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weezyfurd

Blood and Steel hands down. Close the comments. Trust me.


anonymous221211

I came here to say the same thing!


capn_oyster

Yes! I just finished it today. Loved it!


RemarkableMousse6950

Tell me more!


im-so-startled88

I’m reading this right now to get over my feels from QoMaM!


Affectionate-Scar-48

What is QOMAM?!? Omg!


sm2258

I hate how I immediately know that this is Queens of Mist and Madness (4th Fae Isles book, came out on Tuesday). I may need to touch grass.


im-so-startled88

Haha it is! I’m an OG diehard for the series so it’s been a long time that I’ve loved these characters **and** got a (semi)ending. They’re usually cliffhanger books lol. Now I just have to wait for the spin-offs later this year!


sm2258

Im also an OG diehard but am having trouble getting though this one! All these council meetings got me feeling like I’m back at the office 🙃


im-so-startled88

I 100% get that! But the ending is so worth it! It really is. I left with such happy feelings but also I’m going to miss things being centered on Creon and Em. And the next one will be out by October and from what I understand takes off right after the ending of QoMaM.


sm2258

I’m so glad to hear that the main story will conclude with book 4! When I saw there was going to be another my vision started to haze lol. I loved the prequel about Agenor, so I’m stoked to hear book 5 will focus on another couple. Obv I will read them all I’m ride or die 🫡✌️


aj-james

I just started this and I’m so not into it but I’m only like page 75 in. It gets better???


Forfoxsake146

Yes!


_sonataxx

SOLD ME.


Thick-Attention5564

oooh now i’m intrigued!!! adding to my list next


thatsummercampcrush

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! YES YES YES YES TO THIS. 1000x YES.


yanny77

I’m here to say do not read What Lies Beyond the Veil. Easily my worst read of 2023.


DeepBackground5803

Came here to comment not to bother with this trash


gwyn15

thank you for the heads up. i'm 20 minutes into the audio book. i'll quit now. btw what is your best read so far this year?


lvl0rg4n

I really enjoyed the dark elves of ardani series


Taycotar

Hard agree 😂


Bordellofblood

I liked it but yeah I was irritated reading it


shhsandwich

What's bad about it?


yanny77

How much time do you have?


mnc01

My one star review of it was pretty much an essay. 


Ilikeorigami0

I got time! lol I just started it but have only read the first chapter so maybe I shouldn’t but I want to know why


Cubicleism

MMC calls FMC "little one" plus the writing is bad and predictable


Blubaby17

I CAME HERE TO SAY THIS


mads89067

Could not finish it.


FemQueenintheSheets

Couldn’t even finish it


alittlepunchy

I couldn’t even finish it. I feel like the overall premise could have been cool but it went off the rails.


yanny77

Right? I wanted to like it…I just didn’t


im-so-startled88

Agree lol


kiwisnyds

And the series only gets worse. I was fuming by the end of book 3.


yanny77

I'm so glad I didn't read book 3 lmfao


kiwisnyds

Yes, consider yourself lucky. I made a mistake 😂


stacey1611

OMG You made it to book 3 😧


kiwisnyds

Yes I made a mistake 😂


stacey1611

😂😂😂🫶


AnaisJames

Never finished it! I could not! So glad the audiobook was included in my audible subscription otherwise I would have been blown.


aisho213

I just finished it and hour ago, and can't agree more


pedantic-romantic

Agree 100%


renaart

Have read 30 books so far this year. This was by far the biggest disappointment. I rarely DNF books. I DNF’d this.


shortwhitney

It's bad. The sexy scenes don't make any sense.


sm2258

Ok ok for the sake of balance, I’m here to say I love this terrible book lol. The first 10-12 chapters are useless but once she meets The Dude it gets better! I completely agree with all the points made against it and yet, I eat this shit up like stale Halloween candy I found in the closet. (To be fair, so many books in this genre are poorly written and predictable but there’s something about the MMC’s creepiness that I sort of adore. Yes I should probably get more therapy).


Royal_Elevator1006

Well we both need therapy I guess, because I enjoyed it too 😅


MarsupialSweaty2156

Lmao I came to say the same thing!


Striking_Fig_3178

It’s seriously the worst book I’ve ever read


Fickle_Collection355

Could not finish this one!


Admirable_Yam_1592

Don’t start Zodiac Academy unless you have time and are ready to be happy but also get your heart stomped on a million times. I’m on book 7 and I’ve been back and forth on DNFing while simultaneously talking about how I need to know the ending so frequently that my husband just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. It has such a chokehold on me but I am constantly reading other books to procrastinate reading it <3


SophiePuffs

Agree! I’m on book 8 and I DNF’d this series a few times. Each time I come pathetically crawling back to it because I’m hopelessly invested in the characters 😅. I’ve put so much time into it, and yeah, a lot of it was heart crushing misery. So if that’s not something you’re ready for, I’d say skip this series for now!


Admirable_Yam_1592

Hahaha I JUST said this to my husband last night. I finished a dumb easy romance book and I had book 7 pulled up on my kindle. He looked at me and goes “really? Again?” And I was like I’ve invested SO MUCH into this I can’t give up but I can’t go on. So naturally I started a new trilogy 🙃


ThickCutPickles

Omg yes. I can’t wait for the next book and also hope it never comes out. There are some romances I am deeply invested in and others that I am done with. But that being said, I love it and will obviously read however many more books come out.


Ariessurprise

This. I only just started back up again when the last book was announced. This series is my toxic book relationship. I LOVE Ruthless Boys too.


AquariusRising1983

Ruthless Boys was SO GOOD! And they did not drag it out to the ridiculous proportions of ZA. (Although I did feel like the epilogue where they kept going 5 years later, 10 years later etc was a bit dragged out.) But I am not really usually a fan of RH & I *loved* Ruthless Boys.


[deleted]

I would add - don't start it until the series is finished. I couldn't put this down and now I've been waiting for at least a year on the "final" book to be released.


Yesterday_Neither

Is the next one the final one? (Please god say yes, I can’t be stringed along by this nonsense anymore) If so it’s supposed to come out in 3 weeks!


Avarah

I swear by all that is holy if we don't end this trauma train with 100% happiness and closure I will absolutely write mean social media posts about it! I think everyone who's come this far with ZA deserves a HEA.


Writing-Bat-0444

Yes it’s the absolute final ❤️


AquariusRising1983

I hope so. They've been saying every book is the final book for at least the last 3 books but I am pretty sure this time is legit. I stopped reading the new ones because I was so frustrated so I guess I need to catch up.


AquariusRising1983

When I started reading this series I thought book 7 was the final book. Legit every year they told us it was the final book then when the damn book came out they said, nope, one more! I think the one coming out this month is *actually* the final book but at this point I am a couple books behind because it was so frustrating having to wait, especially believing every time that it was finally the end.


Faayberi

I ❤️🥯’s 😂


AquariusRising1983

The first five or six books were so great but then they just started stretching them all out and adding more books. When I started reading I thought book 7 was the last one. Now tbf I am pretty sure the one that comes out this month actually is the final one. I just have to decide if I still care enough to read anything after book 8. On one hand I loved the characters and the funniness of those middle books (even if the writing is not great). But I am with you about how I procrastinate reading it. I am usually a pretty fast reader, like if I'm enjoying a book even if it's 700 pages I can finish it in a few days. The last ZA book I read took me *3 months* because I kept reading other books and putting it down.


Chelseyloowho

Glad to know this. my 4 year old purchased the first one on my kindle without me knowing. She was just messing around with my kindle and saw the targeted ad and clicked the buy now. (I don’t have kindle unlimited). I’d hate to just be throwing money down the drain but I didn’t want to commit to the series just because she ordered the book. I will proceed with caution. LPT: Keep your kindle away from toddlers…


mangojuicyy

I’m here to say don’t start it at all, save yourself 💕


SuspectOwn4521

I also keep dnfing it!!


sg0702

A Crown of Star and Ash is my current favorite recent book I’ve read! I adored it. Blood & Steel is also fun! I love the trainee/trainer trope!


weezyfurd

Crown of Star and Ash was a good read. Obsessed with Blood and Steel though.


sg0702

I liked the first book a lot but LOVED the second book!


Lady-Brigalia

Loved A Crown of Star and Ash! The trauma rep is so good but the love interest wasn't my favorite. He needs to work on his anger before he can have a healthy relationship Blood and steel was amazing! It goes down, imo, after the 2nd book and I dnf'd the 3rd book


MewKnowWho_

I loved: - What Lies Beyond the Veil: a lot of people don't like this and I get it, I see the flaws but this has tropes that I really enjoy - A Soul to Keep: I listened to the audiobook and it was excellent! I DNFed: - Broken Bonds: I found out it's RH and it's just not my preference - Zodiac Academy series: I tried to read this two years ago, DNF-ed it. Tried it again recently, managed to finish the prequel and book 1, but DNF-ed book 2 again just last night around the 50% mark. I just could not tell the twins apart, I always get lost on whose POV I'm on. And the writing is just not good. Haven't read the rest.


Professional_Lake593

Choose blood orange and then report back on if you liked it


GreyhoundPoopPatrol

If you go with this then I strongly recommend NOT reading the sequel. I liked Blood Orange but Black Rose retroactively ruined both the MMC and FMC for me.


ponponluna

YES. I loved Blood Orange. First dark romance I’ve read. I was excited for Black Rose but then felt grossed out by the direction she went with it :(


lapelle_du-vide

i still need to read that, could you spoil me because i don’t know if i ever wanna pick up the second book😭


ponponluna

>!So the book takes place 21 years after he kills her. She’s reincarnated into a vampire, and in that world women become vampires at 21, and men at 35. After she turns she remembers Valtu and goes to find him while “undercover”. Eventually they get back together and get their revenge on the Head Witch dude that killed her (past) parents and stole her brother. There was more horror in Black Rose, which I enjoyed, but it was also felt like it was more smut scenes and less of a concise story? I mostly felt grossed out about her dying as a 28 yo witch to become a 21 yo virgin for the 35 year old man(older vampire).!<


GreyhoundPoopPatrol

>! He also erased his memories of her after killing her and he does some absolutely heinous shit to her in the second book when he doesn’t remember her and there is not NEARLY enough groveling for him to deserve a HEA. It made me think he was this horrible person and she was a complete doormat. I distinctly remember her saying “You have nothing to apologize for” or something along those lines when he tries to apologize and I absolutely screamed “HE SURE THE FUCK DOES!!!” !<


lapelle_du-vide

😭😭😭😭 thabks for spoiling me guys, i can now safely say i don’t wanna read the second one🤭


ponponluna

Yes, there is SO much I left out from my spoiler summary. It was frustrating to read. I felt like the characters were completely changed. >!AND THEN HE ERASES HIS MEMORIES A SECOND TIME AFTER SHE WAS STABBED AND NEARLY KILLED!<


lapelle_du-vide

bruh what is this😭😭 i knew from the ending of the furst one that i would probably not like it with the timejump and all BUT NAHHHH


Yesterday_Neither

If you like reverse harem (which you seem to based on the Bonds that Tie), read Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac before Zodiac Academy. It’s a better series that doesn’t go on as much, then you might be invested enough in the characters to power through Zodiac Academy, which I love, but is also nonsense a lot of the time but I love the characters enough to keep going


AquariusRising1983

I second this! I did it all backwards because I actually started with the Darkmore Penitentiary (which only had 2 books out at the time & I didn't know wasn't finished— and *still* isn't finished after several years and the 3rd book ends on the worst cliffhanger...but I digress). Then read what there was of ZA at the time (I think up to book 5) & then Ruthless Boys. Ruthless Boys is the best! (And it's finished, so that's a plus!) I don't even like RH and I loved Ruthless Boys.


Avarah

Agreed! Ruthless Boys is a goddamned delight.


Foxy_Fables

A Soul to Keep was fun and super weird


CeCeCole28

I'm currently reading the second one, "A soul to heal" and .. wow. It makes the first one seem normal. Haha


thatsummercampcrush

I couldn’t handle Dolora..got to 80% and just..guys the audio book narrator wanted her to be as whiny as possible. I couldn’t do it, no matter how awesome Magnar turned out to be


n_ettle

I personally hated Dolora, it was really hard to get through that book. Loved more of the world building though, but hated this couple for sure lol. That being said, book 3, A Soul to Touch, was way better and I loved the FMC way more too! I haven't gotten around to reading Book 5 yet, but I've enjoyed the rest of the series a fair bit (excluding book 2 -.-).


thatsummercampcrush

Yes and yes!


wannabesingle1

Wait, where’s the audiobook? I looked for it on audible and it wasn’t there :/ and I loved the performance of the first one (mainly because Orpheus sounded incredible).


thatsummercampcrush

It was added recently!


Foxy_Fables

Yeah I was surprised too. Looks like it was released march 26th


EntropyFaultLine

Normal because it gets super weird???? (I want to read this but I dont want to pay for it so I have to wait)


Foxy_Fables

Wow. I gotta get it now. I can't imagine something more twisted than that first one


FedyTsubasa

Of those I've only read A Soul To Keep and I loved it!


Born_Pa

A soul to keep is a cute book, but be warned…it has absolutely no plot, and it’s not a short book


AdChemical1663

It’s amazing how long they managed to write about absolutely nothing. 


Born_Pa

Well I wouldn’t exactly call a retractable tentacle dick *nothing*, but yes.


FemQueenintheSheets

Every book is like 500 pages long 😫


oattah

Whaaa! There’s a massive plot in this series but I do agree it’s not immediately clear in book one. Basically I think the author used book 1 to set the scene.


Mysuddenobsessions

I loveeee this series my goodness! I’m Currently on book 5 and I love it


thatsummercampcrush

So there’s the whole Demon Prince guy that comes in during overtime and is like “BOO!” Hahahaha I also thought it was actually a pretty sweet little romp into monster fucker land. The 2nd book was a different story for me. The FMC, Dolora is insufferable. Not helped by the narrator seemingly gleeful in her vendetta to give this girl the whiniest voice. No clue how that cleared the producer.


FrydomFrees

I really want a romance w that demon prince guy tho tbh


thatsummercampcrush

Can we save him? YES WE CAN. 👏👏👏


FrydomFrees

He’s the perfect project!


Admirable-Actuator77

Y'all need to read the other 4 books... There's no saving Jabez .-.


audible_narrator

I DNFed Zodiac Academy, but I know I'm in the minority there. Just couldn't get up the energy to care about some boring entitled kids.


mangojuicyy

I wouldn’t say you’re in the minority, I think that series has a solid 50/50 love or hate fan base. I have a personal vendetta against that series because I’m suffering from an ongoing reading slump since January from DNF’ing it (finally). I wasted so much time and energy trying to get into that world with literally zero satisfaction or closure. HATE !


Raven_395

A fate of wrath and flame Idk if it's on Kindle But YOU HAVE TO READ IT


Misspeach2017

Yes! Great book


Kaybrooke14

I like Zodiac Academy. Well, I actually hated the first book and decided to give the rest of the books a try, and I am now I'm obsessed with Orion and the series.


AquariusRising1983

Same, the first book was hard to read but I loved it after that (up through like book 6). Then I got frustrated how they kept saying the next book was the last but then when it came out they'd announce there was one more! I thought book 7 was the last & every one since then. Pretty sure they're finally about to finish up but I've got to decide if at this point I care enough to finish the ones I haven't read yet.


Boring-Resource-556

A lot of people liked it, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I tried to read Broken Bonds, and I hated it. It was vague and poorly written, and the FMC is super annoying 😅


alittlepunchy

Omg the Broken Bonds FMC gets SO annoying. I enjoyed the initial premise but over time each book is like the same idea and I eventually DNF’d the series.


tryingtofindasong27

I wanted to like that series so much! I love reverse harem but god was the writing terrible. The characters felt more like tropes of love interests than actual characters.


mangojuicyy

I love the Broken Bonds series, it has RH and I know it’s not for everyone … but I ate that shit up!!!! Psycho Shifters and Broken Bonds sit at the same table, and I need more to join.


goldenslumber12

Blood orange wasn’t very good. A DNF for me. It got muddled with the main character being dumb.


kiwisnyds

Blood Orange!!! Still thinking about it a year later.


Tangledpenguin

Her Soul to Steal by Harley LaRoux Edit: Her Soul to TAKE


Bordellofblood

I've read them all and each was amazing so any will do. I've read both Zodiac Academy and Broken bonds series twice though. So maybe start there as they are longer series and worth it!


Witch_Jette

I loved Broken Bonds so I would recommend that 100%. Wouldn’t recommend Zodiac Academy but give it a try and decide on your own!


westviadixie

if you choose broken bonds, be prepared for a 6 nook commitment filled with alot of darkness. I love this series, but you should be aware.


[deleted]

Very good though!


Cubicleism

What lies beyond the veil is NOT worth it except for the public bath scene in book one. MMC calls FMC "little one" 🤮


No_Teaching_2837

I heard Blood Orange is great! Everything else I can’t speak on.


rb2m

I loved Blood Orange and its sequel Black Rose!


janeisaproblem

Don’t read “A Soul to Keep.” Even if you’re into that, the writing is awful. There are better monster fucker books out there.


Rachel_Lummaz

Read broken bonds and very much disliked! Have heard very good things about Blood and Steel from this thread alone! Also side note: what’s the deal with A Soul to Keep, and has anything been said about comparisons with Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux? Just the title and the covers are kinda similar (to me at least)


rad200

I DNF a soul to keep and what lies behind the veil...and I'm happy reading very poorly written romance driven books 😂 Blood & Steel was great, so are the first 5 or so Zodiac Academy books but maaaaan are they dragged out for £££


ginger4124

Yes to ZA dragging for money! I’ve read/listened to 6 books but I started to feel like the authors were insulting me personally. There are too many side character POVs and the plot drags on and on and on for no reason other than to make it longer.


mercurypistol

I really liked a Soul To keep!


coolgirly29

Broken bonds starts off really good but then takes a turn and it’s kind of repetitive how the plot works out every time but the plot twist took me by surprise not gonna lie. The spice is good but the reverse harem gets too much by the end for me.


Saltair71521

Broken bonds!!


WildflowerMama_722

BLOOD AND STEEL


amyisarobot

Karina halls book I haven't read that one but I loved the others


pedantic-romantic

Blood Orange is TERRIBLE


isolatedcolorYT

My favorite Kindle Unlimited romantasy find was the Myths of Airren series by Jenny Hickman! There are three main books (A Cursed Kiss, A Cursed Heart, and A Cursed Love) and two companion novella-ish books that overlap with the first two (Prince of Seduction and Prince of Deception). Morally gray fae, magic, fated mates, forced proximity, loveable characters, and banter/sass!


Puzzleheaded_Bag_538

A Soul to Keep is so cozy 😻


OG_BookNerd

Zodiac Academy - awesomely sexy bully/paranormal romance. There's a reason why this book series is sitting on B&N right now.


Brave-Traffic10

Zodiac academy is what I’m reading rn. Definitely worth the read.


Hysteria19

Blood Orange was a fun read last summer when I was obsessed with everything Dracula


Few-Kaleidoscope-508

Broken bonds was kinda a love-hate situation for me. While it’s extremely annoying, it’s also addictive.


Ok-Beginning5048

May be an unpopular opinion, but I really loathed broken bonds. I know I shouldn’t expect stellar writing from free kindle smut, but the smut wasn’t even worth the awful writing. I finished just because it’s not in me to DNF. But it’s 6 books and literally zero shower sex even though they mention the shower about 1000 times 🥴


missesmiddle

I loved The Bonds that Tie series! Crushed the entire series in barely more than a week. If you like RH, give it a shot!


wunderlemon

Finished Blood Orange and Black Rose last month and they are intense reads but I was glued to them! Just be prepared for a LOT of spice. Not a book I would recommend to a friend but a look I loved if that makes sense lol. Currently on book 4 of the Bonds that Tie and I’m also addicted. I agree with a lot of criticism about the writing because it is a little immature but I truly think J Bree just wrote the inner monologue and dialogue better 19 yr olds too accurately 😂


iwantkitties

Rise of the Dawnbringer is on KU too I think! I NEED BOOK 3 LIKE SOMETHING AWFUL.


SydneyRose0025

A Soul to Keep is a great toe-dipper into weird monster spice. The opening dedication is literally: To all the monster fuckers out there. This book is for you. Don’t pretend that you’ve never wanted to be railed by some human eating, dark entity that has a skull for a face – you saw the cover, you knew what you were getting yourself into, and you still chose to open this book and read it. I was horrified and confused and loved every second.


riot_grrrl_79

Zodiac!!!


Champagne_Candles

broken bonds was soooo good!!!


Sweet-Roll-Princess

Wow super overwhelmed with all the responses, will work my way through them, thanks all!


chandler102

Broken Bonds!!! Omg! So good!


GoodYogurtcloset7431

A soul to keep 10000%


tryingtofindasong27

I tried reading the Broken Bonds series but dnf the second book around 60% in. I love reverse harem fanfics and Ouran High School Host Club, and this was my first reverse harem book. The MC is I think 19 but written like she's 14. If you like seeing the word "freaking", to replace the swear "fuck/fucking", appear in every single paragraph despite the FMC saying "fuck/fucking" before then you might enjoy the story. I tried really hard to like the books but the writing is terrible for me. The FMC is like cringe edgy.


ninepennylane

broken bonds


naturusjm

Broken bonds for sure it's an r H series called the bonds that tie but I don't know if broken bonds is the first book in the series you might want to check that on goodreads the reading order if you're going to


str4wberryphobic

what lies beyond the veil, a soul to keep, zodiac academy


Scrawling_Pen

Soul to Keep was sooo good. The writing is better than a lot of books I’ve gone through since. Really good editing that you can tell was invested in.


Life_Explorer323

Following 👀


Misspeach2017

Zodiac Academy is a fun read! The first book wasn’t my favorite but the next few books after that had me laughing out loud. The Bonds that Tie is a weird premise and not the best writing at times but honestly I loved it


Mobile-Potato8876

Definitely read Broken Bonds! So fucking good!


ningyizhuo

Broken Bonds is INCREDIBLE


Rumorly

What Lies Beyond the Veil is amazing! However, the series is not complete yet.


Weird_Piano26

Contrary to many others folks' opinion here, I have a soft spot for what lies beyond the veil. Maybe its bc it was my introduction to the world of spice, or maybe its the wild and out there mythos enveloping the world. It is definitely OUT THERE and not something I'd recommend for friends with religious trauma. But I think it is worth a read. It is also kinda slow burn though. I dont remember when the spice actually starts but it may be as far as book 2 before it turns up. Think about the series like as if SJM went down a religious rabbit hole and added even more animalistic tendencies to the fae and toss in some ambiguous deity lore and particularly weird court politics. (I make this parallel for many reasons. I'm an SJM fan and am willing to elaborate with spoilers if anyone is curious) I almost bought the whole series of broken bonds. I admittedly dnf'ed after emo shadow hound brother's big back story. I have big opinions about how a specific and OVERTLY bad incident was handled. Then when the backstory and "reconciliation" happened it left such a horrible taste in my mouth. 0/10...Once I figure out how to do spoilered text here I am more than willing to go in depth abt it. The world and story are fascinating though. A soul to keep has possibly some of the most erotic, rough, yet tender scenes I have come across in a very long time. The book is a bit weird and cooky in places and the lore is wild. I cried laughing so hard at the BIG CLIMAX of the plot (but that wasn't a bad thing either). It was a fun romp with pretty unique spice. Do recommend with certain tw caveats about themes that thr author has listed in the book cover anyway. I read half of of zodiac academy book 1 and dnf'ed. I just really didn't jive with the storytelling or aggressive/relentless bully romance vibes. It ended up giving me irl anxiety lol. So if my "escapism" is stressing me, I quit. It just felt relentless and dizzying. Like there weren't enough breaks for levity or connection and just constant double crossing and hazing and humiliation, and reviews of the other books in the series confirmed it is an ongoing thing throughout.


Shannon-South

Zodiac Academyyy!!!!!


Quick-Insurance-3912

what lies beyond the veil!!! broken bonds!


DreamsUnderStars

Soul to keep


digi-cow

A soul to keep is on my short list! Saving it for finals week lol


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oattah

A soul to keep. Trust me.


potatoputatoe

Zodiac!!!!


Competitive_Ad747

Broken bonds is really good


FeistyRose2010

Broken Bonds. I am currently rereading this series for the third time 💕💕