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Magic in Myth #1
Frost and Sunshine: Magic in Myth #1
Fans of JR Ward, Nalini Singh, and SJM rejoice! The debut novel by J.S. Alexandria is an adult, modern, romantic fantasy that hits all the high notes: romance, fantasy, fae, politics, drama, wit, magic, and intrigue. Step into the rich and vibrant world of the Magic in Myth series with book 1, Frost and Sunshine!
***
Welcome to the city of Faerloch, the City of Wonder, where magic thrives deep within a modern metropolis.
Daniella O’Callaghan has a unique talent, a secret talent known to only a few in the hidden world of the Lore. But Dani knows firsthand how frightening Lorekind can be, so she keeps her head down. With the exception of a witch and a vampire for best friends, her life is almost normal.
That all changes when she meets Slate Melisande. A human with the fae hot on his heels, he is as charming as he is clueless of the Lore. Logic tells her to walk away, but Slate and his wicked humor ignite a heat inside her that burns away her resolve.
Dani and Slate are soon embroiled in a faerietale that may not have a happy ending. As the mystery surrounding Slate unravels, Dani finds herself balanced on a precipice, caught between the nightmares of her past and a happiness even greater than her present.
After all, in the City of Wonder, truth is more terrifying than tale.
***
Frost and Sunshine is an adult romantic fantasy which includes adult themes, graphic sexual content, and explicit language. Reader discretion is advised. Recommended 18+
***
Welcome to the city of Faerloch, the City of Wonder, where magic thrives deep within a modern metropolis.
Daniella O’Callaghan has a unique talent, a secret talent known to only a few in the hidden world of the Lore. But Dani knows firsthand how frightening Lorekind can be, so she keeps her head down. With the exception of a witch and a vampire for best friends, her life is almost normal.
That all changes when she meets Slate Melisande. A human with the fae hot on his heels, he is as charming as he is clueless of the Lore. Logic tells her to walk away, but Slate and his wicked humor ignite a heat inside her that burns away her resolve.
Dani and Slate are soon embroiled in a faerietale that may not have a happy ending. As the mystery surrounding Slate unravels, Dani finds herself balanced on a precipice, caught between the nightmares of her past and a happiness even greater than her present.
After all, in the City of Wonder, truth is more terrifying than tale.
***
Frost and Sunshine is an adult romantic fantasy which includes adult themes, graphic sexual content, and explicit language. Reader discretion is advised. Recommended 18+
489 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2023
16 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Alexandria
2 books34 followersOne face... two people.
J.S. Alexandria is actually TWO people behind the books—Jess and Sierra, two best friends who have been writing together for over 20 years.
Jess, however, is the face of the social media and marketing side. Anything you see on the internet or in public, that's Jess.
Jess and Sierra (collectively, J.S.) both love anime and video games, and their favorite genres to read are fantasy and romance. They are huge fans of J.R. Ward, Nalini Singh, SJM, Raven Kennedy, and dozens of other trade-pub and indie-pub authors.
During the day, you can find both women teaching and writing, and at night, Jess is often at martial arts class, and Sierra can be found organizing a DnD campaign.
Follow Jess on IG: @jess.alexandria.books
J.S. Alexandria is actually TWO people behind the books—Jess and Sierra, two best friends who have been writing together for over 20 years.
Jess, however, is the face of the social media and marketing side. Anything you see on the internet or in public, that's Jess.
Jess and Sierra (collectively, J.S.) both love anime and video games, and their favorite genres to read are fantasy and romance. They are huge fans of J.R. Ward, Nalini Singh, SJM, Raven Kennedy, and dozens of other trade-pub and indie-pub authors.
During the day, you can find both women teaching and writing, and at night, Jess is often at martial arts class, and Sierra can be found organizing a DnD campaign.
Follow Jess on IG: @jess.alexandria.books
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
Want to read
February 6, 2023i don't have any excuses anymore. i see it, i like it, i add it.
May 27, 2022
(This review is a little bias, seeing as I wrote the book.)
SPOILER FREE
Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Adult Modern Romantasy
POV: Dual Third Person Limited
Romance: YES - loaded with delicious tension
Smut: YES - two and a half graphic scenes. Not for the faint of heart. But I wouldn’t call it spicy in terms of volume of spice.
Violence: Mild
Language: YES - heavy explicit language
Triggers: Parental death, abandonment, kidnapping
Read If You Like: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Crescent City (but less complicated) or other paranormal/fantasy modern romances.
EASILY ONE OF THE BEST DEBUT NOVELS EVER.
Well-written, intelligent, intriguing plot, incredible characters with diverse personalities, this book is amazing.
Slate and Dani are perfectly matched. The slow burn of the romance is perfectly paced and balanced with the slow reveal of the plot.
The action picks up right away, but it’s really the last half of this book that rocks. As everything starts to come together, as the romance peaks, the action heightens, this book is impossible to put down.
The world and magic building is complex and super unique. The idea that all the folklore around the world has some truth behind it. We’re talking werewolves, vampires, fae, demons, witches, etc. it’s diverse and unique and built perfectly.
The only thing I will say is that we did have to take some liberties with the modern setting of Germany. Hopefully as readers, you are able to understand the liberties we took, and are able to suspend disbelief as you read.
I sincerely hope you love this book and these characters as much as we enjoyed writing them.
☮️❤️🙏🏼 JS Alexandria
SPOILER FREE
Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Adult Modern Romantasy
POV: Dual Third Person Limited
Romance: YES - loaded with delicious tension
Smut: YES - two and a half graphic scenes. Not for the faint of heart. But I wouldn’t call it spicy in terms of volume of spice.
Violence: Mild
Language: YES - heavy explicit language
Triggers: Parental death, abandonment, kidnapping
Read If You Like: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Crescent City (but less complicated) or other paranormal/fantasy modern romances.
EASILY ONE OF THE BEST DEBUT NOVELS EVER.
Well-written, intelligent, intriguing plot, incredible characters with diverse personalities, this book is amazing.
Slate and Dani are perfectly matched. The slow burn of the romance is perfectly paced and balanced with the slow reveal of the plot.
The action picks up right away, but it’s really the last half of this book that rocks. As everything starts to come together, as the romance peaks, the action heightens, this book is impossible to put down.
The world and magic building is complex and super unique. The idea that all the folklore around the world has some truth behind it. We’re talking werewolves, vampires, fae, demons, witches, etc. it’s diverse and unique and built perfectly.
The only thing I will say is that we did have to take some liberties with the modern setting of Germany. Hopefully as readers, you are able to understand the liberties we took, and are able to suspend disbelief as you read.
I sincerely hope you love this book and these characters as much as we enjoyed writing them.
☮️❤️🙏🏼 JS Alexandria
May 16, 2023
The writing was juvenile. The male protagonist is 30 years old and talks like a teenage boy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2023
DNF 45% did not like any of the characters, writing felt juvenile
March 13, 2023
Easiest 5 stars I’ve given in a long time, I need everyone to read this book
January 3, 2024
This book has a specific target audience. The uneducated, limited, stunted demographic. Those that still read at a high school worldbuilding and narrative level.
One can always say that each book has potential, if given a chance. Not this one. To a reader such as myself, it would need to be completely re-written. Unpolished is too nice of a word.
Its one of the worst written books I have ever laid my eyes upon.
The Writing
The writing is horrid in every sense of the word. Things we were taught as children have been completely ignored.
Grammatical errors. Foreign words being mistakenly written. Word repetition. Juvenile interactions. Over explanation or regurgitation of past information. Waste of time on numerous occasions.
The overuse of italics in writing can take away readers attention from the story and can affect the reading experience. There are a number of ways to use italics such as key terms and letters when they are first encountered in a novel. Afterwards, the italics turn to normal font words especially if they will be used on numerous occasions in the future. There have been times where authors have continued to use italics for a specific word throughout their novels. But, these words would usually be used a few more times. In Frost and Sunshine, words such as faeling, chi, kitsune, Titania and other words are continuously used in italic fonts (I counted over 1000 instances where italics were used. I stopped counting at some point.) Although many literatures containing foreign words usually italic them, it is not a practice used by all. At times, certain authors limit italic usage knowing that these words would re-appear frequently enough or for foreign words that are common enough that a majority of readers may know what it means. Here, the authors felt the need to italic the majority of all foreign words (like -san, -kun. Most of us are familiar with such terms making it pointless especially when Japanese words are all over this book), fictional or not. One would not think too much of it if there weren't so many foreign words on each page. Additionally, the book was overly saturated with another way of using italics - emphasis. Italic emphasis can be used on both narrative and in dialogue. Authors can do as they please on this front but there are many that end up overusing this technique. Italic is like using exclamation marks - it draws the reader's attention to the writing/ the word and not the on-going action. Depending strongly on italics is a sign of poor writing and people need to revise such work in order to learn which important words and sentences need emphasis.
Lastly, direct thoughts have been overly long and most were also italic. Once again, it is not a problem if there are a few direct thoughts. But when there are multiple, it becomes difficult. At times there were short and long sentences, ranging from a word, a few words to full sentences. It became overbearing as it was exaggerated and it also changed the view point from third person to first person more than it should.
I abhor the word lorekissed or Faeling or fae anything. There is just too much use of it. Never have a seen a fantasy book that beats you with word repetition like this one. In case you've forgotten anything.
Word Repetition
You do not want to repeat yourself over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. Using word repetition can be powerful. But Frost and Sunshine fails to grasp the right context and usage. Everything is INTENSE. First, single word repetition feels childish. If you keep repeating the same word it becomes frustrating, distracting and loses its meaning. During numerous times, the palilogia method was used. An example of palilogia "hello, hello, hello" which is usually used to grab attention. And when I mean numerous times, I mean too many times it flooded the work. This method is meant to create emotional appeal, not pad the bill. Here are some examples
This entire novel felt clunky due to the minimal draw and amateurish repetition. It is unnecessary. The more you repeat, the less importance you give. Not only that, but I felt like nothing new was being added. The story felt boring. It was even worse when certain palilogia moments had the third repeated word in italic! Why? Secondly, this issue was also seen in sentence repetition. The so-called relationship between Slate and Dani was nothing but word repetition. "Casual and fun", "adapt and overcome", and some other instances were used far too many times.
Lastly on the repetition, you know what's a big no-no in literature? Having a ludicrous amount of ellipsis [...]. It was used over 900 times. 900! That's insane! Its a lazy way out from completing a sentence! Ellipsis has a multitude of functions yet Frost and Sunshine abuses this function by having it all over the place. You should finish a sentence. Sure, there are times you'll need [...] but too much, is too much. There is A LOT of trailing off here. In both dialogue and narrative form. Trailing off is to suggest something. This type of on-going ellipsis abuse tends to mean that the author has nothing going on and will let the reader figure out what is actually going on. That's lazy writing. This also creates omitting crucial parts. I found myself absolutely irritated at this.
Here are a few examples of ellipsis use both in dialogue and narrative forms.
In case you didn't understand the gravity of the situation, the authors were kind enough to emphasis words for your understanding.
Definitely needed help knowing that it was a threat! Dont ask why faelings is italic, its normal here.
Lastly, there was a lot of word addition. Just to add emphasis. In case the reader was an idiot.
And they loved using the same word later on lol
The characters
I had a difficult time distinguishing both characters. Their POVs sounded exactly the same. So did their inner monologues and the way they spoke. It was a copy paste situation. Both sounded childish for their age. Now I can agree that at times, and depending on our circles, we will speak in a certain way. But the entire time, both characters sounded like teenagers. Their vocabulary - limited.
Slate - a 30 year old man who acts like a teenager in love and tantrum-like when he learns of certain secrets. After following him for close to three month, I would have expected some maturity hitting him, you know, character growth. Everyone finds him good-looking and those eyes. Oh my, those eyes. So much ego. And his real name from his "fake name". Wow... Da Vinci coded my behind!
Dani - Miss "I don't do relationships but I am not slut." Excuse me while I laugh. She's cute, adorable and so flipping innocent, a shrine should be dedicated to her.
Roger - Generic old vampire. Too much information was given when we were introduced to him. How he was this flashy old vamp. Let's us find out slowly. Overly sharing information is a bad idea. Let the readers find out, that how you keep them reading and wanting more.
The Romance
Oh boy. So cringe. So, so cringe.
I had an absolute horrible time. Love at first sight. Too much back and forth. Too much "casual and fun". Too much "I don't do relationships, but lets date for 10 dates so we don't look like were sex depraved."
Let's also add in the biting. Every scene in which they were making up and/ or hot and heavy, Slate scratched his teeth on Dani's skin. Every time. I was absolutely waiting for the moment for Slate to bite her. It only took 70% of the book, but we got there. The problem I have is in the implication. He bit her. I automatically knew why he needed to do so and finally succeeding meant "ownership." Why? Because that's how books like these roll and this is not an original concept in the very least. Now, the entire time, Dani makes it clear that she doesn't do relationships. She doesn't. Even her friends make it obvious when talking to her or to Slate. She even ghosts him before returning back to him for seconds (where he bites her). I'm not sure about other readers, but Dani felt more like a person that just likes going out and screwing novelties. She kept talking about his physical features (oh those blue generic eyes) but even though she felt a slight connection, she didn't want to be in a relationship. Just fuck buddies when sex round 2 was agreed on. When the "climax" is revealed, the antagonist reveals that Slate had marked Dani as his own. And this is confirmed when his new magical entourage explain to him the consequences of that bite. Apparently, these fae bites are meant to mark one's mate. Fine, I've seen it elsewhere, its still acceptable. Its the explanation the issue. See, Slate sees Dani as his soulmate. Dani, perhaps sees him as much more, she isn't sure. But this questioning becomes more important after that bite mark (by Dani). She feels sad, afraid and needs Slate. She starts to realize that she cannot live without him. You'd think it was perfectly fine until Slate's little entourage explain to him that the more dominant in the relationship (Slate) bites the less dominant one. And through that bite, that person starts to feel as if they cannot live without the other one (the biter). Its like a malaise of being apart from them. The biter. Hence this soulmate theory is absolute crap. Because Dani ends her arc alone and terrified of never seeing Slate again. And Slate declares her his soulmate in direct dialogue. Is this love? As for the smut, mediocre drivel. To end this part, Dani in the end just couldn't live without Slate. Since the bite, she just kept reminding us that he is fae, and great, and a prince. You know what that means right? "I don't do relationships but he's a prince now = the exception clause!" It would have been preferable to have Dani still be against the Slate relationship in the end and perhaps in book 2, she slowly changes her mind. But why would such books offer such growth?
The 0.5 smut scene angered me. This scene had one character pleasuring the other. And in the middle of kinda showing us what this person was doing, the started to narrate the 10 date rule and how it was difficult to entire this intense need to fuck but they had to complete the 10 dates in order to go all the way so this was an interlude. And when that narrative ends, which took half a page, of the importance of doing the 10 date rule needed to be done, we just get Dani saying "wow you blew my mind!" That's just stupid! Lastly, everything is apparently intense. Because the word intense just keeps on popping around every corner.
Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding of Frost and Sunshine could have been polished under editorial or more experienced writing. What a shame. I'm not saying its fantastic but it had potential. Its not the first book to incorporate different types of magical systems within a world, but if done correctly, it can be chef's kiss. The issue I had is that it was linear. It was overly explanation. Rinse and repeat well into the story, I had to re-read Dani's powers or a little more of Slate's arts on multiple times throughout the narrative like readers have amnesia... Why are you wasting my time?
Question. This was early in the book. Where were Self-Defense Logic Number 2, 3, 6, 11, etc? Why just give me 1?
The tagline says "[...] Faerloch [...] where magic thrives deep within a modern metropolis." Just because you talk about magic systems and numerous explanations, doesn't mean there is a deep magical environment. It was a lackluster feature. There is too flashy talk and not enough showing.
The story doesn't really move anywhere. There are kidnapping attempts, quite boring. And the majority is the eye roll kiddie land rollercoaster relationship between Dani and Slate. A lot of over explaining, or reminding you of something over and over again. Characters are overly explained. For example, an old lady Dani helps is overly explained. No point in doing so. Why? The entire book was already lacking fundamental worldbuilding to keep it alive. So adding a component to an already missing aspect of your book is pointless.
Also, overly explaining the beauty of Slade's best friend Kami, a girl, is far too sensual. And even though Slate explained that she was like a sister to him, let's me honest, the description given is far more than any sibling or like-sibling would give. All I needed were her measurements and what her underwear smelled like and we had a full party.
Slate's powers
In the climax with the antagonist, it is revealed that Slate is a half-fae (shock) and he is an overpowered machine. Thanks to both sides of his family. That's cool. Dani is also a special little creature. But lets stick with Slate. A laundry list of abilities is named and after having read 80% of the book at that time, I have to say a majority of the abilities were not demonstrated but hey, apparently he has them. The bag guy told him all about these abilities and we get Slate, in narrative form, state that it confirmed everything he had ever felt. Let me be clear, he apparently is a human lie detector. He is bad at it. Having a feeling that someone may be lying or hiding something from you is not a confirmation of a lie. I would have preferred if the book demonstrated that Slade literally stated that those around him were lying. But whatever.
Lastly, the powers both main characters had weren't exceptional. I've seen similar abilities in other books. But that's fine. It just wasn't refined at all.
Do I recommend this?
I don't. Not for readers like me. This book is worse than fanfiction online. Its uneducated, sloppy, juvenile and too ambitious for what it promises. To me, this book is the worse book I have read since 50 Shades of Grey. There are a lot of books I have regretted reading but this, this takes the cake.
If anyone were to read and enjoy this, it would be a very specific demographic. Those that have not grown up from reading elementary and high school published books. The belief that a book is phenomenal is the keyword here. Grand on the outside, empty on the inside. To me, there is a large demographic that enjoys such books, hence this is for them. Not for me. Or anyone that reads higher quality novels.
Edit - I forgot to talk about the pet names. Almost everyone uses pet names. Its too much!! Imagine having a conversation with 10 people and 8 of them are always using a pet name for a better part of their interactions with others. I cringe just thinking about it.
One can always say that each book has potential, if given a chance. Not this one. To a reader such as myself, it would need to be completely re-written. Unpolished is too nice of a word.
Its one of the worst written books I have ever laid my eyes upon.
The Writing
The writing is horrid in every sense of the word. Things we were taught as children have been completely ignored.
Grammatical errors. Foreign words being mistakenly written. Word repetition. Juvenile interactions. Over explanation or regurgitation of past information. Waste of time on numerous occasions.
The overuse of italics in writing can take away readers attention from the story and can affect the reading experience. There are a number of ways to use italics such as key terms and letters when they are first encountered in a novel. Afterwards, the italics turn to normal font words especially if they will be used on numerous occasions in the future. There have been times where authors have continued to use italics for a specific word throughout their novels. But, these words would usually be used a few more times. In Frost and Sunshine, words such as faeling, chi, kitsune, Titania and other words are continuously used in italic fonts (I counted over 1000 instances where italics were used. I stopped counting at some point.) Although many literatures containing foreign words usually italic them, it is not a practice used by all. At times, certain authors limit italic usage knowing that these words would re-appear frequently enough or for foreign words that are common enough that a majority of readers may know what it means. Here, the authors felt the need to italic the majority of all foreign words (like -san, -kun. Most of us are familiar with such terms making it pointless especially when Japanese words are all over this book), fictional or not. One would not think too much of it if there weren't so many foreign words on each page. Additionally, the book was overly saturated with another way of using italics - emphasis. Italic emphasis can be used on both narrative and in dialogue. Authors can do as they please on this front but there are many that end up overusing this technique. Italic is like using exclamation marks - it draws the reader's attention to the writing/ the word and not the on-going action. Depending strongly on italics is a sign of poor writing and people need to revise such work in order to learn which important words and sentences need emphasis.
Lastly, direct thoughts have been overly long and most were also italic. Once again, it is not a problem if there are a few direct thoughts. But when there are multiple, it becomes difficult. At times there were short and long sentences, ranging from a word, a few words to full sentences. It became overbearing as it was exaggerated and it also changed the view point from third person to first person more than it should. I abhor the word lorekissed or Faeling or fae anything. There is just too much use of it. Never have a seen a fantasy book that beats you with word repetition like this one. In case you've forgotten anything.
Word Repetition
You do not want to repeat yourself over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. Using word repetition can be powerful. But Frost and Sunshine fails to grasp the right context and usage. Everything is INTENSE. First, single word repetition feels childish. If you keep repeating the same word it becomes frustrating, distracting and loses its meaning. During numerous times, the palilogia method was used. An example of palilogia "hello, hello, hello" which is usually used to grab attention. And when I mean numerous times, I mean too many times it flooded the work. This method is meant to create emotional appeal, not pad the bill. Here are some examples
This entire novel felt clunky due to the minimal draw and amateurish repetition. It is unnecessary. The more you repeat, the less importance you give. Not only that, but I felt like nothing new was being added. The story felt boring. It was even worse when certain palilogia moments had the third repeated word in italic! Why? Secondly, this issue was also seen in sentence repetition. The so-called relationship between Slate and Dani was nothing but word repetition. "Casual and fun", "adapt and overcome", and some other instances were used far too many times.
Lastly on the repetition, you know what's a big no-no in literature? Having a ludicrous amount of ellipsis [...]. It was used over 900 times. 900! That's insane! Its a lazy way out from completing a sentence! Ellipsis has a multitude of functions yet Frost and Sunshine abuses this function by having it all over the place. You should finish a sentence. Sure, there are times you'll need [...] but too much, is too much. There is A LOT of trailing off here. In both dialogue and narrative form. Trailing off is to suggest something. This type of on-going ellipsis abuse tends to mean that the author has nothing going on and will let the reader figure out what is actually going on. That's lazy writing. This also creates omitting crucial parts. I found myself absolutely irritated at this.
Here are a few examples of ellipsis use both in dialogue and narrative forms.
In case you didn't understand the gravity of the situation, the authors were kind enough to emphasis words for your understanding.
Definitely needed help knowing that it was a threat! Dont ask why faelings is italic, its normal here.
Lastly, there was a lot of word addition. Just to add emphasis. In case the reader was an idiot.
And they loved using the same word later on lol
The characters
I had a difficult time distinguishing both characters. Their POVs sounded exactly the same. So did their inner monologues and the way they spoke. It was a copy paste situation. Both sounded childish for their age. Now I can agree that at times, and depending on our circles, we will speak in a certain way. But the entire time, both characters sounded like teenagers. Their vocabulary - limited.
Slate - a 30 year old man who acts like a teenager in love and tantrum-like when he learns of certain secrets. After following him for close to three month, I would have expected some maturity hitting him, you know, character growth. Everyone finds him good-looking and those eyes. Oh my, those eyes. So much ego. And his real name from his "fake name". Wow... Da Vinci coded my behind!
Dani - Miss "I don't do relationships but I am not slut." Excuse me while I laugh. She's cute, adorable and so flipping innocent, a shrine should be dedicated to her.
Roger - Generic old vampire. Too much information was given when we were introduced to him. How he was this flashy old vamp. Let's us find out slowly. Overly sharing information is a bad idea. Let the readers find out, that how you keep them reading and wanting more.
The Romance
Oh boy. So cringe. So, so cringe.
I had an absolute horrible time. Love at first sight. Too much back and forth. Too much "casual and fun". Too much "I don't do relationships, but lets date for 10 dates so we don't look like were sex depraved."
Let's also add in the biting. Every scene in which they were making up and/ or hot and heavy, Slate scratched his teeth on Dani's skin. Every time. I was absolutely waiting for the moment for Slate to bite her. It only took 70% of the book, but we got there. The problem I have is in the implication. He bit her. I automatically knew why he needed to do so and finally succeeding meant "ownership." Why? Because that's how books like these roll and this is not an original concept in the very least. Now, the entire time, Dani makes it clear that she doesn't do relationships. She doesn't. Even her friends make it obvious when talking to her or to Slate. She even ghosts him before returning back to him for seconds (where he bites her). I'm not sure about other readers, but Dani felt more like a person that just likes going out and screwing novelties. She kept talking about his physical features (oh those blue generic eyes) but even though she felt a slight connection, she didn't want to be in a relationship. Just fuck buddies when sex round 2 was agreed on. When the "climax" is revealed, the antagonist reveals that Slate had marked Dani as his own. And this is confirmed when his new magical entourage explain to him the consequences of that bite. Apparently, these fae bites are meant to mark one's mate. Fine, I've seen it elsewhere, its still acceptable. Its the explanation the issue. See, Slate sees Dani as his soulmate. Dani, perhaps sees him as much more, she isn't sure. But this questioning becomes more important after that bite mark (by Dani). She feels sad, afraid and needs Slate. She starts to realize that she cannot live without him. You'd think it was perfectly fine until Slate's little entourage explain to him that the more dominant in the relationship (Slate) bites the less dominant one. And through that bite, that person starts to feel as if they cannot live without the other one (the biter). Its like a malaise of being apart from them. The biter. Hence this soulmate theory is absolute crap. Because Dani ends her arc alone and terrified of never seeing Slate again. And Slate declares her his soulmate in direct dialogue. Is this love? As for the smut, mediocre drivel. To end this part, Dani in the end just couldn't live without Slate. Since the bite, she just kept reminding us that he is fae, and great, and a prince. You know what that means right? "I don't do relationships but he's a prince now = the exception clause!" It would have been preferable to have Dani still be against the Slate relationship in the end and perhaps in book 2, she slowly changes her mind. But why would such books offer such growth?
The 0.5 smut scene angered me. This scene had one character pleasuring the other. And in the middle of kinda showing us what this person was doing, the started to narrate the 10 date rule and how it was difficult to entire this intense need to fuck but they had to complete the 10 dates in order to go all the way so this was an interlude. And when that narrative ends, which took half a page, of the importance of doing the 10 date rule needed to be done, we just get Dani saying "wow you blew my mind!" That's just stupid! Lastly, everything is apparently intense. Because the word intense just keeps on popping around every corner.
Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding of Frost and Sunshine could have been polished under editorial or more experienced writing. What a shame. I'm not saying its fantastic but it had potential. Its not the first book to incorporate different types of magical systems within a world, but if done correctly, it can be chef's kiss. The issue I had is that it was linear. It was overly explanation. Rinse and repeat well into the story, I had to re-read Dani's powers or a little more of Slate's arts on multiple times throughout the narrative like readers have amnesia... Why are you wasting my time?
Question. This was early in the book. Where were Self-Defense Logic Number 2, 3, 6, 11, etc? Why just give me 1?
The tagline says "[...] Faerloch [...] where magic thrives deep within a modern metropolis." Just because you talk about magic systems and numerous explanations, doesn't mean there is a deep magical environment. It was a lackluster feature. There is too flashy talk and not enough showing.
The story doesn't really move anywhere. There are kidnapping attempts, quite boring. And the majority is the eye roll kiddie land rollercoaster relationship between Dani and Slate. A lot of over explaining, or reminding you of something over and over again. Characters are overly explained. For example, an old lady Dani helps is overly explained. No point in doing so. Why? The entire book was already lacking fundamental worldbuilding to keep it alive. So adding a component to an already missing aspect of your book is pointless.
Also, overly explaining the beauty of Slade's best friend Kami, a girl, is far too sensual. And even though Slate explained that she was like a sister to him, let's me honest, the description given is far more than any sibling or like-sibling would give. All I needed were her measurements and what her underwear smelled like and we had a full party.
Slate's powers
In the climax with the antagonist, it is revealed that Slate is a half-fae (shock) and he is an overpowered machine. Thanks to both sides of his family. That's cool. Dani is also a special little creature. But lets stick with Slate. A laundry list of abilities is named and after having read 80% of the book at that time, I have to say a majority of the abilities were not demonstrated but hey, apparently he has them. The bag guy told him all about these abilities and we get Slate, in narrative form, state that it confirmed everything he had ever felt. Let me be clear, he apparently is a human lie detector. He is bad at it. Having a feeling that someone may be lying or hiding something from you is not a confirmation of a lie. I would have preferred if the book demonstrated that Slade literally stated that those around him were lying. But whatever.
Lastly, the powers both main characters had weren't exceptional. I've seen similar abilities in other books. But that's fine. It just wasn't refined at all.
Do I recommend this?
I don't. Not for readers like me. This book is worse than fanfiction online. Its uneducated, sloppy, juvenile and too ambitious for what it promises. To me, this book is the worse book I have read since 50 Shades of Grey. There are a lot of books I have regretted reading but this, this takes the cake.
If anyone were to read and enjoy this, it would be a very specific demographic. Those that have not grown up from reading elementary and high school published books. The belief that a book is phenomenal is the keyword here. Grand on the outside, empty on the inside. To me, there is a large demographic that enjoys such books, hence this is for them. Not for me. Or anyone that reads higher quality novels.
Edit - I forgot to talk about the pet names. Almost everyone uses pet names. Its too much!! Imagine having a conversation with 10 people and 8 of them are always using a pet name for a better part of their interactions with others. I cringe just thinking about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2022
"But those of the Lore do not forget. And so, the magic remains."
What a fabulous debut by Jess & Sierra! I'm absolutely honored to have read an advance copy of this stunning, urban fantasy romance!
Faerloch is a magical city surrounded by a great forest. The city boasts all sorts of magical creatures, from vampires to werefolk and everything in between. It's a place where cultures, both east and west, clash in a wonderful mesh of east Asian and European myth.
But when Slate, a seemingly normal martial artist, is targeted by the Fae, everything he thought he knew about the world comes crashing down around his ears. And it doesn't help that he is drawn to his unlikely savior, Dani, a lorekissed vet tech who can speak to animals.
Slate and Dani's story had me gripped from the very beginning. They are such unique and deep characters, written with such obvious care it's hard *not* to get invested right away. Their chemistry is undeniable, and while I yelled at Dani SO MANY TIMES throughout the story, her character and development were so well done I can't help but want to root for them.
But y'all, the shining gems of this story are the side characters. I would literally lay down my life for Kari and Jian. I want Roger as my bestie. Maddie has a chokehold on me. The cast of characters supporting Dani and Slate's story are just as wonderful and compelling as our main couple and that alone is enough to make me obsessed.
While nothing necessarily *shocked* me about the plot, I was so invested in the way it was told that every revelation felt like a huge deal. The balance between plot and romance was excellent, and I was never bored as I read.
All in all, this is a FANTASTIC debut by a great writing duo, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series.
What a fabulous debut by Jess & Sierra! I'm absolutely honored to have read an advance copy of this stunning, urban fantasy romance!
Faerloch is a magical city surrounded by a great forest. The city boasts all sorts of magical creatures, from vampires to werefolk and everything in between. It's a place where cultures, both east and west, clash in a wonderful mesh of east Asian and European myth.
But when Slate, a seemingly normal martial artist, is targeted by the Fae, everything he thought he knew about the world comes crashing down around his ears. And it doesn't help that he is drawn to his unlikely savior, Dani, a lorekissed vet tech who can speak to animals.
Slate and Dani's story had me gripped from the very beginning. They are such unique and deep characters, written with such obvious care it's hard *not* to get invested right away. Their chemistry is undeniable, and while I yelled at Dani SO MANY TIMES throughout the story, her character and development were so well done I can't help but want to root for them.
But y'all, the shining gems of this story are the side characters. I would literally lay down my life for Kari and Jian. I want Roger as my bestie. Maddie has a chokehold on me. The cast of characters supporting Dani and Slate's story are just as wonderful and compelling as our main couple and that alone is enough to make me obsessed.
While nothing necessarily *shocked* me about the plot, I was so invested in the way it was told that every revelation felt like a huge deal. The balance between plot and romance was excellent, and I was never bored as I read.
All in all, this is a FANTASTIC debut by a great writing duo, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series.
September 24, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Frost and Sunshine and let me just say, once I hit about chapter four, I was sucked in and could not stop reading. I thought this was a really unique, new urban fantasy that checked all my boxes!
Dani wasn’t the typical strong, confident fantasy FMC. She was strong in her own way, but she would sometimes run rather than fight. To be honest she annoyed me at times, but I found myself slowing starting to love her character and really enjoying reading through her eyes. It took her awhile to choose happiness and bravery over the safe option, but she finally started to heal enough to choose her own happiness and it was beautiful.
Slate constantly had things thrown at him and his life kept getting crazier throughout the book. He kept fighting though. He did have some times where he broke down from the stress and the feeling that he didn’t know who he was any more and I loved those moments just as much as I loved seeing him fight for his friends and himself because it was real.
Dani’s past traumas and Slate’s changing world made it difficult for this couple to actually share their feelings and be happy with one another. They were truly each other’s fire and ice though and worked so well together. I can’t wait to see more of them! I also really enjoyed all of the side characters as well. Everyone has such different personalities that were round and well done and I loved them, especially Kari and Roger.
I really loved this world and magic system. I enjoyed seeing all the different cultures, not just magical ones, but ones from our world as well. J.S. Alexandria did such an amazing job weaving worlds together. I loved all the different magical creatures so much.
I really enjoyed Frost and Sunshine. This was an amazing urban fantasy with an incredible world, unique characters, and a killer slow burn (that kills your in the best way of course). I recommend giving this one a read, and I need book two immediately!
Dani wasn’t the typical strong, confident fantasy FMC. She was strong in her own way, but she would sometimes run rather than fight. To be honest she annoyed me at times, but I found myself slowing starting to love her character and really enjoying reading through her eyes. It took her awhile to choose happiness and bravery over the safe option, but she finally started to heal enough to choose her own happiness and it was beautiful.
Slate constantly had things thrown at him and his life kept getting crazier throughout the book. He kept fighting though. He did have some times where he broke down from the stress and the feeling that he didn’t know who he was any more and I loved those moments just as much as I loved seeing him fight for his friends and himself because it was real.
Dani’s past traumas and Slate’s changing world made it difficult for this couple to actually share their feelings and be happy with one another. They were truly each other’s fire and ice though and worked so well together. I can’t wait to see more of them! I also really enjoyed all of the side characters as well. Everyone has such different personalities that were round and well done and I loved them, especially Kari and Roger.
I really loved this world and magic system. I enjoyed seeing all the different cultures, not just magical ones, but ones from our world as well. J.S. Alexandria did such an amazing job weaving worlds together. I loved all the different magical creatures so much.
I really enjoyed Frost and Sunshine. This was an amazing urban fantasy with an incredible world, unique characters, and a killer slow burn (that kills your in the best way of course). I recommend giving this one a read, and I need book two immediately!
March 13, 2023
OMG. I can hardly think straight enough to put words together to explain how much I loved this book from start to finish!
This is a spoiler free review with just names of characters and their relationships to each other. No plot is revealed!
First, the fantasy world was so easy to understand! It’s modern day with just some manic thrown in there so there’s some world building but not a ton (only in the first couple of chapters).
Second, THE CHARACTERS!!! Like every single one of them were amazing. The side characters all had amazing personalities and I loved them. If the authors kill any of them I am going to be so mad. Especially the TWINS and ROGER. Ugh, I wish I had a best friend like the way these characters are to Dani and Slate.
Finally Dani and Slate!!!!
Dani is like a badass version of Snow White.
Slate is like a roasted marshmallow (hard on the outside and gooey on the inside).
And them together gave me so many butterflies throughout the novel it was off the charts. Their scenes together were HOT. (I could go on and on about this but I trying to keep this spoiler free!)
I need the next book immediately!!!!!!
This is a spoiler free review with just names of characters and their relationships to each other. No plot is revealed!
First, the fantasy world was so easy to understand! It’s modern day with just some manic thrown in there so there’s some world building but not a ton (only in the first couple of chapters).
Second, THE CHARACTERS!!! Like every single one of them were amazing. The side characters all had amazing personalities and I loved them. If the authors kill any of them I am going to be so mad. Especially the TWINS and ROGER. Ugh, I wish I had a best friend like the way these characters are to Dani and Slate.
Finally Dani and Slate!!!!
Dani is like a badass version of Snow White.
Slate is like a roasted marshmallow (hard on the outside and gooey on the inside).
And them together gave me so many butterflies throughout the novel it was off the charts. Their scenes together were HOT. (I could go on and on about this but I trying to keep this spoiler free!)
I need the next book immediately!!!!!!
December 20, 2022
Not gonna lie when I hear Fae and Vampires, I tend to roll my eyes because let’s be honest, it’s been done to death. And I’m tired of reading the same ‘possessive alpha male’ sh*t alllllll the time. The same, done to death expressions, because fae are an easy TikTok sell. There would be no difference to the plot if they weren’t fae, but they’re only fae cause it’s sexier to advertise. Naturally my ears perked up when I heard this book was not only based on Asian folklore but also Irish and German (I’m a German living in Ireland!) and what can I say. This city was BUILT for mythical creatures. This is a world built around the existence of fae. The world is so thorough , the city itself reminds me of a Zelda map - we have a German style quarter, an Asian quarter, everything is built with so much detail and love. Now onto the characters. There were some that I could 100% relate with and some that made me furious (in a good way!) - all well balanced, authentic, full of flaws. We have a mystery to solve, a romance to build up between a very relationship-y man and a very “I can’t ever have a long term relationship kind of woman”… we have lgbt+ rep effortlessly weaved into the story, represented by key characters… to cut this short - if you like Crescent City vibes and ACOMAF style personal journeys - this is for you
March 9, 2023
An imaginative, romantic, urban fantasy read that is great for those who crave romantasy! The authors have created a rich world full of folklore, magic, and friendship, with a great mix of action and romance —- what’s not to love?! I especially enjoyed the Asian influence and urban setting. I connected with the main characters Slate and Dani, and look forward to reading the continuance of their unique story in book 2! ❤️
December 20, 2022
Vampires, fae, kitsunes, and werebears, OH MY!
Frost and Sunshine is a New Adult Romantasy/Urban Fantasy novel and the first book in the Magic in Myth series. FAS hooked me from the beginning on page one. The unique combination of both Fae and Japanese folklore was new and thrilling. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. Faerloch is full of intriguing characters with mysterious pasts and backgrounds, fast-paced action, steamy romance, and pet sidekicks. There is a lot of world-building because there are multiple worlds and settings in the book, but it is cleverly introduced and woven together seamlessly.
I particularly enjoyed Dani's character arc. She is not your typical fantasy main female character. She has faults, trauma, doubt, and struggles throughout the book. I loved watching her character develop and overcome obstacles. I can't wait to see her continue to grow in book number 2.
The romance *chefs kiss*. There is a perfect balance of plot and spicy romance. Slate, my man, I need more of him. I savored every second of his POV and commentary.
The side characters are so fascinating and lovable that I need separate books for all of them. I need to know more about Kari, Jian, Madeline, Roger, Ebisu, and Loraine.
Jess and Sierra put so much thought and work into this book. It has quotes before each chapter that pertain to the story and chapter names 🙌. All the little details add to the experience and make reading so much fun.
*I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own*
Frost and Sunshine is a New Adult Romantasy/Urban Fantasy novel and the first book in the Magic in Myth series. FAS hooked me from the beginning on page one. The unique combination of both Fae and Japanese folklore was new and thrilling. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. Faerloch is full of intriguing characters with mysterious pasts and backgrounds, fast-paced action, steamy romance, and pet sidekicks. There is a lot of world-building because there are multiple worlds and settings in the book, but it is cleverly introduced and woven together seamlessly.
I particularly enjoyed Dani's character arc. She is not your typical fantasy main female character. She has faults, trauma, doubt, and struggles throughout the book. I loved watching her character develop and overcome obstacles. I can't wait to see her continue to grow in book number 2.
The romance *chefs kiss*. There is a perfect balance of plot and spicy romance. Slate, my man, I need more of him. I savored every second of his POV and commentary.
The side characters are so fascinating and lovable that I need separate books for all of them. I need to know more about Kari, Jian, Madeline, Roger, Ebisu, and Loraine.
Jess and Sierra put so much thought and work into this book. It has quotes before each chapter that pertain to the story and chapter names 🙌. All the little details add to the experience and make reading so much fun.
*I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own*
December 7, 2022
This book is absolutely STUNNING
The world building is top notch, would describe as urban fantasy/modern fantasy? It has every kind of mythical creature I could want in a book: vampire, witch, werebears (YES, and THEY ARE EVERYTHING I DIDNT REALIZE I NEEDED 🥰) Fae, fairy, telekinesis, animal-communication, a companion GRYHON, pet familiars. Ugh, ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT ALL. It felt so fresh
The story, the story kept me pulled along the entire time, I loved getting to highlight anything I thought was a hint or suspicious thing that would point toward solving the many mysterious things that were trying to get solved. I felt included but not treated like I had to be spoon fed anything.
LETS TALK SLATE. UGH - I relate to this dude *so* much it became emotional.
Dani has some emotional maturing to do, however this is an intention part of her story arc. I liked her character, but I’m *definitely* excited to see her growth in the next book.
Side characters, ROGER top marks. That man caused to both fall in love with AND WANT TO DOUSE HIM IN GASOLINE AND LIGHT HIM ON FIRE.
…I loved it 😈😈😈😈
There was a side character that felt like they needed to be rounded out more. Felt like they really got pigeon holed; I’m hoping that I get to see them fleshed out more in book 2, cause the potential is astronomical!
Read it y’all. DUH
The world building is top notch, would describe as urban fantasy/modern fantasy? It has every kind of mythical creature I could want in a book: vampire, witch, werebears (YES, and THEY ARE EVERYTHING I DIDNT REALIZE I NEEDED 🥰) Fae, fairy, telekinesis, animal-communication, a companion GRYHON, pet familiars. Ugh, ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT ALL. It felt so fresh
The story, the story kept me pulled along the entire time, I loved getting to highlight anything I thought was a hint or suspicious thing that would point toward solving the many mysterious things that were trying to get solved. I felt included but not treated like I had to be spoon fed anything.
LETS TALK SLATE. UGH - I relate to this dude *so* much it became emotional.
Dani has some emotional maturing to do, however this is an intention part of her story arc. I liked her character, but I’m *definitely* excited to see her growth in the next book.
Side characters, ROGER top marks. That man caused to both fall in love with AND WANT TO DOUSE HIM IN GASOLINE AND LIGHT HIM ON FIRE.
…I loved it 😈😈😈😈
There was a side character that felt like they needed to be rounded out more. Felt like they really got pigeon holed; I’m hoping that I get to see them fleshed out more in book 2, cause the potential is astronomical!
Read it y’all. DUH
November 26, 2022
I was an ARC reader for Frost and Sunshine, and this is my honest review of the novel:
From the moment I started reading this book, I was captivated by the writing. The pacing, word choice and overall feel of the world created in Frost and Sunshine was mesmerizing.
While I enjoyed it in its entirety, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite things.
1. The world-building is beautiful. Faerloch is so well thought out and every facet of the city from the lore to the bars to the different districts... It all was so believable. You will get lost in this city (and if you're like me, wish you could live there... ha).
2. The diversity! I love that the story pulled in facets from both eastern and western lore. I feel like I genuinely learned a lot from this novel about Japanese tradition, and it all always came across as authentic. The family relationships, Japanese words, small cultural additions... It added to the complexity of the novel in a way that is incredibly unique.
Which leads to my FAVORITE part of this book:
3. THE CHARACTERS. This story is unique, the setting is unique, and most importantly, the characters are unique. Every single character in this novel has a fleshed out back story, complex attributes, and varying interpersonal relationships with one another. While you might not always agree with certain characters, you understand their thought processes and emotions. I wish I could go get a drink with all of them, haha.
I don't want to give anything away, but I highly recommend reading this book when it comes out. I fell in love with the story, with Dani and Slate, with Kari and Jian, with the lore, the plot... It was incredible, and I will anxiously be awaiting the next one.
From the moment I started reading this book, I was captivated by the writing. The pacing, word choice and overall feel of the world created in Frost and Sunshine was mesmerizing.
While I enjoyed it in its entirety, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite things.
1. The world-building is beautiful. Faerloch is so well thought out and every facet of the city from the lore to the bars to the different districts... It all was so believable. You will get lost in this city (and if you're like me, wish you could live there... ha).
2. The diversity! I love that the story pulled in facets from both eastern and western lore. I feel like I genuinely learned a lot from this novel about Japanese tradition, and it all always came across as authentic. The family relationships, Japanese words, small cultural additions... It added to the complexity of the novel in a way that is incredibly unique.
Which leads to my FAVORITE part of this book:
3. THE CHARACTERS. This story is unique, the setting is unique, and most importantly, the characters are unique. Every single character in this novel has a fleshed out back story, complex attributes, and varying interpersonal relationships with one another. While you might not always agree with certain characters, you understand their thought processes and emotions. I wish I could go get a drink with all of them, haha.
I don't want to give anything away, but I highly recommend reading this book when it comes out. I fell in love with the story, with Dani and Slate, with Kari and Jian, with the lore, the plot... It was incredible, and I will anxiously be awaiting the next one.
January 8, 2023
Frost and Sunshine is a fun read. There's action, romance, and magic, all set in a modern-day city.
I had the privilege of reading an ARC, but I just ordered the hard copy to add to my bookshelf! This is the first of the series, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
I had the privilege of reading an ARC, but I just ordered the hard copy to add to my bookshelf! This is the first of the series, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
December 16, 2022
I loved reading about this new magical/modern world! It got me excited for what’s to come in the Magic and Myth series from these two authors! The world building was really great and I loved the difference from both characters POV’s. I am a sucker for multiple POV’s in a book and this was written beautifully from both sides. I was instantly intrigued by the characters and from the first chapter you are sucked in to wanting to learn more. You can grow such a connection with the FMC and the MMC and feel every bit of there emotions. It’s like you are along for the ride with them!Some of the side characters interested me a lot as well and I’m hoping that in book two we learn more about them and can explore more of this world that Daniella and Slate live in.
I loved that I was able to learn all about different cultures from Germany, Japan and folklore! It’s always fun to learn about different cultures and I enjoy reading about them too. It made the book more authentic to have aspects from each lifestyle depicted in the words. The magic in this book is easy to understand and as the authors describe the details every aspect flows so smoothly. I can picture everything happening in my head!
The plot of the story kept me wanting to learn more and to find out how the story was going to end!
Aside from magic, and myths, there is sugar and spice ;) The two main characters are drawn to each other but they don’t know why they have this gravitational pull. It’s all about the mystery that is yet to unfold.
The only downfall is that we are left wanting to learn sooo much more and need to wait until book two to figure it all out!
I loved that I was able to learn all about different cultures from Germany, Japan and folklore! It’s always fun to learn about different cultures and I enjoy reading about them too. It made the book more authentic to have aspects from each lifestyle depicted in the words. The magic in this book is easy to understand and as the authors describe the details every aspect flows so smoothly. I can picture everything happening in my head!
The plot of the story kept me wanting to learn more and to find out how the story was going to end!
Aside from magic, and myths, there is sugar and spice ;) The two main characters are drawn to each other but they don’t know why they have this gravitational pull. It’s all about the mystery that is yet to unfold.
The only downfall is that we are left wanting to learn sooo much more and need to wait until book two to figure it all out!
January 13, 2023
ARC REVIEW
I devoured this book and I absolutely loved every minute of it! The story is intriguing, the characters perfectly developed and the world building is easy to understand as you discover everything at the same time as Slate, the male main character! His and Dani’s relationship is a rollercoaster of push and pull and tension and when they collide? All I’m going to say is: Worth it! I can’t recommend this book enough to every fantasy readers out there! I am ready for book 2, because this last couple chapters? I was emotional!
I devoured this book and I absolutely loved every minute of it! The story is intriguing, the characters perfectly developed and the world building is easy to understand as you discover everything at the same time as Slate, the male main character! His and Dani’s relationship is a rollercoaster of push and pull and tension and when they collide? All I’m going to say is: Worth it! I can’t recommend this book enough to every fantasy readers out there! I am ready for book 2, because this last couple chapters? I was emotional!
September 19, 2024
Do yourself a favor & READ THIS!
December 21, 2022
Frost and Sunshine has an enchanting but simple world with good character arcs and a heart-wrenching love story. I was so captivated by this world that I wanted to drink green tea and take martial arts by the end. I loved the fantasy elements, the way the story gave you some information without dumping it, and the incredible side characters that boosted the story to even better levels.
I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a unique twist on a Fae story with a passionate romance.
I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a unique twist on a Fae story with a passionate romance.
December 18, 2022
"The heart wants what the heart wants, Slate. Sometimes you have a choice, sometimes it's fate."
FAS tells the story of Slate Melisande, a human who is ignorant of the hidden world of the Lorekind, until he's attacked by a group of fae. Daniella O'Callaghan becomes intertwined in Slate's life after a chance encounter, and can't help but be drawn to him and the mystery surrounding the fae's interest in him.
Jess and Sierra have created such a fabulous world in Faerloch. It merges Eastern and Western magic and blends them into a completely unique setting. Japanese culture and martial arts are also woven into the story seamlessly.
The characters are all amazing, from Dani and Slate to Slate's best friends, Jian and Kari, and Dani's best friend, Roger, who happens to be a vampire. All of them are captivating and complex, and completely enrich the story. One of my favorites is Slate's father, Ebisu, who can often be found talking to himself and the flowers on their rooftop garden.
FAS has so many mysteries and reveals in it, and I have to admit I didn't see most of them coming! I love being surprised by a story, and FAS kept me on my toes the whole time. There's romance and spice in here, friends, and it is ah-mazing!! The friendships are also next level. Slate, Jian, and Kari have such great banter and love for each other. It's so fun to witness. It's also a great comparison to the friendship that Dani and Roger have. I love that the different friendships are as important to the story as the romance.
I cannot say enough fabulous things about Frost and Sunshine!! I'm already so excited for book two!!
*I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.*
FAS tells the story of Slate Melisande, a human who is ignorant of the hidden world of the Lorekind, until he's attacked by a group of fae. Daniella O'Callaghan becomes intertwined in Slate's life after a chance encounter, and can't help but be drawn to him and the mystery surrounding the fae's interest in him.
Jess and Sierra have created such a fabulous world in Faerloch. It merges Eastern and Western magic and blends them into a completely unique setting. Japanese culture and martial arts are also woven into the story seamlessly.
The characters are all amazing, from Dani and Slate to Slate's best friends, Jian and Kari, and Dani's best friend, Roger, who happens to be a vampire. All of them are captivating and complex, and completely enrich the story. One of my favorites is Slate's father, Ebisu, who can often be found talking to himself and the flowers on their rooftop garden.
FAS has so many mysteries and reveals in it, and I have to admit I didn't see most of them coming! I love being surprised by a story, and FAS kept me on my toes the whole time. There's romance and spice in here, friends, and it is ah-mazing!! The friendships are also next level. Slate, Jian, and Kari have such great banter and love for each other. It's so fun to witness. It's also a great comparison to the friendship that Dani and Roger have. I love that the different friendships are as important to the story as the romance.
I cannot say enough fabulous things about Frost and Sunshine!! I'm already so excited for book two!!
*I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.*
January 24, 2023
This was good! I enjoyed the story and do plan to continue the series to find out how Slate develops even more. I really like Slate and found it more interesting that he was a 30 year old man instead of a teenage main character, as so many of the fantasy main characters that I read are. The writing was good and there were a lot of lines that had me squealing because the love interests were 🔥.
A few things that held me back from rating this a four or a perfect five stars were:
- While this story does have fantasy elements (and it’ll likely be more prominent in book 2) this book felt more like a romance than a fantasy romance. The fantasy didn’t really impact the story until the last 30%.
- It wasn’t a deal breaker for me but it really bothered me that at one point the White love interest calls the Asian man’s heritage “exotic.” I thought we were past calling people of color exotic, but thankfully it only happened once.
- The book felt like it was dragging at certain points. I think I might’ve felt this way because I was expecting more of the fantasy components to be prominent when it was really focused on the romance. I don’t necessarily think we needed to see all of the dates they went on and it might’ve been more engaging if the group had been captured by the bad guys the second time they saw them, instead of like the fourth time.
- Sometimes the writing seemed a bit repetitive. Often the characters would make the kind of statement that goes “not my circus, not my monkeys” and more than one character made that similar statement throughout the book, which felt kind of odd.
A few things that held me back from rating this a four or a perfect five stars were:
- While this story does have fantasy elements (and it’ll likely be more prominent in book 2) this book felt more like a romance than a fantasy romance. The fantasy didn’t really impact the story until the last 30%.
- It wasn’t a deal breaker for me but it really bothered me that at one point the White love interest calls the Asian man’s heritage “exotic.” I thought we were past calling people of color exotic, but thankfully it only happened once.
- The book felt like it was dragging at certain points. I think I might’ve felt this way because I was expecting more of the fantasy components to be prominent when it was really focused on the romance. I don’t necessarily think we needed to see all of the dates they went on and it might’ve been more engaging if the group had been captured by the bad guys the second time they saw them, instead of like the fourth time.
- Sometimes the writing seemed a bit repetitive. Often the characters would make the kind of statement that goes “not my circus, not my monkeys” and more than one character made that similar statement throughout the book, which felt kind of odd.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2023
"'I will write my own legacy,’ he growled, voice raw but strong. ‘I will forge my own path.'"
So here’s another book that has stolen my heart…and shattered it at the same time. I am so happy I picked up Frost and Sunshine after seeing it on Instagram because it did not disappoint. The storyline. The characters. All of it.
Faerloch is a magical city that’s home to a variety of magical creatures, from vampires to fae and werefolk. There are a variety of different cultures in the story, including a blend of Asian and European cultures and myths. The story revolves around Slate, a martial artist, who is targeted by the Fae. Everything he knows comes crashing down. But then he meets Dani, a lorekissed vet tech who speaks to animals.
Dani and Slate are both such unique characters, and I was hooked from the very beginning (there’s no way you cannot be). Their chemistry is also…undeniable. They go through a lot together in this book but also individually, resulting in so much character growth. I really cannot wait to see what happens in the second book with these two characters and I am rooting for them all the way.
I also cannot say enough about the side characters in this story. I absolutely loved Kari and Jian, and want them as my besties for life. And how could I not fall for Roger as well 😅. There were so many other characters that just made this such a great book with the perfect found family vibes.
I cannot wait to see where this story goes and am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
So here’s another book that has stolen my heart…and shattered it at the same time. I am so happy I picked up Frost and Sunshine after seeing it on Instagram because it did not disappoint. The storyline. The characters. All of it.
Faerloch is a magical city that’s home to a variety of magical creatures, from vampires to fae and werefolk. There are a variety of different cultures in the story, including a blend of Asian and European cultures and myths. The story revolves around Slate, a martial artist, who is targeted by the Fae. Everything he knows comes crashing down. But then he meets Dani, a lorekissed vet tech who speaks to animals.
Dani and Slate are both such unique characters, and I was hooked from the very beginning (there’s no way you cannot be). Their chemistry is also…undeniable. They go through a lot together in this book but also individually, resulting in so much character growth. I really cannot wait to see what happens in the second book with these two characters and I am rooting for them all the way.
I also cannot say enough about the side characters in this story. I absolutely loved Kari and Jian, and want them as my besties for life. And how could I not fall for Roger as well 😅. There were so many other characters that just made this such a great book with the perfect found family vibes.
I cannot wait to see where this story goes and am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
January 13, 2023
phenomenal NA romantasy debut
What a read! I like to rate books by how addicted I am and how much I want to continue reading. I have been excited to pick this up. Magic, Fae, Urban, Vampires but with a new twist of Japanese mythology? In a modern day magical city? Sign me up! It didn’t disappoint, it’s very balanced between being very character driven while still having a strong enough plot (which I find is often a short coming in NA books). The romance plot line is central to the story, the slow burn is exquisite (I’d rate this 2.5 chillies?) and overall I am very invested in a lot of the side characters, particularly Roger, a thousands of year old grumpy vampire. Also plus point, quite diverse and LGBTQ+ friendly. A straightforward 5⭐️
What a read! I like to rate books by how addicted I am and how much I want to continue reading. I have been excited to pick this up. Magic, Fae, Urban, Vampires but with a new twist of Japanese mythology? In a modern day magical city? Sign me up! It didn’t disappoint, it’s very balanced between being very character driven while still having a strong enough plot (which I find is often a short coming in NA books). The romance plot line is central to the story, the slow burn is exquisite (I’d rate this 2.5 chillies?) and overall I am very invested in a lot of the side characters, particularly Roger, a thousands of year old grumpy vampire. Also plus point, quite diverse and LGBTQ+ friendly. A straightforward 5⭐️
August 4, 2023
I’d give more than five stars if I could. This book was incredible! The story was exciting and captivating, the urban setting was magical and the combination of East Asian and European fantasy was so very unique. All of which had me dive into the book the moment I received it.
The flow of the story was extraordinarily natural. Nothing seemed hurried or forced. But things also didn’t drag at any given point.
One of the reasons why I loved Frost and Sunshine so much were the characters. Every one of them was unique and had different great qualities that made me root for them. Also, the reaction of every single character made sense to them specifically. I found myself thinking more than once. Yeah of course! That’s what Dani would do. Or laughing out loud saying, “That’s so Slate.”.
The romance… You guys. It was perfect! I loved everything, from the initial meeting, their chemistry, the date countdown up until the spice. Btw, the spice was one of the best I’ve ever read – not at all cringe or tacky but hot, steamy and just perfect.
Finally, the writing! Same as everything else, it was exactly how I like it. Beautiful and vivid but no sign of purple prose. I especially loved the dialogue. It was great, like… Really great! It felt so real and natural and made the entire book even more immersive. I still cannot believe that the authors did the copy edit themselves. Respect!
This book is by far my fav read of 2022 and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel…
The flow of the story was extraordinarily natural. Nothing seemed hurried or forced. But things also didn’t drag at any given point.
One of the reasons why I loved Frost and Sunshine so much were the characters. Every one of them was unique and had different great qualities that made me root for them. Also, the reaction of every single character made sense to them specifically. I found myself thinking more than once. Yeah of course! That’s what Dani would do. Or laughing out loud saying, “That’s so Slate.”.
The romance… You guys. It was perfect! I loved everything, from the initial meeting, their chemistry, the date countdown up until the spice. Btw, the spice was one of the best I’ve ever read – not at all cringe or tacky but hot, steamy and just perfect.
Finally, the writing! Same as everything else, it was exactly how I like it. Beautiful and vivid but no sign of purple prose. I especially loved the dialogue. It was great, like… Really great! It felt so real and natural and made the entire book even more immersive. I still cannot believe that the authors did the copy edit themselves. Respect!
This book is by far my fav read of 2022 and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel…
March 14, 2023
When this book had lyrics from one of my favourite songs in the dedication, I should’ve known this book was going to be a favourite.
This book was so incredibly addictive. I read it way too quickly because I never wanted to put it down. The plot of the series is only just getting started but there were some truly heart-pounding moments.
One of the brilliant things about this book is the characters. They are complex and well developed and impossible not to like. Besides Dani and Slate, whom I adored, the side characters are also incredibly vivid. I really felt like they added something to the story.
I really liked the urban fantasy setting. It put a more modern twist on some classic fantasy tales about fae. The writing was brilliant and information was revealed to the reader at the same time as the characters, which kept me hooked throughout. This book had the perfect blend of fantasy and romance. I also loved the bits of Japanese folklore embedded in the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but particularly lovers of urban fantasy, fae, magic, folklore and chaos.
This book was so incredibly addictive. I read it way too quickly because I never wanted to put it down. The plot of the series is only just getting started but there were some truly heart-pounding moments.
One of the brilliant things about this book is the characters. They are complex and well developed and impossible not to like. Besides Dani and Slate, whom I adored, the side characters are also incredibly vivid. I really felt like they added something to the story.
I really liked the urban fantasy setting. It put a more modern twist on some classic fantasy tales about fae. The writing was brilliant and information was revealed to the reader at the same time as the characters, which kept me hooked throughout. This book had the perfect blend of fantasy and romance. I also loved the bits of Japanese folklore embedded in the story.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but particularly lovers of urban fantasy, fae, magic, folklore and chaos.
January 30, 2023
Frost and Sunshine seriously wow'd me! Urban Fantasy isn't always my favorite but this one was so well done! I loved how it blended European and Asian folklore so seamlessly, making for a beautifully unique magical system.
The world building was excellent and not overbearing. I wish I could visit Faerloch, and get a drink at The Den.
Slate is my new favorite MMC, and Dani is definitely squishably adorable. The twins are far more amazing and unique than I imagined them to be and woah can we please have more Roger? I also love Ebisu's back story and wish there was a prequel novella for it.
The story was well paced, it never lagged and was chock full of some of my favorite tropes such as tending wounds and he falls first. I was devastated by the ending, in a good way. I can't wait to see how everything works out in book two!
The world building was excellent and not overbearing. I wish I could visit Faerloch, and get a drink at The Den.
Slate is my new favorite MMC, and Dani is definitely squishably adorable. The twins are far more amazing and unique than I imagined them to be and woah can we please have more Roger? I also love Ebisu's back story and wish there was a prequel novella for it.
The story was well paced, it never lagged and was chock full of some of my favorite tropes such as tending wounds and he falls first. I was devastated by the ending, in a good way. I can't wait to see how everything works out in book two!
February 5, 2023
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🔥
I bought the book because of the cover, the title, and the eastern culture representation. Read it over one weekend. I have zero regrets!
The worldbuilding is diverse and comes out of the page with each turn. The romance between Slate and Dani is perfect and real in so many layered ways. The slow burn and spice give you palpitations.
In the beginning, I needed help understanding Slate. He was a complex character to understand, but he grew on me little by little as I got to know him. Dani is adorable and layered to perfection. The side characters are unique and are woven into the story lighting it up from within.
I will definitely follow the series!
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🔥
I bought the book because of the cover, the title, and the eastern culture representation. Read it over one weekend. I have zero regrets!
The worldbuilding is diverse and comes out of the page with each turn. The romance between Slate and Dani is perfect and real in so many layered ways. The slow burn and spice give you palpitations.
In the beginning, I needed help understanding Slate. He was a complex character to understand, but he grew on me little by little as I got to know him. Dani is adorable and layered to perfection. The side characters are unique and are woven into the story lighting it up from within.
I will definitely follow the series!
April 25, 2023
I quite enjoyed the book Frost and Sunshine. I thought the plot idea was fun and the interactions between the characters was cute. The glossary at the end of the book was helpful but it got to be a little tedious having to look up the terms and phrases so often, I ended up just assuming and moving on. I do like the integration of Japanese culture along with Fae, French and modern culture. With the exception of Slates fate, I felt the book was a but predictable. I’m hoping there’s a bit more mystery in the upcoming books- which I am very eager to read. Thank you for entertaining us and writing. I love that you love what you’re doing!
September 18, 2023
The lore which was created in this book is quite amazing. I found the best creature companion in this book, and their introduction caught me by surprise in a very pleasant way. :) World building and the variety of magic was also done in quite a magnificent way.
When I started this book, it was a definite high for me, but after the first third of the book, I got completely flipped. The middle third was such a drag that I stopped caring about these characters.
The last third progresses the story again, but it had just become irredeemable for me. I lost respect for the characters... it's a bummer, cause I really wanted to like this book! But well, I guess it just wasn't for me.
When I started this book, it was a definite high for me, but after the first third of the book, I got completely flipped. The middle third was such a drag that I stopped caring about these characters.
The last third progresses the story again, but it had just become irredeemable for me. I lost respect for the characters... it's a bummer, cause I really wanted to like this book! But well, I guess it just wasn't for me.
did-not-finish
November 7, 2025DNF @ 10%
When I started FROST AND SUNSHINE I thought it was a fantasy world since that's how it was advertised but it's just our world so really this is paranormal romance. That threw me for a moment (I wanted a made up world) but wasn't the ultimate reason I DNFed; instead it was the writing which I found repetitive and simplistic and the story wasn't really engaging me. I paused it for a bit to try again at a later date but months have gone by and I have no interested in trying again.
As a side note: I also just found out the author called out and bullied a one-star reviewer on social media and that's a trash move so I'm not too upset about dropping this one.
When I started FROST AND SUNSHINE I thought it was a fantasy world since that's how it was advertised but it's just our world so really this is paranormal romance. That threw me for a moment (I wanted a made up world) but wasn't the ultimate reason I DNFed; instead it was the writing which I found repetitive and simplistic and the story wasn't really engaging me. I paused it for a bit to try again at a later date but months have gone by and I have no interested in trying again.
As a side note: I also just found out the author called out and bullied a one-star reviewer on social media and that's a trash move so I'm not too upset about dropping this one.
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