping
Triggers: cult, cult ceremonies, emotional and psychological abuse, animal sacrifice (off page),
This book was the perfect mirror for me dealing with my own religious trauma and upbringing. Grace was raised in such a strict way that she was expected to monitor and repent for even her thoughts. She was supposed to sacrifice endlessly at the cost of her own suffering, for some greater good.
Riot was someone in the worst of upbringings trying to break free but also experiencing inertia. The 2 collide and break into motion, challenging everything the other thought they knew about their own people.
Excited for book 2!
Spice: 2/5 - petting, dry humping
Triggers: cult, cult ceremonies, emotional and psychological abuse, animal sacrifice (off page),
April 7, 2025
Wow!
What a well written book. I found it incredibly difficult to put down. I loved the storyline and the characters. So glad this is a series, I can’t wait to dive into book #2.
What a well written book. I found it incredibly difficult to put down. I loved the storyline and the characters. So glad this is a series, I can’t wait to dive into book #2.
July 11, 2022
This was the perfect blend of plot, lore, romance, and spice for me. It can be hard for me to find good reverse harem books because, honestly, a lot of the time they aren't written very well. Colette Rhodes, though, totally enraptured me with this great story AND a great writing style.
The main character, Grace, was super likable, and dare I say relatable— in a totally not over-the-top way. So often the FMC is 'not like other girls' to the extreme, which honestly just makes me uncomfortable. Grace was unique in a lot of ways but didn't put down other women or claim to be superior.
Riot, the main male character, was very well written in my opinion. He was INTO grace, which is something I really enjoy in a story. He didn't hide his feelings or act mean. If anything, he was soft only for her, which is one of my all-time favorite tropes. He didn't pressure her and let her make her own decisions, another plus.
Although this series is a reverse harem, we only see interactions between Riot and Grace in this book, which I didn't mind at all.
The main character, Grace, was super likable, and dare I say relatable— in a totally not over-the-top way. So often the FMC is 'not like other girls' to the extreme, which honestly just makes me uncomfortable. Grace was unique in a lot of ways but didn't put down other women or claim to be superior.
Riot, the main male character, was very well written in my opinion. He was INTO grace, which is something I really enjoy in a story. He didn't hide his feelings or act mean. If anything, he was soft only for her, which is one of my all-time favorite tropes. He didn't pressure her and let her make her own decisions, another plus.
Although this series is a reverse harem, we only see interactions between Riot and Grace in this book, which I didn't mind at all.
October 31, 2021
Boring boring boring
The concept is there but wow did nothing happen! So the most excitement we see is at 95% and at that point I was begging for it to be over. It felt so emo. Everything about it. The amount of guilt in this book is out of control. The way she perceives her people then how mean they are to one another is super weird. Also if I had to hear her use “sugar” one more time as a cuss word I was going to destroy my kindle. And for a RH, there is no steam. The relationship building between her and riot could have been hotter, way hotter. I hate a RH with a virgin female MC but her male MCs have experience this is not the 1800s. Women are sexual beings. Ugh so disappointed. It had potential. But I can’t keep reading.
The concept is there but wow did nothing happen! So the most excitement we see is at 95% and at that point I was begging for it to be over. It felt so emo. Everything about it. The amount of guilt in this book is out of control. The way she perceives her people then how mean they are to one another is super weird. Also if I had to hear her use “sugar” one more time as a cuss word I was going to destroy my kindle. And for a RH, there is no steam. The relationship building between her and riot could have been hotter, way hotter. I hate a RH with a virgin female MC but her male MCs have experience this is not the 1800s. Women are sexual beings. Ugh so disappointed. It had potential. But I can’t keep reading.
September 1, 2021
While I appreciated the slow-burn relationship development, the whole book was a rather sedate and boring journey for me. Not much happened other than the FMC agathos/angel Grace finding out who her first soul bonded mate was and the foreshadowing of her other mates in the future. The agathos and daimon societies and powers were not fleshed out terribly well other than introducing a bunch of asshole characters on either side.
I'm interested enough in where Grace's relationship is going and how she meets her other mates to continue with the series though.
I'm interested enough in where Grace's relationship is going and how she meets her other mates to continue with the series though.
did-not-finish
March 15, 2023DNF at 7%. I understand that the set up might show an unhealthy look at the culture that Grace is raised in. However, even if that is not good thinking, the underlying premise that a woman is not complete without a man is still there. And in this case, four men!
The over religiosity, combined with the absolute requirement that each woman have a set of men who they are soul bonded to her in order to be a complete being just put me off.
I love romances, but you can be a complete person without a romantic relationship.
The over religiosity, combined with the absolute requirement that each woman have a set of men who they are soul bonded to her in order to be a complete being just put me off.
I love romances, but you can be a complete person without a romantic relationship.
April 7, 2023
5 stars
As always, Colette Rhodes delivers fantastic characters in a world completely her own. I like the sweetness of this novel, knowing the ones that follow may not be so. It will be fun seeing Grace meet the other three, buck tradition, and (hopefully) find her HEA.
As always, Colette Rhodes delivers fantastic characters in a world completely her own. I like the sweetness of this novel, knowing the ones that follow may not be so. It will be fun seeing Grace meet the other three, buck tradition, and (hopefully) find her HEA.
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