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Eternal
Amber Jones’ world was turned upside down two months ago, after a brutal attack that nearly killed her best friend. She has spent the time since trying her best to heal, while dealing with the repercussions of that night.
When she suddenly finds herself in a handsome stranger’s apartment after yet another brutal attack–this time with Amber herself as the target–she begins to learn that the world as she knows it is not quite what it seems.
Enigmatic stranger Andrew Norta offers her a deal–help him discover the perpetrator behind a recent slew of attacks in the city, and he will offer her his protection in exchange. She knows it is foolish to accept, but she finds she cannot stay away from this male who makes her feel things she has never felt before.
The more time Amber spends with Andrew, the more her eyes are opened to the truths of their world, and the more their undeniable chemistry grows. And as things in Haven City become more dangerous than either of them could have ever expected, Amber finds herself more and more drawn to Andrew, who seems to have more secrets than the mystery they find themselves investigating.
Time is running out to discover the person behind the attacks in Haven City, and the truth behind the male who seems intent on not only possessing Amber’s heart, but her very soul, too.
When she suddenly finds herself in a handsome stranger’s apartment after yet another brutal attack–this time with Amber herself as the target–she begins to learn that the world as she knows it is not quite what it seems.
Enigmatic stranger Andrew Norta offers her a deal–help him discover the perpetrator behind a recent slew of attacks in the city, and he will offer her his protection in exchange. She knows it is foolish to accept, but she finds she cannot stay away from this male who makes her feel things she has never felt before.
The more time Amber spends with Andrew, the more her eyes are opened to the truths of their world, and the more their undeniable chemistry grows. And as things in Haven City become more dangerous than either of them could have ever expected, Amber finds herself more and more drawn to Andrew, who seems to have more secrets than the mystery they find themselves investigating.
Time is running out to discover the person behind the attacks in Haven City, and the truth behind the male who seems intent on not only possessing Amber’s heart, but her very soul, too.
- GenresEbooks
446 pages, Paperback
Published August 16, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 16, 2022
This is a spoiler-free review for the book 'Eternal' by Raven Jean. While I have received this book as an ARC from the author, this review is 100 percent honest and 100 percent my opinion.
Amber and Andrew's story begins in Haven City. Amber, an Entity, goes drinking with her friend Aurelia, a human, when something horrible happens. While trying to come to terms with what happened, she almost gets kidnapped, only to be saved by Andrew. Though we get into Amber and Andrew's story, there are bigger things happening in Rodira.
Overall thoughts;
I usually enjoy more dark themes but this was a fresh read. A great book for demisexuals, as there are many conversations between Amber and Andrew that brings them together to connect on emotional level. This feels like a rom-com dipped in magic. This could be potentially a comfort book for me, where once you read it, you will re-read it whenever you feel down and want a little sunshine. And by sunshine, I mean Andrew. Although I crave to know more about Amber and Andrew, I hope in the second book, we get to see more of the other characters.
This is gonna be hard without any spoilers but here we go,
Checklist
Trigger Warnings: Detailed description of murd#r, d#ath, physical viol#nce.
Tropes: soulmates, nightmare trope, reverse grumpy&sunshine, forbidden love...
Spice/Smut: 2/5.
LGBTQIA +: Yes, side characters.
Book Boyfriend: Andrew for surreeeee.
Is it worth it?: Definitely.
CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIP GROWTH
Amber
She is sweet, caring, a little grumpy. She's loyal to anyone in her life and so selfless to the point of being dangerous. She is faced with a great change that she doesn't know how to react but, same here Amber. I wouldn't know what to do as well. Because of this she seems quite passive but we see glimpses of the woman she's turning into later in the book.
Andrew
Perfect dosage of sunshine, not annoying or overly excited. He is mature, calm and most importantly he cooks. He looks after Amber like a baby and he is a guy that every woman deserves but wouldn't give chance to because he is blond.
From Amber's words;
One moment he was sweet;
The other he was deadly;
And then there's this;
Amber and Andrew
They are great together. Little bit of grump & a lot of sunshine (reverse). This is my fav trope. Their conversations are filled with emotion and lust.
Amber and Aurelia
They have a great bond. Their friendship is real with ups and downs.
James and Caden
Both James and Caden have a role in Amber and Andrew's story. I don't like James and Caden feels off.
Lor and Nemora
They are fighters and guards and they are such badasses. I can't wait to read more about them.
SCENE, EVENTS, MOMENTS
Spice/Smut
I would appreciated more scenes since Andrew made the list for the "top 10 book boyfriends" but I'm still happy with the level of it.
World-building
There's no information dump, which is good but also leaves the reader at dark at some times. But it usually passes within couple of chapters.
Entity and Eidolas
They are the opposite sides of the same coin. One powerful than the other but at the same time, one purer than the other. They are forbidden to have relationships as the Treaty forbids them. It's interesting to learn about their backstory.
The Revenants
This is why this book is unique. I didn't f#cking see this coming and this is what hooked me for the second book. It is revealed at the later bit of the book but so worth to wait it out.
Betrayals
The betrayals made the journey more of a roller coaster. And I'm here for it.
Andrew's Character
I just want to mention this again. This quote is one of the things that made the book unique. He's not invincible, he is human(Eidolas) with flaws and vulnerability.
Amber's Character
Amber's character growth wasn't enough for me. Tbf, she gets info-dumped so hard, I felt as confused as Amber did with what was happening. I'm hoping to love Amber as much as I love Andrew.
Andrew's Gift
Is he your bf if he doesn't gift you a ******? UGH, I CAN'T SAY.
The Library Scene
I just want to mention this because she scared the shit out of me.
The Fight Scene
The fight scene between Amber and Andrew was charged with sexual energy. I need more.
UGH there are many scenes I want to mention but it will give too much away and I can't. This is torture.
SOME QUOTES I LOVED
Let's talk about the book. Come. I won't bite.
Drop a comment here or be my book friend on my bookstagram @homesickbookclub.
Amber and Andrew's story begins in Haven City. Amber, an Entity, goes drinking with her friend Aurelia, a human, when something horrible happens. While trying to come to terms with what happened, she almost gets kidnapped, only to be saved by Andrew. Though we get into Amber and Andrew's story, there are bigger things happening in Rodira.
Overall thoughts;
I usually enjoy more dark themes but this was a fresh read. A great book for demisexuals, as there are many conversations between Amber and Andrew that brings them together to connect on emotional level. This feels like a rom-com dipped in magic. This could be potentially a comfort book for me, where once you read it, you will re-read it whenever you feel down and want a little sunshine. And by sunshine, I mean Andrew. Although I crave to know more about Amber and Andrew, I hope in the second book, we get to see more of the other characters.
This is gonna be hard without any spoilers but here we go,
Checklist
Trigger Warnings: Detailed description of murd#r, d#ath, physical viol#nce.
Tropes: soulmates, nightmare trope, reverse grumpy&sunshine, forbidden love...
Spice/Smut: 2/5.
LGBTQIA +: Yes, side characters.
Book Boyfriend: Andrew for surreeeee.
Is it worth it?: Definitely.
CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIP GROWTH
Amber
She is sweet, caring, a little grumpy. She's loyal to anyone in her life and so selfless to the point of being dangerous. She is faced with a great change that she doesn't know how to react but, same here Amber. I wouldn't know what to do as well. Because of this she seems quite passive but we see glimpses of the woman she's turning into later in the book.
Andrew
Perfect dosage of sunshine, not annoying or overly excited. He is mature, calm and most importantly he cooks. He looks after Amber like a baby and he is a guy that every woman deserves but wouldn't give chance to because he is blond.
From Amber's words;
Andrew was beautiful, in the way only dangerous things could be beautiful. There were scars along his back and neck, detailing a lifetime full of danger and adventures that didn’t always go according to plan.
One moment he was sweet;
"I’m not used to denying myself what I want, Starlight. But for you, I would do anything. If you asked me to leave and you meant it, I would go. If you asked me to beg for you on my knees, I would do it."
“Then I’m afraid you’ll have to wait forever.”
“Forever and a day, if I have to."
The other he was deadly;
"I need you."
There was dead silence on the other line for a moment, and when Andrew spoke again, his voice was deadly calm. "Are you hurt?"
"I would destroy this world for you. I would burn it to the ground, if only you asked. From this life until the next, you will always have me."
And then there's this;
"Yeah, Starlight. You have no idea the things I’d like to do, to you, with you. If it weren’t for this damn injury, I’d already have you up on the counter, with my head between those pretty thighs of yours."
"Fuck," he hissed, breaking our kiss and pressing his forehead to mine. "I don’t think I can take this slow."
"Good, I don’t want you to."
Amber and Andrew
They are great together. Little bit of grump & a lot of sunshine (reverse). This is my fav trope. Their conversations are filled with emotion and lust.
Amber and Aurelia
They have a great bond. Their friendship is real with ups and downs.
James and Caden
Both James and Caden have a role in Amber and Andrew's story. I don't like James and Caden feels off.
Lor and Nemora
They are fighters and guards and they are such badasses. I can't wait to read more about them.
SCENE, EVENTS, MOMENTS
Spice/Smut
I would appreciated more scenes since Andrew made the list for the "top 10 book boyfriends" but I'm still happy with the level of it.
World-building
There's no information dump, which is good but also leaves the reader at dark at some times. But it usually passes within couple of chapters.
Entity and Eidolas
They are the opposite sides of the same coin. One powerful than the other but at the same time, one purer than the other. They are forbidden to have relationships as the Treaty forbids them. It's interesting to learn about their backstory.
The Revenants
This is why this book is unique. I didn't f#cking see this coming and this is what hooked me for the second book. It is revealed at the later bit of the book but so worth to wait it out.
Betrayals
The betrayals made the journey more of a roller coaster. And I'm here for it.
Andrew's Character
"Why do you seem so afraid?"
"Everyone has to be afraid of something, Starlight."
I just want to mention this again. This quote is one of the things that made the book unique. He's not invincible, he is human(Eidolas) with flaws and vulnerability.
Amber's Character
Amber's character growth wasn't enough for me. Tbf, she gets info-dumped so hard, I felt as confused as Amber did with what was happening. I'm hoping to love Amber as much as I love Andrew.
Andrew's Gift
Is he your bf if he doesn't gift you a ******? UGH, I CAN'T SAY.
The Library Scene
I just want to mention this because she scared the shit out of me.
The Fight Scene
The fight scene between Amber and Andrew was charged with sexual energy. I need more.
UGH there are many scenes I want to mention but it will give too much away and I can't. This is torture.
SOME QUOTES I LOVED
'You can love someone until your dying breath and it might never be enough.'
"Don't go."
"Are you certain?"
"I just need to be held. I need to feel safe and you... you make me feel safe Andrew."
"Then I will stay as long as you'll have me."
"Something tells me he would do anything to save your life, even at the cost of everyone else. That's dangerous."
"From this life, until the next, you will always have me. "
"Reading helped me most when I was in a dark place in my life and I needed a distraction to get through it. Nothing has the ability to amaze me more than what a powerful imagination, and the ability to wield words like weapons, can do."
"Mates were believed to share a soul, that they were originally one being split into two when they were born. Through their lives, they would be inevitably drawn back to one another, and their love would be life-changing."
"How else am I to feel ridiculously good about myself if you don’t feed my ego every now and then."
"You whom I fight for, you whom I kill for, you whom I would die for. From this life until the next, Starlight."
Let's talk about the book. Come. I won't bite.
Drop a comment here or be my book friend on my bookstagram @homesickbookclub.
July 12, 2022
I received this book as an ARC. This is a grumpy/sunshine, forbidden love, fantasy book, it’s spice level I’d say is about a 🌶.5… this book was definitely different in the fantasy world. The FMC Amber is independent and loves to be independent, she is a Entity who is someone who protects humans from the baddies Eidola who harms humans. Amber has not had it easy, suffers from anxiety that I very much related to, this book touched on her Mental health in a tasteful and honest way. Then comes in our forbidden MMC Andrew… tall, blonde, tattooed, who growls, and is fiercely protective of the important people in his life.
This story is detailed, you feel the world they are in, the internal battle along with life’s ups and downs. This leaves us on a cliffhanger of needing to know what happens next!
This story is detailed, you feel the world they are in, the internal battle along with life’s ups and downs. This leaves us on a cliffhanger of needing to know what happens next!
October 7, 2022
This felt sweet and wholesome. I loved the creative fantasy aspect and definitely didn’t see a few plot twists coming! Some I did, which I like, but others were unexpected.
Andrew…swoon…sweet baby boy must be protected at all costs. He is a golden retriever with a bite towards those who wish to do Amber harm. I want to keep him.
I enjoyed so much of this book and am truly looking forward to book 2.
Small complaint: several moments of “wait, didn’t I just read that?” in regards to world building that were phased as if it wasn’t mentioned before.
Andrew…swoon…sweet baby boy must be protected at all costs. He is a golden retriever with a bite towards those who wish to do Amber harm. I want to keep him.
I enjoyed so much of this book and am truly looking forward to book 2.
Small complaint: several moments of “wait, didn’t I just read that?” in regards to world building that were phased as if it wasn’t mentioned before.
January 2, 2023
Eternal is the debut novel by Raven Jean. This story isn't just a good effort for a first time writer. It's a good book. Period. The world-building is natural and a part of the overall flow of the story. The plot is unique and creative, and the MMC and FMC have great chemistry and a sweet, loving relationship that made my heart melt. This book is the first in a multi-book series, so there is a cliffhanger, but it's worth it. I am so impressed with Raven Jean's storytelling ability and cannot wait to both see where she takes this epic story and what she does as an author moving forward.
August 14, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, it’s really well written for a debut novel. I was totally hooked from the first few pages and it kept me captivated from then. The world building is good- unique magical system of protectors who look out for humans from other magical beings. The female protagonist is smart, grumpy and likeable, the male protagonist is totally swoonworthy- full of sunshine and a case of opposites but it works so well. Ends on a cliffhanger. Can’t wait for book 2.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 28, 2022
It has:
- fantasy
- romance
- reverse grumpy sunshine
- forbidden love
- curses
- magic
- golden retriever MMC
- total badass FMC
What else could you need?! Prepare to fall in love with Amber & Andrew, plus a whole host of side characters. Cannot wait for the second book in this series to come out!
Congratulations on your debut novel, Raven!
- fantasy
- romance
- reverse grumpy sunshine
- forbidden love
- curses
- magic
- golden retriever MMC
- total badass FMC
What else could you need?! Prepare to fall in love with Amber & Andrew, plus a whole host of side characters. Cannot wait for the second book in this series to come out!
Congratulations on your debut novel, Raven!
July 24, 2022
This book is pretty different from anything I’ve read in a long time, but I really did enjoy it! The storyline and characters kept me interested and at the end I couldn’t put it down. If you’re into fantasy and are a hopeless romantic, this is a great book for you.
August 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this start to the Revenant Trilogy. It had great characters and their world was perfect for this type of book. I was invested in what was happening to them. I left me excited to read the next book in the Revenant Trilogy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 1, 2023
RAVEN!!!! I CANNOT WITH THIS BOOK! ITS SO GOOD! I have chills! This book was absolutely amazing! I loved how it was written, how I had more information than the MC, how stressed that sh*t makes me and I LIVE for it! It was just absolutely sweet, absolutely romantic, absolutely engaging, absolutely emotional, absolutely heartbreaking. I fall in love with all of Ravens Male MC and Andrew is no exception. LOVE THIS MAN. Ugh so good. 10/10 would recommend forever and a day.
October 20, 2022
I received this book as an ARC and I'm completely honored...
NA Fantasy Romance
LGBTQIA + Representation
Debut Novel and first in the trilogy
FMC- Amber (Grumpy)
* Extremely Rational Thinker.. one of the major things I loved about her
*Strong Bi and demisexual character
*Loves Sugar (has a major sweet tooth) and to read
* Loves Fiercely and will do anything to protect her loved ones
MMC- Andrew (Sunshine)
* Loves to cook and crack jokes
*A Golden Retreiver type of character that you want to wrap up in a safety blanket and protect at all costs
* Extremely romantic
* Consent King
* Motherfreaking "Starlight"!!!!!
Other Things I love-
*Grumpy x Sunshine
* Star Crossed Lovers
* Insta Love (let me be clear normally I don't like this. But in this story it really really works)
*The Smut is fantastic! I love smut with plot type of novels and Raven Jean excels at that
* Nightmare comfort trope
* Betrayals and curses
*No information dumping
* Complexity of the story comes later.. not everything is as it seems! 🤫🤔
* There is a pronunciation and definition guide
*I can't wait to get to know the side characters a little bit more. I'm looking at you Lore and Thorne.
I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil anything.
Only complaint-
*I wish there were more details in some parts. Especially the fight scenes. It would have rounded the scenes out better.
Overall I'm extremely excited for the continuation of this series and to see how Andrew and Amber stories end. Also, we will be getting dual POVs in those novels!
NA Fantasy Romance
LGBTQIA + Representation
Debut Novel and first in the trilogy
FMC- Amber (Grumpy)
* Extremely Rational Thinker.. one of the major things I loved about her
*Strong Bi and demisexual character
*Loves Sugar (has a major sweet tooth) and to read
* Loves Fiercely and will do anything to protect her loved ones
MMC- Andrew (Sunshine)
* Loves to cook and crack jokes
*A Golden Retreiver type of character that you want to wrap up in a safety blanket and protect at all costs
* Extremely romantic
* Consent King
* Motherfreaking "Starlight"!!!!!
Other Things I love-
*Grumpy x Sunshine
* Star Crossed Lovers
* Insta Love (let me be clear normally I don't like this. But in this story it really really works)
*The Smut is fantastic! I love smut with plot type of novels and Raven Jean excels at that
* Nightmare comfort trope
* Betrayals and curses
*No information dumping
* Complexity of the story comes later.. not everything is as it seems! 🤫🤔
* There is a pronunciation and definition guide
*I can't wait to get to know the side characters a little bit more. I'm looking at you Lore and Thorne.
I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil anything.
Only complaint-
*I wish there were more details in some parts. Especially the fight scenes. It would have rounded the scenes out better.
Overall I'm extremely excited for the continuation of this series and to see how Andrew and Amber stories end. Also, we will be getting dual POVs in those novels!
November 13, 2023
Setting:
This book takes place in a fantasy world that is essentially our modern day world, cars and cellphones exist, curiously guns don’t seem to though. Crossbows are present but no guns. The main difference from our world to this world is the existence of two human-looking non-human lifeforms. Eidolas are essentially long-lived humans with magic. They also have a sort of vampire-like ability to feed on the life essence of humans. This ability means that Eidolas are viewed as something of a predator and are generally disliked. Entities (for some reason they don’t get a cool made up name) are also long lived humans but are stronger and faster than any normal human ever could be. They have taken up the role of guarding humans from the evil Eidolas
Characters:
Amber: Amber is our lead heroine and is an entity. She’s largely a loner save for her best friend who she, at the very start of the story, makes a magical bonding with under duress. Amber was never a terribly outgoing person and following this event has become something of a nervous shut in, perpetually worried that her friend is in danger.
Andrew: Andrew is an Eidola, though he is not the evil human eating creature history might paint him as. He’s actually a pretty nice guy who wants all the races to get along better. Also he has silver-blue eyes. It’s really important you know that, so important that Jean will remind you every third page or so.
Plot:
Something is going on in Haven city. For some unclear reason, someone is kidnapping and killing people. Amber herself gets targeted one night and is saved by a handsome stranger named Andrew. Amber agrees to work with Andrew as the pair try and figure out what exactly is going on and who is behind it all
My Thoughts:
This book was a mixed bag for me. I do want to say right at the start that the romance did not work for me but that is largely due to the inclusion of a fairly common romance trope that I personally don’t like. If you’re not bothered by this trope you’ll probably find the romance rather sweet and enjoy the entire book a good deal more than I did. I will get to that in a moment because it does involve a minor spoiler.
In regards to things I can mention totally spoiler free I think the non-romance part of the plot is actually very interesting. Very early on Jean sets up an ongoing problem of some nefarious individual or group that has been racking up a body count in the city. This works out into a good mystery as Amber and Andrew struggle to find information on who or what is doing this and why? Sadly this ends with something that really feels like a Deus ex Machina. Following a particularly dramatic moment something that had, at best, extremely minimal hinting happens that changes absolutely everything we thought we knew. This certainly sets up the sequels to be quite dramatic but does kinda take the wind out of the sails during the finale of this book.
Okay now we need to talk about the romance. To be able to properly do that I do need to spoil something that you’ll learn about 15-20% of the way into the novel. If you’re leaving now, I have to say I can’t really recommend this because the main plot is good mostly but ends pretty unsatisfyingly and the romance was a big miss for me.
If you don’t want any spoilers then please leave now.
This is a fated mates story. Amber and Andrew, despite being different races, are fated mates. This is the trope that I had a problem with. Most of my dislike for the romance is because of this trope. However, some of the problem is also the particular application of it here. In the same scene that it is extremely heavily hinted (ie. told to us) that these two are fated mates it’s also extremely heavily hinted that Andrew is very old and that Amber is some sort of reincarnation of Andrew’s former mate.
This setup creates a weird scenario where we end up seeing the couple at multiple different stages of the relationship all at once. Amber has, from her point of view, just met Andrew and while she is interested in him she’s not ready to get into anything serious. She has more than enough going on in her life right now and this guy isn’t even the same race as her. Andrew is seeing the woman he’s been 10,000% in love with for a very long time. He’s kind of trying to temper it because he is aware that he doesn’t want to freak this new girl out because he knows she just met him but also he’s not really doing a great job at holding it back and frequently says things that feel pretty out of line for a new relationship. And it isn’t a new relationship… but also it is. So that all makes stuff somewhat unnecessarily complicated.
So the romance has a trope I really don’t like combined with added weirdness and ultimately just didn’t work for me at all.
This book takes place in a fantasy world that is essentially our modern day world, cars and cellphones exist, curiously guns don’t seem to though. Crossbows are present but no guns. The main difference from our world to this world is the existence of two human-looking non-human lifeforms. Eidolas are essentially long-lived humans with magic. They also have a sort of vampire-like ability to feed on the life essence of humans. This ability means that Eidolas are viewed as something of a predator and are generally disliked. Entities (for some reason they don’t get a cool made up name) are also long lived humans but are stronger and faster than any normal human ever could be. They have taken up the role of guarding humans from the evil Eidolas
Characters:
Amber: Amber is our lead heroine and is an entity. She’s largely a loner save for her best friend who she, at the very start of the story, makes a magical bonding with under duress. Amber was never a terribly outgoing person and following this event has become something of a nervous shut in, perpetually worried that her friend is in danger.
Andrew: Andrew is an Eidola, though he is not the evil human eating creature history might paint him as. He’s actually a pretty nice guy who wants all the races to get along better. Also he has silver-blue eyes. It’s really important you know that, so important that Jean will remind you every third page or so.
Plot:
Something is going on in Haven city. For some unclear reason, someone is kidnapping and killing people. Amber herself gets targeted one night and is saved by a handsome stranger named Andrew. Amber agrees to work with Andrew as the pair try and figure out what exactly is going on and who is behind it all
My Thoughts:
This book was a mixed bag for me. I do want to say right at the start that the romance did not work for me but that is largely due to the inclusion of a fairly common romance trope that I personally don’t like. If you’re not bothered by this trope you’ll probably find the romance rather sweet and enjoy the entire book a good deal more than I did. I will get to that in a moment because it does involve a minor spoiler.
In regards to things I can mention totally spoiler free I think the non-romance part of the plot is actually very interesting. Very early on Jean sets up an ongoing problem of some nefarious individual or group that has been racking up a body count in the city. This works out into a good mystery as Amber and Andrew struggle to find information on who or what is doing this and why? Sadly this ends with something that really feels like a Deus ex Machina. Following a particularly dramatic moment something that had, at best, extremely minimal hinting happens that changes absolutely everything we thought we knew. This certainly sets up the sequels to be quite dramatic but does kinda take the wind out of the sails during the finale of this book.
Okay now we need to talk about the romance. To be able to properly do that I do need to spoil something that you’ll learn about 15-20% of the way into the novel. If you’re leaving now, I have to say I can’t really recommend this because the main plot is good mostly but ends pretty unsatisfyingly and the romance was a big miss for me.
If you don’t want any spoilers then please leave now.
This is a fated mates story. Amber and Andrew, despite being different races, are fated mates. This is the trope that I had a problem with. Most of my dislike for the romance is because of this trope. However, some of the problem is also the particular application of it here. In the same scene that it is extremely heavily hinted (ie. told to us) that these two are fated mates it’s also extremely heavily hinted that Andrew is very old and that Amber is some sort of reincarnation of Andrew’s former mate.
This setup creates a weird scenario where we end up seeing the couple at multiple different stages of the relationship all at once. Amber has, from her point of view, just met Andrew and while she is interested in him she’s not ready to get into anything serious. She has more than enough going on in her life right now and this guy isn’t even the same race as her. Andrew is seeing the woman he’s been 10,000% in love with for a very long time. He’s kind of trying to temper it because he is aware that he doesn’t want to freak this new girl out because he knows she just met him but also he’s not really doing a great job at holding it back and frequently says things that feel pretty out of line for a new relationship. And it isn’t a new relationship… but also it is. So that all makes stuff somewhat unnecessarily complicated.
So the romance has a trope I really don’t like combined with added weirdness and ultimately just didn’t work for me at all.
March 24, 2023
*doing an alpha reread... will update my review in the future*
I received this book as an ARC and I'm completely honored...
NA Fantasy Romance
LGBTQIA + Representation
Debut Novel and first in the trilogy
FMC- Amber (Grumpy)
* Extremely Rational Thinker.. one of the major things I loved about her
*Strong Bi and demisexual character
*Loves Sugar (has a major sweet tooth) and to read
* Loves Fiercely and will do anything to protect her loved ones
MMC- Andrew (Sunshine)
* Loves to cook and crack jokes
*A Golden Retreiver type of character that you want to wrap up in a safety blanket and protect at all costs
* Extremely romantic
* Consent King
* Motherfreaking "Starlight"!!!!!
Other Things I love-
*Grumpy Sunshine in reverse
* Star Crossed Lovers
* Insta Love (let me be clear normally I don't like this. But in this story it really really works)
*The Smut is fantastic! I love smut with plot type of novels and Raven Jean excels at that
* Nightmare comfort trope
* Betrayals and curses
*No information dumping
* Complexity of the story comes later.. not everything is as it seems! 🤫🤔
* There is a pronunciation and definition guide
*I can't wait to get to know the side characters a little bit more. I'm looking at you Lore and Thorne.
I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil anything.
Only criticism-
*I wish there were more details in some parts. Especially the fight scenes. It would have rounded the scenes out better.
Overall I'm extremely excited for the continuation of this series and to see how Andrew and Amber stories end. Also, we will be getting dual POVs in those novels!
I received this book as an ARC and I'm completely honored...
NA Fantasy Romance
LGBTQIA + Representation
Debut Novel and first in the trilogy
FMC- Amber (Grumpy)
* Extremely Rational Thinker.. one of the major things I loved about her
*Strong Bi and demisexual character
*Loves Sugar (has a major sweet tooth) and to read
* Loves Fiercely and will do anything to protect her loved ones
MMC- Andrew (Sunshine)
* Loves to cook and crack jokes
*A Golden Retreiver type of character that you want to wrap up in a safety blanket and protect at all costs
* Extremely romantic
* Consent King
* Motherfreaking "Starlight"!!!!!
Other Things I love-
*Grumpy Sunshine in reverse
* Star Crossed Lovers
* Insta Love (let me be clear normally I don't like this. But in this story it really really works)
*The Smut is fantastic! I love smut with plot type of novels and Raven Jean excels at that
* Nightmare comfort trope
* Betrayals and curses
*No information dumping
* Complexity of the story comes later.. not everything is as it seems! 🤫🤔
* There is a pronunciation and definition guide
*I can't wait to get to know the side characters a little bit more. I'm looking at you Lore and Thorne.
I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil anything.
Only criticism-
*I wish there were more details in some parts. Especially the fight scenes. It would have rounded the scenes out better.
Overall I'm extremely excited for the continuation of this series and to see how Andrew and Amber stories end. Also, we will be getting dual POVs in those novels!
November 27, 2022
Review to come
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