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Power and Promise #1
A Ripple of Power and Promise
Freedom. Choice. That’s all Ainsley yearned for in life. But when she learns her parents betrothed her to Prince Dashiell, she knows those are two things she will never attain. When Ainsley is sent to live in the Palace of Caelum, she is made painfully aware that she is out of her depth and forced to navigate this new world utterly alone.She quickly realizes that her sharp tongue, quick wit, and stubbornness will only get her so far. As she struggles with her hatred towards the Prince, his cocky best friend, and their constant refusal to leave her alone, she unwittingly discovers that there may be more to them than she originally imagined.The two decide to take Ainsley under their wing, showing her the magic within their world and giving her the friendship and love she’s always desired. However, dangerous circumstances begin to unfold around them, putting their lives at risk and uncovering dark secrets lurking beneath the surface.
601 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2023
264 people are currently reading
4540 people want to read
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September 25, 2023AUTHOR NOTE:
Hi everyone! This Goodreads page isn’t one I come on (that’s what she said) so shout out to my amazing husband (Kenny) for posting this for me so I can continue to stay away from reviews. With that being said, ‘A Ripple of Power & Promise’ has been growing its audience (yay) so I thought it would be a fun idea to leave a little author note to those who utilize Goodreads to decide if a book is a right fit for them. The last thing I want is for anyone to read a story they’re going to hate. I want you (the reader) to go into this series fully prepared for what it is and isn’t. The best way to do that is check out my socials (IG or TikTok) as I have a series called “WTF is this even” where I explain exactly WTF this book is about. It also introduces you to the characters, world, and writing style. I highly suggest you start there!
*If you could ‘like’ this comment so it automatically stays at the top for prospective readers, that would be amazing.
Everyone has different preferences with it comes to books they enjoy. Some people require intricate world-building and unique magic systems. Some prefer action-packed plots with twists and turns that keep them guessing until the last second. And others crave stories with lovable characters and fun dialogue. It is important to understand which type of reader you are so that you may better select books that fit what you desire most.
When it comes to me, I am a character-driven reader. This means that I prefer books that are centered around the people in them rather than the events happening around them. Because of this, I am a character-driven writer, and ‘A Ripple of Power and Promise’ is a character-driven story. Though there is mystery and strange events surrounding Ainsley, Dash, and Felix, the main focus of this story is their friendship and the relationship that develops between her and the prince. This book is heavy in the dialogue department and contains a heavy romance subplot. Think contemporary romance book (rom-com) in a fantasy setting with magic involved.
If you’re looking for a G.R.R and Tolkien-esque world-building and writing style, you’ve taken a wrong turn and stumbled off the path. This book… well, it’s not that. Not even a tiny bit. If you’re looking for poetic prose and flowery writing, once again, you’re in the wrong place. I very much enjoy books that showcase a writer’s own voice, so that is what you’ll find with mine. ‘A Ripple of Power and Promise” contains A LOT of dialogue with fun banter and at its core is a love story.
‘A Ripple of Power and Promise’ is honestly just a vibes book about youth, first love, and found family… with a few higher stakes moments. This series is a marathon not a sprint, so expect low and slow world building. ‘A Ripple of Power & Promise’ sets the stage for the characters you will follow and the setup of the world. As the series continues, the world and magic will continue to unfold for our FMC (and you), starting with the next book in the series: ‘A Shade of Darkness & Deception.’ From there, the magic, world, plot, and major conflict will continue to develop as well.
If you want something plot driven or epic fantasy with heavier world building, this series may not be for you (and that’s 10000% okay!) If you like feel good vibes with a slow burn first love romance, banter, a found family determined to give the FMC the youth she never had, then ‘A Ripple of Power & Promise’ may be right up your alley! If you decide to read this series, I hope you absolutely enjoy it. And if you decide it’s not for you, I hope you find what you’re after <3
*CW: Physical assault, misogynistic ideologies, mention of infant death, gruesome and descriptive death, explicit language, excessive drinking, and sexual content.
Hi everyone! This Goodreads page isn’t one I come on (that’s what she said) so shout out to my amazing husband (Kenny) for posting this for me so I can continue to stay away from reviews. With that being said, ‘A Ripple of Power & Promise’ has been growing its audience (yay) so I thought it would be a fun idea to leave a little author note to those who utilize Goodreads to decide if a book is a right fit for them. The last thing I want is for anyone to read a story they’re going to hate. I want you (the reader) to go into this series fully prepared for what it is and isn’t. The best way to do that is check out my socials (IG or TikTok) as I have a series called “WTF is this even” where I explain exactly WTF this book is about. It also introduces you to the characters, world, and writing style. I highly suggest you start there!
*If you could ‘like’ this comment so it automatically stays at the top for prospective readers, that would be amazing.
Everyone has different preferences with it comes to books they enjoy. Some people require intricate world-building and unique magic systems. Some prefer action-packed plots with twists and turns that keep them guessing until the last second. And others crave stories with lovable characters and fun dialogue. It is important to understand which type of reader you are so that you may better select books that fit what you desire most.
When it comes to me, I am a character-driven reader. This means that I prefer books that are centered around the people in them rather than the events happening around them. Because of this, I am a character-driven writer, and ‘A Ripple of Power and Promise’ is a character-driven story. Though there is mystery and strange events surrounding Ainsley, Dash, and Felix, the main focus of this story is their friendship and the relationship that develops between her and the prince. This book is heavy in the dialogue department and contains a heavy romance subplot. Think contemporary romance book (rom-com) in a fantasy setting with magic involved.
If you’re looking for a G.R.R and Tolkien-esque world-building and writing style, you’ve taken a wrong turn and stumbled off the path. This book… well, it’s not that. Not even a tiny bit. If you’re looking for poetic prose and flowery writing, once again, you’re in the wrong place. I very much enjoy books that showcase a writer’s own voice, so that is what you’ll find with mine. ‘A Ripple of Power and Promise” contains A LOT of dialogue with fun banter and at its core is a love story.
‘A Ripple of Power and Promise’ is honestly just a vibes book about youth, first love, and found family… with a few higher stakes moments. This series is a marathon not a sprint, so expect low and slow world building. ‘A Ripple of Power & Promise’ sets the stage for the characters you will follow and the setup of the world. As the series continues, the world and magic will continue to unfold for our FMC (and you), starting with the next book in the series: ‘A Shade of Darkness & Deception.’ From there, the magic, world, plot, and major conflict will continue to develop as well.
If you want something plot driven or epic fantasy with heavier world building, this series may not be for you (and that’s 10000% okay!) If you like feel good vibes with a slow burn first love romance, banter, a found family determined to give the FMC the youth she never had, then ‘A Ripple of Power & Promise’ may be right up your alley! If you decide to read this series, I hope you absolutely enjoy it. And if you decide it’s not for you, I hope you find what you’re after <3
*CW: Physical assault, misogynistic ideologies, mention of infant death, gruesome and descriptive death, explicit language, excessive drinking, and sexual content.
December 10, 2022
Copy: Kindle ARC
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️/5
Main Characters:
Ainsley x Prince Dashiell
(+Best friend Felix)
Okay. I've been contemplating a lot about what to say about this book. It ended up being lots.
This book was not for me. I contacted the author to tell her this, as my review would not be all praise, and we discussed whether or not to upload my ARC review to Goodreads as it is her debut and I didn’t want to influence the release in a bad way. But she told me to do it for the benefit of other readers. I respect her immensely for this!
So here it goes.
First off, let’s start at the end. I absolutely loved the ending, BUT I also felt like nothing happened up until that point. The story was very much focused on the relationship between Dash and Ainsley (and Felix - NOT a love triangle), and in my opinion that is fine when it's a contemporary romance, but to me, fantasy needs more action and magic (or similar). Day included few PNRs, not a lot of action. Personally, I just needed more. I would have rather she included more fantasy elements than romance and friendship.
Second, I didn't enjoy her writing style. She is very descriptive in this book. I often felt the plot was more about the food, surroundings, or clothes, rather than the actual plot.
Third, the dialogue seemed to be very one-sided. As in, when someone spoke, they spoke for 2 pages until someone answered. To me, dialogue needs to bounce between characters.
Fourth, she uses few paragraphs, which made it difficult for me to get through the book as it made it really heavy to read. The paragraphs were often 20+ sentences long. The same with chapter length. Many of them were towards the "too long chapters" side. But that one didn't bother me as much as the lengthy paragraphs (simply because I know it could be worse) though I know many find long chapters tedious.
Fifth, her characters. Ainsley felt very immature at times. And very egotistical, as well as…sorry…dumb. She had known for 4-5 years she would be marrying the Prince. But she hadn't used that time to get knowledge about the kingdom, or even run. Too often, she said, "oh no I didn't know that. Why hadn't I thought of that". I didn't enjoy that part of her. And because of her lack of research, she had no reason to dislike Dash, Felix, or even the king, which she highly did from the very beginning. She had no background knowledge of who they were, except for her parents making this deal with the king. No history was provided to me as a reader, to tell me this kingdom was evil or distrustful. Again, other than arranging this marriage.
Six, having fun and laughing is all good, but these three main characters became 14-15-year-olds with how much fun they had, but then the book turned spicy. I kinda felt like this was a YA book, but with NA. And that felt strange. Day developed their relationship really well because that is most of what we actually read about throughout the story, but I felt like it was too much relationship-building and "childish escapades". The spice was good, but again, it felt inappropriate when the characters felt like preteens.
Seven, it took a while for the history and magic to be explained. That was extremely odd. Many things were explained pretty late (at the 50-60% marker), which is unusual for a fantasy. Personally, I believe that many of the things explained later could have benefitted the story by being setups/teasers if they were explained in the beginning, rather than when they were needed to explain the next part of a scene. Not sure that makes sense. But it might when/if you read it.
There were of course things I loved.
- The relationship between the characters was amazingly written. I really fell for the friendships that developed throughout the story.
- Great romance build-up. It was clear from the beginning it was an enemies-to-lovers with a slow burn. The slow burn was well-developed.
- The LGBTQ community was represented. Amazing. 🙌
- The ending was incredible as I wrote in the beginning. Great cliffhanger.
That was my rant.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped. But due to the ending, which I loved (also our introduction to new characters), I might read the second one, hoping Day might change her writing style up a bit, and add a bit more intrigue to the next one. But we’ll see.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️/5
Main Characters:
Ainsley x Prince Dashiell
(+Best friend Felix)
Okay. I've been contemplating a lot about what to say about this book. It ended up being lots.
This book was not for me. I contacted the author to tell her this, as my review would not be all praise, and we discussed whether or not to upload my ARC review to Goodreads as it is her debut and I didn’t want to influence the release in a bad way. But she told me to do it for the benefit of other readers. I respect her immensely for this!
So here it goes.
First off, let’s start at the end. I absolutely loved the ending, BUT I also felt like nothing happened up until that point. The story was very much focused on the relationship between Dash and Ainsley (and Felix - NOT a love triangle), and in my opinion that is fine when it's a contemporary romance, but to me, fantasy needs more action and magic (or similar). Day included few PNRs, not a lot of action. Personally, I just needed more. I would have rather she included more fantasy elements than romance and friendship.
Second, I didn't enjoy her writing style. She is very descriptive in this book. I often felt the plot was more about the food, surroundings, or clothes, rather than the actual plot.
Third, the dialogue seemed to be very one-sided. As in, when someone spoke, they spoke for 2 pages until someone answered. To me, dialogue needs to bounce between characters.
Fourth, she uses few paragraphs, which made it difficult for me to get through the book as it made it really heavy to read. The paragraphs were often 20+ sentences long. The same with chapter length. Many of them were towards the "too long chapters" side. But that one didn't bother me as much as the lengthy paragraphs (simply because I know it could be worse) though I know many find long chapters tedious.
Fifth, her characters. Ainsley felt very immature at times. And very egotistical, as well as…sorry…dumb. She had known for 4-5 years she would be marrying the Prince. But she hadn't used that time to get knowledge about the kingdom, or even run. Too often, she said, "oh no I didn't know that. Why hadn't I thought of that". I didn't enjoy that part of her. And because of her lack of research, she had no reason to dislike Dash, Felix, or even the king, which she highly did from the very beginning. She had no background knowledge of who they were, except for her parents making this deal with the king. No history was provided to me as a reader, to tell me this kingdom was evil or distrustful. Again, other than arranging this marriage.
Six, having fun and laughing is all good, but these three main characters became 14-15-year-olds with how much fun they had, but then the book turned spicy. I kinda felt like this was a YA book, but with NA. And that felt strange. Day developed their relationship really well because that is most of what we actually read about throughout the story, but I felt like it was too much relationship-building and "childish escapades". The spice was good, but again, it felt inappropriate when the characters felt like preteens.
Seven, it took a while for the history and magic to be explained. That was extremely odd. Many things were explained pretty late (at the 50-60% marker), which is unusual for a fantasy. Personally, I believe that many of the things explained later could have benefitted the story by being setups/teasers if they were explained in the beginning, rather than when they were needed to explain the next part of a scene. Not sure that makes sense. But it might when/if you read it.
There were of course things I loved.
- The relationship between the characters was amazingly written. I really fell for the friendships that developed throughout the story.
- Great romance build-up. It was clear from the beginning it was an enemies-to-lovers with a slow burn. The slow burn was well-developed.
- The LGBTQ community was represented. Amazing. 🙌
- The ending was incredible as I wrote in the beginning. Great cliffhanger.
That was my rant.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped. But due to the ending, which I loved (also our introduction to new characters), I might read the second one, hoping Day might change her writing style up a bit, and add a bit more intrigue to the next one. But we’ll see.
November 2, 2023
Unfortunately, it is only 2 stars from me. I tried to love this book but it was the hardest thing to go through it.
Right of the bat, I did not like the dedication and it’s tone, and then I absolutely hated the first 100 pages after that. When an author writes ‘fuck the haters’ and then proceeds to create the biggest pain in the ass character with anger management issues and an oh so special snowflake syndrome, it is hard not to feel like a hater for judging all of the foul attitude.
The plot is extremely slow and unclear, and the character building is also not the greatest. The writing style needs more work and a shift from quantity of the words to quality. I don’t need to know everyone’s eye color, their outfits and have things repeated 3 times, almost like an author is afraid I will not get it if she doesn’t explain every sentence twice. And don’t get me started on these dialogs that are actually monologues, because I could swear that at one point Dash spoke for like 8 pages with barely any interruptions.
There are 60 chapters in this book and hardly anything happens until chapter 51. One cannot simply explain that with ‘building relationships’ between an extremely annoying girl, a whiny price and an overly happy 3rd wheel of bi BFF. The amount of unnecessary, childish situations that were described IN DETAILS was overwhelming. And you remember how we all thought Kaz should’ve been like 35 in Six of Crows? Here you got adults that act like 14 year olds who go from like throwing water balloons to screwing 10 times a day… I am sorry but it makes no sense. Please, pick a lane and stay in it.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the story had potential and could have been interesting but this writing cannot sell it. I know there is a second book out there and I think I will read it someday, hoping to see some improvements 🙂 I understand it is probably not easy to write a book and introduce it to the world, and I am sorry for being harsh. It is really not my goal to be a said hater.
Right of the bat, I did not like the dedication and it’s tone, and then I absolutely hated the first 100 pages after that. When an author writes ‘fuck the haters’ and then proceeds to create the biggest pain in the ass character with anger management issues and an oh so special snowflake syndrome, it is hard not to feel like a hater for judging all of the foul attitude.
The plot is extremely slow and unclear, and the character building is also not the greatest. The writing style needs more work and a shift from quantity of the words to quality. I don’t need to know everyone’s eye color, their outfits and have things repeated 3 times, almost like an author is afraid I will not get it if she doesn’t explain every sentence twice. And don’t get me started on these dialogs that are actually monologues, because I could swear that at one point Dash spoke for like 8 pages with barely any interruptions.
There are 60 chapters in this book and hardly anything happens until chapter 51. One cannot simply explain that with ‘building relationships’ between an extremely annoying girl, a whiny price and an overly happy 3rd wheel of bi BFF. The amount of unnecessary, childish situations that were described IN DETAILS was overwhelming. And you remember how we all thought Kaz should’ve been like 35 in Six of Crows? Here you got adults that act like 14 year olds who go from like throwing water balloons to screwing 10 times a day… I am sorry but it makes no sense. Please, pick a lane and stay in it.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the story had potential and could have been interesting but this writing cannot sell it. I know there is a second book out there and I think I will read it someday, hoping to see some improvements 🙂 I understand it is probably not easy to write a book and introduce it to the world, and I am sorry for being harsh. It is really not my goal to be a said hater.
December 9, 2022
I’m not often left speechless by a book. With that being said, HOLY CRAP I DON’T EVEN HAVE WORDS. This story was beautifully written in a way that makes you fall in love with each of the characters. There are plot twists and turns around every corner in a way that I loved. I was constantly trying to figure out what was going to happen next and absolutely flew through this book once I started it. Felix is bae. Ainsley is a badass and I love her dearly. The cliffhanger has me absolutely DYING for the second installment, it seriously can not come out soon enough. Jordan, you did an amazing job and have written a beautiful tale that fully captivated me. This book is now solidly in my top 10 fantasy books!
March 28, 2024
sigh*
This book was a ride and not a good ride. A boring one until the last 8%.
1. Let’s start with the protagonist shall we? She’s a selfish, try to be edgy, pushover. She was cringe and not smart.
2.I have decided that I do not enjoy character driven plots. If you can even call this book having any plot. So boring! So, so boring! There was too much time spent on the relationships of the characters and not enough time spent on the magic and conflict. If I didn’t have to read this book, I would have probably not have finished it.
3. We get it. The main characters are friends and cannot live without one another. They acted like they were 15. And made the most bizarre decisions when they were feeling uneasy. Also, there was too much telling about the friendship/relationship than actual action. You go from one chapter of hating each other to the next chapter of being besties. With limited transition time. The pacing was weird.
4. And then it ends on cliffhanger! And the next book is 800 plus pages? I don’t know if I can make through another book of this series but I want to know what happens.
This book was a ride and not a good ride. A boring one until the last 8%.
1. Let’s start with the protagonist shall we? She’s a selfish, try to be edgy, pushover. She was cringe and not smart.
2.I have decided that I do not enjoy character driven plots. If you can even call this book having any plot. So boring! So, so boring! There was too much time spent on the relationships of the characters and not enough time spent on the magic and conflict. If I didn’t have to read this book, I would have probably not have finished it.
3. We get it. The main characters are friends and cannot live without one another. They acted like they were 15. And made the most bizarre decisions when they were feeling uneasy. Also, there was too much telling about the friendship/relationship than actual action. You go from one chapter of hating each other to the next chapter of being besties. With limited transition time. The pacing was weird.
4. And then it ends on cliffhanger! And the next book is 800 plus pages? I don’t know if I can make through another book of this series but I want to know what happens.
did-not-finish
November 16, 2024DNFing at 30%. It is having its good moments, but overall I'm rolling my eyes at the FMC's naivety (you know for 5 years that you're going into an arranged marriage and at no point did you research the kingdom? you didn't once think about that you'd be expected to have heirs??? really?!). Also it is set up to be a medieval world setting with magic and candles and stone castles, but yet there's also flushing toilets and chocolate fountains. This doesn't bother most people, but it yanked me right out of the story.
That all said, the audiobook is duet, is available on Kobo Plus, and is fantastically done. Highly recommend going the audio route if this book is peaking your interest.
That all said, the audiobook is duet, is available on Kobo Plus, and is fantastically done. Highly recommend going the audio route if this book is peaking your interest.
June 20, 2024
Did I think Ainsley's whiplash personality in the beginning was bad character development? Did I think Dash, Ainsley and Felix's behaviors frequently read as pretty YA despite being in their 20's? Did I guess what the ending twist was going to be at about the 50% mark? Did I guess how the continuation of this series would go (after reading a review for the next one and getting some spoilers)? Did I think this book needed an editor?
The answer to all is yes. And will I still read the next one? Also, most likely, yes.
The answer to all is yes. And will I still read the next one? Also, most likely, yes.
October 11, 2024
Nothing much happens and it's similar to ACOTAR
February 22, 2023
New Girl meets high fantasy.
This book was a wild ride! Day does a fantastic job of weaving mystery into fantasy in this lazy river read. Lazy river read? The ebb and flow of the book were a comfort to read, with the raised stakes existing but not taking center stage.
Despite this being her debut, Day expertly creates a lower-stakes world while making you deeply care for the characters she's created. And the characters? They are fully realized in that she has stitched personality, desires, and needs into every action, word, and decision. The world was well conceived and explained throughout the book instead of in clumps, and info dumps despite Jordan balancing giving readers information about the characters, the magic system, and the world. The plot is enticing enough to keep you turning the page. The spice was a nice little cherry on top of an already delicious read.
A huge testament to how fully she conceptualized these characters is how deeply I rooted for them and how often I wanted to shake, comfort, laugh, and cry with them. And since the author herself advertises the book as character-driven, I was looking for that in particular. That was the one thing I was most worried about, but she delivered. Jordan definitely stood center stage and put her entire soul into the characters. So many sweet moments had my chest aching followed by comedic moments that had me chuckling to myself like I was in on the fun. The banter is funny and light while toeing the line at corny but not quite crossing it. It feels like she managed to capture the essence of Jess, Schmitt, and Winston from New Girl into a fantasy series, and the thought alone had me devouring the book like potato chips: just *one* more.
Felix is, overall, my favorite character. He stole the page with every mention of his name, and I wished he had more page time. Based on the ending, I think we'll get more of him in book two. All hail the bi king. As well as me being deeply unsettled with my immediate attraction to the hot stranger toward the end. *Cue me side-eyeing myself in the mirror at my therapist's office*
This brings me to my next bout of praise. The pacing itself in developing relationships is well thought out. This is something that I've seen tried, awarded authors even fail to deliver in the past. It can be hard to manage meeting, falling in love, and time's passage in one book, but this is done and believable here. It didn't feel like instant love, a trope that's always felt like salt grinding on my bones. The pacing of the characters developing emotions feels authentic and genuine to the characters. Ainsley has been sheltered (not protected) and alone her entire life, so it makes sense to me that though a bit jaded, she would find herself reaching for companionship. Felix and Dash bonded through their own loneliness and traumas, so it makes sense that they would be drawn to including her in their found family. Even the spice was a slow build-up that happened over time. And it was an added touch that didn't overtake the book, which I enjoy when reading fantasy.
Interestingly, I don't think the author gives herself enough credit for the plot, either. The mystery of Ainsley's upbringing is the primary plot point, and it definitely takes a back seat to the relationships. BUT while the twists majorly come at the end of the book... THEY STILL HAVE FIGHTING POWER. I fancy myself quite adept at reading through foreshadowing. Sometimes to a painful degree (spoiling many shows and books for myself) and while some of the surprises came as no shock: I could NOT predict the end. The characters' relationships cause the plot twist, which is major. (For any ACOTAR readers reading this: No, you're not getting Tamlin-ed... That I know of.)
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. If you are tempted to do your yearly rewatch of New Girl but like fantasy books, read this instead. I'll be waiting to yell with you at the finish line with my grabby hands extended for book two.
*I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
This book was a wild ride! Day does a fantastic job of weaving mystery into fantasy in this lazy river read. Lazy river read? The ebb and flow of the book were a comfort to read, with the raised stakes existing but not taking center stage.
Despite this being her debut, Day expertly creates a lower-stakes world while making you deeply care for the characters she's created. And the characters? They are fully realized in that she has stitched personality, desires, and needs into every action, word, and decision. The world was well conceived and explained throughout the book instead of in clumps, and info dumps despite Jordan balancing giving readers information about the characters, the magic system, and the world. The plot is enticing enough to keep you turning the page. The spice was a nice little cherry on top of an already delicious read.
A huge testament to how fully she conceptualized these characters is how deeply I rooted for them and how often I wanted to shake, comfort, laugh, and cry with them. And since the author herself advertises the book as character-driven, I was looking for that in particular. That was the one thing I was most worried about, but she delivered. Jordan definitely stood center stage and put her entire soul into the characters. So many sweet moments had my chest aching followed by comedic moments that had me chuckling to myself like I was in on the fun. The banter is funny and light while toeing the line at corny but not quite crossing it. It feels like she managed to capture the essence of Jess, Schmitt, and Winston from New Girl into a fantasy series, and the thought alone had me devouring the book like potato chips: just *one* more.
Felix is, overall, my favorite character. He stole the page with every mention of his name, and I wished he had more page time. Based on the ending, I think we'll get more of him in book two. All hail the bi king. As well as me being deeply unsettled with my immediate attraction to the hot stranger toward the end. *Cue me side-eyeing myself in the mirror at my therapist's office*
This brings me to my next bout of praise. The pacing itself in developing relationships is well thought out. This is something that I've seen tried, awarded authors even fail to deliver in the past. It can be hard to manage meeting, falling in love, and time's passage in one book, but this is done and believable here. It didn't feel like instant love, a trope that's always felt like salt grinding on my bones. The pacing of the characters developing emotions feels authentic and genuine to the characters. Ainsley has been sheltered (not protected) and alone her entire life, so it makes sense to me that though a bit jaded, she would find herself reaching for companionship. Felix and Dash bonded through their own loneliness and traumas, so it makes sense that they would be drawn to including her in their found family. Even the spice was a slow build-up that happened over time. And it was an added touch that didn't overtake the book, which I enjoy when reading fantasy.
Interestingly, I don't think the author gives herself enough credit for the plot, either. The mystery of Ainsley's upbringing is the primary plot point, and it definitely takes a back seat to the relationships. BUT while the twists majorly come at the end of the book... THEY STILL HAVE FIGHTING POWER. I fancy myself quite adept at reading through foreshadowing. Sometimes to a painful degree (spoiling many shows and books for myself) and while some of the surprises came as no shock: I could NOT predict the end. The characters' relationships cause the plot twist, which is major. (For any ACOTAR readers reading this: No, you're not getting Tamlin-ed... That I know of.)
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. If you are tempted to do your yearly rewatch of New Girl but like fantasy books, read this instead. I'll be waiting to yell with you at the finish line with my grabby hands extended for book two.
*I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
January 1, 2023
4⭐️
2🌶
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:
Arranged Marriage
Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Found Family
VERY Slow Burn
Magic System
Immortals
I am very impressed by this debut novel. It is a little rough around the edges and slow paced, but it is beautifully written. Almost whimsical. This book feels like the foundation for what is to come in the series and is the introduction to this new magical world.
The story has potential to be amazing and the characters are very lovable. They are not perfect and go through trials that test their emotions and relationships, but I think that is what makes them relatable. There are some incidents that almost feel like the characters are going around in circles, but they evenly figure things out.
I feel like it is cliche at this point, but if you are a fan of ACOTAR and its magic system then you will like this book. There are 5 Kingdoms with their own magical powers and I found this magic system very interesting and fun.
If you also enjoy cliffhangers that are right before you learn some very important information and have to wait who knows how long before the second book comes out, then this is also the book for you. I can't wait till the next book comes!
2🌶
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes:
Arranged Marriage
Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Found Family
VERY Slow Burn
Magic System
Immortals
I am very impressed by this debut novel. It is a little rough around the edges and slow paced, but it is beautifully written. Almost whimsical. This book feels like the foundation for what is to come in the series and is the introduction to this new magical world.
The story has potential to be amazing and the characters are very lovable. They are not perfect and go through trials that test their emotions and relationships, but I think that is what makes them relatable. There are some incidents that almost feel like the characters are going around in circles, but they evenly figure things out.
I feel like it is cliche at this point, but if you are a fan of ACOTAR and its magic system then you will like this book. There are 5 Kingdoms with their own magical powers and I found this magic system very interesting and fun.
If you also enjoy cliffhangers that are right before you learn some very important information and have to wait who knows how long before the second book comes out, then this is also the book for you. I can't wait till the next book comes!
January 5, 2023
You can find this review of ARoPaP on my blog, Heart's Content!
Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
While I was reading the blurb for this book, I also had the opportunity to read a small note the author had written explaining what you can expect from her book. It was this note that sealed the deal for me, because she’d written everything that was catnip to me as a reader. I was pressing the sign-up button so fast the road runner would’ve had whiplash.
The first thing I always do is check the page count. If the book is big, I’ll always tell myself, “Ahana you’re possibly walking into a book that you’re going to be thankful is this big.” There is the downside of struggling if the book is something that I don’t enjoy, but I’m a glass half-full kinda girl.
Anyway, the book starts at a really interesting point and sets the general tone of the state of mind, the emotional quotient and the situational background of the FMC: Ainsley. Ainsley is a fairly normal girl budding into adulthood, except she’s engaged to marry the Prince. The frustration, pain and anger of her situation is very relatable and you find yourself able to understand Ainsley quite well. Her childhood, her experiences and choices are heartbreaking and you feel for her.
The book takes you on a journey. From pain to friendships to uncontrollable anger and injustice to finally shock and revelation. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started ARoPaP, but I didn’t regret a single moment.
The most endearing part of this book is certainly the friendship that blossoms between the Ainsley, the Prince and his best friend: Felix. It’s not often you find the hero’s best friend being the cocky arrogant personality and the hero being a gentler character but ARoPaP certainly delivers many surprises on this front.
I enjoyed Jordan’s writing style, how she’s planned the character reveals. Sometimes the best narrative technique to endear a character, is to hear someone else talk about them, especially when the protagonist is so resistant to explore the world and its people before her. The author also ensures her narration is so gripping that you can’t think beyond it which sets you up for many many plot twists and emotions. Whatever questions you may have had about some moments in the book, evaporate, then reappear and then eventually make sense in a bout of shock and revelation.
The pace is controlled by the gripping narration. I remember thinking “Oh God, this is one of those books that I don’t want to keep down, but don’t want to finish so quickly either.” Ah, what a wonderful problem to have.
The most surprising thing about this book is the plot. In the sense, it’s so hidden you don’t realise what it is until Jordan decides it’s time to let us know.
I’m going to do a prediction here that’s going to be 100% right (it’s not a spoiler as such, but it can be something that makes you prepared for something so…):
I may or may not have spammed poor Jordan. Slid straight into her DMs and refused to leave. Jordan if you’re reading this I’m so sorry I’ve been so crazy in love with your work. I’m super excited for book two and I don’t think I have it in me to wait. I know it’s going to be worth it (especially ‘cos the page count is going to be high for sure and that’s a gift in itself) and I have soooome guesses and am so curious to see where Jordan is going to take this story.
Highly recommend! Five star read. Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is absolutely free for you! Happy reading and stay safe! As always check trigger warnings!
Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
While I was reading the blurb for this book, I also had the opportunity to read a small note the author had written explaining what you can expect from her book. It was this note that sealed the deal for me, because she’d written everything that was catnip to me as a reader. I was pressing the sign-up button so fast the road runner would’ve had whiplash.
The first thing I always do is check the page count. If the book is big, I’ll always tell myself, “Ahana you’re possibly walking into a book that you’re going to be thankful is this big.” There is the downside of struggling if the book is something that I don’t enjoy, but I’m a glass half-full kinda girl.
Anyway, the book starts at a really interesting point and sets the general tone of the state of mind, the emotional quotient and the situational background of the FMC: Ainsley. Ainsley is a fairly normal girl budding into adulthood, except she’s engaged to marry the Prince. The frustration, pain and anger of her situation is very relatable and you find yourself able to understand Ainsley quite well. Her childhood, her experiences and choices are heartbreaking and you feel for her.
The book takes you on a journey. From pain to friendships to uncontrollable anger and injustice to finally shock and revelation. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started ARoPaP, but I didn’t regret a single moment.
The most endearing part of this book is certainly the friendship that blossoms between the Ainsley, the Prince and his best friend: Felix. It’s not often you find the hero’s best friend being the cocky arrogant personality and the hero being a gentler character but ARoPaP certainly delivers many surprises on this front.
I enjoyed Jordan’s writing style, how she’s planned the character reveals. Sometimes the best narrative technique to endear a character, is to hear someone else talk about them, especially when the protagonist is so resistant to explore the world and its people before her. The author also ensures her narration is so gripping that you can’t think beyond it which sets you up for many many plot twists and emotions. Whatever questions you may have had about some moments in the book, evaporate, then reappear and then eventually make sense in a bout of shock and revelation.
The pace is controlled by the gripping narration. I remember thinking “Oh God, this is one of those books that I don’t want to keep down, but don’t want to finish so quickly either.” Ah, what a wonderful problem to have.
The most surprising thing about this book is the plot. In the sense, it’s so hidden you don’t realise what it is until Jordan decides it’s time to let us know.
I’m going to do a prediction here that’s going to be 100% right (it’s not a spoiler as such, but it can be something that makes you prepared for something so…):
I may or may not have spammed poor Jordan. Slid straight into her DMs and refused to leave. Jordan if you’re reading this I’m so sorry I’ve been so crazy in love with your work. I’m super excited for book two and I don’t think I have it in me to wait. I know it’s going to be worth it (especially ‘cos the page count is going to be high for sure and that’s a gift in itself) and I have soooome guesses and am so curious to see where Jordan is going to take this story.
Highly recommend! Five star read. Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is absolutely free for you! Happy reading and stay safe! As always check trigger warnings!
January 3, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, but my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Guys . . .
If you are a fan of character driven novels, and are obsessed with romance and fantasy, this book is for you.
The potential for character development as the series continues, has me so excited for Ainsley and where she is going.
Jordan has done a fantastic job of creating a world filled with characters that jump off the page. If the characters are not well done, I typically don’t enjoy the book. This is not the case here. These characters had me laughing, tearing up, experiencing massive amounts of rage and second-hand jealousy. From Felix, to Dashiell, Imogen and Fvcking Rosella 🙄 (I hope you cut your legs while shaving). From Daddy Van 😮💨 to Tommas (he’s nice enough), I was obsessed with all of the characters. Over the sleepless nights and the thousands of reactions I sent Jordan (I’m so sorry you were subject to my personality), I fell deeply in love with this cast of characters.
The fantasy elements are well done, and provide twists and a riveting plot that leaves you wanting more without overwhelming you. We are eased into a world of magic, politics, and again, so much romance.
Let’s talk about the sexual tension. 🔥 I think I ovulated.
A magical adventure filled with delicious characters, immaculate dresses, confessions of love that will make you swoon, and The type of love that makes your chest swell with both joy and sorrow.
Well done, Jordan. My inbox it open for book two.
To summarize, it was nice enough. Five stars.
Guys . . .
If you are a fan of character driven novels, and are obsessed with romance and fantasy, this book is for you.
The potential for character development as the series continues, has me so excited for Ainsley and where she is going.
Jordan has done a fantastic job of creating a world filled with characters that jump off the page. If the characters are not well done, I typically don’t enjoy the book. This is not the case here. These characters had me laughing, tearing up, experiencing massive amounts of rage and second-hand jealousy. From Felix, to Dashiell, Imogen and Fvcking Rosella 🙄 (I hope you cut your legs while shaving). From Daddy Van 😮💨 to Tommas (he’s nice enough), I was obsessed with all of the characters. Over the sleepless nights and the thousands of reactions I sent Jordan (I’m so sorry you were subject to my personality), I fell deeply in love with this cast of characters.
The fantasy elements are well done, and provide twists and a riveting plot that leaves you wanting more without overwhelming you. We are eased into a world of magic, politics, and again, so much romance.
Let’s talk about the sexual tension. 🔥 I think I ovulated.
A magical adventure filled with delicious characters, immaculate dresses, confessions of love that will make you swoon, and The type of love that makes your chest swell with both joy and sorrow.
Well done, Jordan. My inbox it open for book two.
To summarize, it was nice enough. Five stars.
July 13, 2023
DNF'ed at 13%.
God, the FMC is fucking rude to everyone because „she’s hurt“ (as if that’s a good excuse), the two MMCs are a laughingstock. Their dialogue with the FMC is so cringy that it hurts. Serious special snowflake syndrome for her. I bet she gets absolute super powers when it comes to magic.
It’s considered as fantasy but it reads more like contemporary romance with added magic. Tons of useless descriptions of dresses as if the author had an entire Pinterest board that served for inspiration. And the description of eye colours, I can’t. The author fell into the trap of mentioning eye colours even if the characters are far away from each other. Unless you have some extremely enhanced eyesight, you can’t see someone’s eye colour from far away. 🥲 It’s a fine line between giving enough descriptions to create an image in the reader's mind or by overdoing it with endless descriptions. Also, very modern language and phrases like "Also, can I just say, WOW? That is seriously some dress." — just no. It’s extremely irritating to read in a fantasy novel.
God, the FMC is fucking rude to everyone because „she’s hurt“ (as if that’s a good excuse), the two MMCs are a laughingstock. Their dialogue with the FMC is so cringy that it hurts. Serious special snowflake syndrome for her. I bet she gets absolute super powers when it comes to magic.
It’s considered as fantasy but it reads more like contemporary romance with added magic. Tons of useless descriptions of dresses as if the author had an entire Pinterest board that served for inspiration. And the description of eye colours, I can’t. The author fell into the trap of mentioning eye colours even if the characters are far away from each other. Unless you have some extremely enhanced eyesight, you can’t see someone’s eye colour from far away. 🥲 It’s a fine line between giving enough descriptions to create an image in the reader's mind or by overdoing it with endless descriptions. Also, very modern language and phrases like "Also, can I just say, WOW? That is seriously some dress." — just no. It’s extremely irritating to read in a fantasy novel.
May 6, 2024
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝗈𝗇𝖾, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋’𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾, 𝖨 𝗐𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ.
𝖨𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋-𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝖨 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖺𝗅. 𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌, 𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚.
𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝖺���� 𝗆𝖾 𝗎𝗉 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾. 𝖮𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗍𝗐𝗈…
ೃ⁀➷ 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀:
“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥; 𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”
“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.”
“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝗈𝗇𝖾, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋’𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾, 𝖨 𝗐𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ.
𝖨𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋-𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝖨 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖺𝗅. 𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌, 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌, 𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚.
𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝖺���� 𝗆𝖾 𝗎𝗉 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾. 𝖮𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗍𝗐𝗈…
ೃ⁀➷ 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀:
“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥; 𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”
“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.”
“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
January 28, 2025
~ 2 Stars ~
Rating this at 94 pages in. And deciding to DNF.
In general, I was really excited about picking this up and reading a new author! I think the premise is there! But the reader is really isolated and stuck in the FMC’s head for about 95% of those 94 pages. It’s a LOT of TELL rather than show, and it just was not for me.
The second thing that was really quite irritating was the FMC’s back and forth thoughts and behavior. It was giving emotional and mental whiplash, and rather than using her prickly demeanor and her want for something more like her books as a reason she doesn’t do much of anything with anyone for the first 100 pages is a little difficult.
It just felt like a big game of nobody wants to communicate but they want the others to know their feelings and read their minds.
I may try again at a later date, but for now, moving onto something else!
Rating this at 94 pages in. And deciding to DNF.
In general, I was really excited about picking this up and reading a new author! I think the premise is there! But the reader is really isolated and stuck in the FMC’s head for about 95% of those 94 pages. It’s a LOT of TELL rather than show, and it just was not for me.
The second thing that was really quite irritating was the FMC’s back and forth thoughts and behavior. It was giving emotional and mental whiplash, and rather than using her prickly demeanor and her want for something more like her books as a reason she doesn’t do much of anything with anyone for the first 100 pages is a little difficult.
It just felt like a big game of nobody wants to communicate but they want the others to know their feelings and read their minds.
I may try again at a later date, but for now, moving onto something else!
December 1, 2024
I would not have finished this if I didn't have the audiobook, and even then, it was a struggle.
This book was hyped as 'ACOTAR but better' and I vehemently disagree. If you enjoyed A Court of Frost and Starlight, you *miiiight* like this book, except you'll have little investment in the world/characters. Nothing happens except the FMC being a bitch, reading in a library, exchanging birthday gifts, and getting drunk and talking about sex (the mention of a 'two-finger pour' is just one example of really random modern details inserted throughout the book). And you're telling me the next book is 800 pages? Pass.
This book was hyped as 'ACOTAR but better' and I vehemently disagree. If you enjoyed A Court of Frost and Starlight, you *miiiight* like this book, except you'll have little investment in the world/characters. Nothing happens except the FMC being a bitch, reading in a library, exchanging birthday gifts, and getting drunk and talking about sex (the mention of a 'two-finger pour' is just one example of really random modern details inserted throughout the book). And you're telling me the next book is 800 pages? Pass.
December 9, 2022
I can not put it down! Jordan’s writing pulls you in from the first page, if you are in a slump this is the book for you, because you will not want to put it down. I am thankful to be an ARC reader and cannot wait to see where the story goes. Thank you Jordan!
November 12, 2022
What the hell am I supposed to do with myself now? This book is amazing. The world building and characters are amazing. I can not wait for book2
September 4, 2023
Jordan I hope someone licks your toes at night while you’re sleeping 😩😩😩
Do yourselves a favor and get the audiobook because the narrators did such an amazing job and made the whole experience even better!!
I still think there’s such a wasted opportunity in not turning this into a throuple because god the amount of times Felix was so close to just banging them both was insane. I was so easy to jump into the damn book and bang them all together myself!!!!
There’s so much freaking banter omg, one hell of a slow burn and so many times where I could have slapped so many characters hardddddd but I see the growth they all have started to go through and I can’t wait to see Ansley turned into the badass heroine I know she’s going to be… but I hope she kicks some ass first including Dash’s!!!
The amount of times the dialog has me cackling out loud was insane. The banter is so funny and Felix is one of my favorite side characters ever. Such a man hoeeeeee but we love him like that.
And Dash… I got thoughts and opinions. I was not a fan at first and he was such a dick but ended up winning me over because at the end of the day he’s the biggest, albeit somewhat immature (but they all are, damn children), cinnamon roll and simp you’ll ever meet! Every time this man opened his mouth to drop a declaration of love I became a puddle on the floor.
I loved it, I loved itttttt and now I’m suffering because the audio for book two isn’t out and my brain won’t concentrate on an actual book and the fucking cliffhanger Jordan I hate you 😭😭😭😭
Do yourselves a favor and get the audiobook because the narrators did such an amazing job and made the whole experience even better!!
I still think there’s such a wasted opportunity in not turning this into a throuple because god the amount of times Felix was so close to just banging them both was insane. I was so easy to jump into the damn book and bang them all together myself!!!!
There’s so much freaking banter omg, one hell of a slow burn and so many times where I could have slapped so many characters hardddddd but I see the growth they all have started to go through and I can’t wait to see Ansley turned into the badass heroine I know she’s going to be… but I hope she kicks some ass first including Dash’s!!!
The amount of times the dialog has me cackling out loud was insane. The banter is so funny and Felix is one of my favorite side characters ever. Such a man hoeeeeee but we love him like that.
And Dash… I got thoughts and opinions. I was not a fan at first and he was such a dick but ended up winning me over because at the end of the day he’s the biggest, albeit somewhat immature (but they all are, damn children), cinnamon roll and simp you’ll ever meet! Every time this man opened his mouth to drop a declaration of love I became a puddle on the floor.
I loved it, I loved itttttt and now I’m suffering because the audio for book two isn’t out and my brain won’t concentrate on an actual book and the fucking cliffhanger Jordan I hate you 😭😭😭😭
December 15, 2024
I loved this book. I don’t want to give anything away so I will try my best. I loved the character development and the main characters really grew on me. It was a slow burn but definitely held my interest. It does end on a cliff hanger that had me diving into the second book rather quickly. I highly recommend this book.
July 10, 2024
For sure a mood read. This isn’t what I would call a literary masterpiece and the plot is…..well….the first 300 pages were basically just about people eating in a garden. BUT the characters and banter are so fun. If you need a binge worthy low stakes read- it will scratch the itch.
October 11, 2024
Four out of my five stars all go to Felix. He knows he deserves them. I will note that I listened to the audiobook, which is a stellar performance, and honestly that’s where the fifth star comes from.
While Felix was definitely my favourite character, I also enjoyed our main pair of Ainsley and Dash. Ainsley was a fantastic guide through this new world she was discovering her place in, and Dash spent much of his “screen time” playing the part of the perfect fairytale prince. While there were a couple moments where Ainsley felt dumb or immature, they were few and far between, and instead of detracting from my opinions of her they somehow helped me like her more.
I will say the lack of action was a bit surprising. I think a book that focused on relationships was a great change of pace for me, and once I got over my initial surprise I really enjoyed delving into Dash, Ainsley, and Felix’s relationships with each other. I do hope the rest of the series has more plot to flesh out, tho.
I really enjoyed most of my time with this book. And by most of my time I mean every moment Felix was there. It’s been ages since I’ve loved a character this much and can’t wait to get more of him.
While Felix was definitely my favourite character, I also enjoyed our main pair of Ainsley and Dash. Ainsley was a fantastic guide through this new world she was discovering her place in, and Dash spent much of his “screen time” playing the part of the perfect fairytale prince. While there were a couple moments where Ainsley felt dumb or immature, they were few and far between, and instead of detracting from my opinions of her they somehow helped me like her more.
I will say the lack of action was a bit surprising. I think a book that focused on relationships was a great change of pace for me, and once I got over my initial surprise I really enjoyed delving into Dash, Ainsley, and Felix’s relationships with each other. I do hope the rest of the series has more plot to flesh out, tho.
I really enjoyed most of my time with this book. And by most of my time I mean every moment Felix was there. It’s been ages since I’ve loved a character this much and can’t wait to get more of him.
May 22, 2024
3~ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴄ.
sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀ 4 ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴀ 2...ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʟɪɴᴇ ʜᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪ sᴋɪᴍᴍᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴀɪɴsʟᴇʏ, ᴅᴀsʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇʟɪx ᴀs ɪᴛ ᴅʀᴀɢs ᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴜɴɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴀᴅᴅ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄᴇ ɪs ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪ ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ɪ ᴡᴀs sᴋɪᴍᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴀs ɴᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ/ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ sᴀɪᴅ, ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴡᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ʟᴇғᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʙɪɢ ᴄʟɪғғʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ!
sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀ 4 ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴀ 2...ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʟɪɴᴇ ʜᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪ sᴋɪᴍᴍᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴀɪɴsʟᴇʏ, ᴅᴀsʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴇʟɪx ᴀs ɪᴛ ᴅʀᴀɢs ᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇs ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴜɴɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴀᴅᴅ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄᴇ ɪs ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ɪ ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ɪ ᴡᴀs sᴋɪᴍᴍɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴀs ɴᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ/ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ sᴀɪᴅ, ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴡᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ʟᴇғᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʙɪɢ ᴄʟɪғғʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ!
January 11, 2023
The concept of this fantasy world and the characters that reside in it hold so much promise. I'm invested in the plot of Ainsley's future and will definitely read book two after the final cliffhanger.
However, the plot and the action are immensely watered down with many inconsequential scenes between the three MCs, so much so, that overall it reads like a fanfiction rather than the first book in a series.
The moments of action and spice are compelling and I hope to find many more action scenes in book two.
However, the plot and the action are immensely watered down with many inconsequential scenes between the three MCs, so much so, that overall it reads like a fanfiction rather than the first book in a series.
The moments of action and spice are compelling and I hope to find many more action scenes in book two.
June 1, 2023
I’m speechless. Then ending has my jaw on the FLOOR!
April 17, 2024
Read. This. Book.
Also, WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Also, WHAT. THE. FUCK.
November 3, 2023
Oh my goodness
for this being like the longest book i’ve read in a long time it most certainly did not feel long
i won’t lie i thought this book was going to be so bad but i actually ended up really liking it- and it was on Kindle Unlimited so it was free 😛
the characters in this were so great. i love them. except there's some "betrayal" in the end ig but it seemed stupid to me. like i thought it was gonna be something bigger and it wasn’t, but that’s good. i was just expecting something different
there's like not that much plot to it but somehow there is. it doesn’t make sense to me. i can’t explain it
also this book was smutty but def wasn’t one of those that is only smut. it was a good amount
would i recommend this book? yes. absolutely, but you just gotta ignore the fact that it's a long book
i am gonna start the second one soon
this book is fr getting me out of a reading slump so this is a good book for that imo
for this being like the longest book i’ve read in a long time it most certainly did not feel long
i won’t lie i thought this book was going to be so bad but i actually ended up really liking it- and it was on Kindle Unlimited so it was free 😛
the characters in this were so great. i love them. except there's some "betrayal" in the end ig but it seemed stupid to me. like i thought it was gonna be something bigger and it wasn’t, but that’s good. i was just expecting something different
there's like not that much plot to it but somehow there is. it doesn’t make sense to me. i can’t explain it
also this book was smutty but def wasn’t one of those that is only smut. it was a good amount
would i recommend this book? yes. absolutely, but you just gotta ignore the fact that it's a long book
i am gonna start the second one soon
this book is fr getting me out of a reading slump so this is a good book for that imo
May 21, 2024
Romantasy✔️Found Family✔️ Fun trio✔️ Shocking ending✔️ (Some) spice ✔️
If you are looking for a good time, low stakes for most of the book, and an interesting new world I would take a swing at this book. The magic system and world intrigued me. The friendship was heartwarming and the ending truthfully choked me up!
For a debut novel, I thought the writing was fine, not perfect but I didn’t expect it to be! There was minimal world building in this book but I have a feeling that the way this book ended that we will get much more of that in the next book (or I hope so at least).
Felix’s pet names for the FMC were really annoying but that was the only thing that really removed me from the story. I’m hoping that discontinues lol
*It did read similar to other well known romantasy books that this author is known to enjoy but that didn’t bother me, just an observation*
If you are looking for a good time, low stakes for most of the book, and an interesting new world I would take a swing at this book. The magic system and world intrigued me. The friendship was heartwarming and the ending truthfully choked me up!
For a debut novel, I thought the writing was fine, not perfect but I didn’t expect it to be! There was minimal world building in this book but I have a feeling that the way this book ended that we will get much more of that in the next book (or I hope so at least).
Felix’s pet names for the FMC were really annoying but that was the only thing that really removed me from the story. I’m hoping that discontinues lol
*It did read similar to other well known romantasy books that this author is known to enjoy but that didn’t bother me, just an observation*
August 9, 2023
Okay, so I wasn’t sure how to rate this book until the very last word. I was completely had the entire book on how I thought I felt about it. This is a fantasy romance, I don’t think thats a spoiler, and I have to say the romance had me rolling my eyes quite often at how sickly sweet it was. I knew there was something brewing beyond that, but the story truly drew me in and played with my defenses. Then it had my questioning everything I thought I knew. Honestly, minus a star personality for the smut but we all know i’m boring and if you like a little fantastical smut in your books then hey, this may be your 5 stars.
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