ENGNew Release by Elena Carter (Follow the Blue Rabbit)
⭐️4.5/5
Alice in Wonderland vibes for adults who know grief. And lucid dreams.
Follow the Blue Rabbit is more than just a book—it's literally a diary and a journey, sometimes fun, sometimes devastating, but never ending. And it's full of inspirational riddles that will make you reflect on your own life as you collect the puzzle pieces of Tina's and Alice's stories, slowly piecing them all together. One such example is my favourite quote:
"The flow of creative energy in the universe never stops. That's what life is all about. Whether or not we're aware of it, this is how things work. We keep creating things. Memories, emotions, events, other people, new worlds. Everything is fueled by the creative force."Tina lost her husband in Book 1 and suffered from tremendous grief, meanwhile discovering alternative worlds that she can visit through her dreams. She met wonderful friends, both in real life and in lucid dreams. Now, in this Book 2, the story just comes to life to an entirely new level. Tina must master the balance between her own life and the world of dreams while trying to save a friend whose world is slowly dissipating.
Alice becomes my favourite character during this journey, her life a carousel of beautiful magic and heart-shattering events. She's just so likeable and...real. Like a friend that you want to cherish and protect. And Tina takes the role of the protector.
At first, you may think the story shifts from Tina to Alice, but as you continue reading, you realise the events are much more entwined than you initially anticipated. It's really like a puzzle. And it's a philosophical one that forces you to appreciate the things that surround you.
I, personally, found this story fascinating because of the way Tina's/Alice's dreams were described. Any lucid dreamer or spiritual person will find this urban fantasy relevant, I'm sure.
Now, more about the story—it's full of fantasy, all side characters are perfect examples of people you WANT to have in your life. The heroine shares her spotlight with another character as she reads her diary, giving the story more depth. But not all things are sugar-coated. The author did a splendid job keeping a realistic balance between "the real life" and "the world of dreams". It's a fantasy you can believe because the grief is real. It's not the typical "oh, I got over my husband's death in 3 months and will find a new partner"—no! This story perfectly conveys realistic traumas, the loss of the loved one, and a realistic, slow recovery while trying not to lose yourself to the world of dreams. No matter how tempting it may be. If you're looking for a sugary fantasy, this isn't a book for you. If you're looking for a companion through your pain, join Tina and Alice because they're your new best friends. Although, I don't trust Eleanor for some reason (I have no facts to back up this, so I won't go into details).
If I enjoyed this story so much, why is my review missing half a star? I'm a sucker for romance, and you'll have to read the spoilers below to find out where's the missing half-star.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Damn, I can't explain how much I want to see Mike and Tina together in Book 3. Mike has been nothing but supportive and lovely toward Tina all the way. And although she grieves for Greg (and Greg, as a ghost, keeps telling her to move on and be happy), I want Tina to finally recognise Mike's presence. It's evident that Mike is into her, but the poor guy doesn't seem to get noticed by Tina. I just feel too teased and not satisfied when it comes to their relationship
2/5 ⭐⭐
"What did I just read? 29% torture, 70% porn, 1% plot. But it still deserves some stars for the smut."
Review
I was really drawn to this book, expecting a dark retelling with character development. Well, I somewhat got what I wanted, but not how I envisioned it. It turned out just weird and dark in the wrong way (not the hot way we readers drool over villains, nope).
About the first 30% of the book is all torture. Queen abuses Snow, humiliates and whips her to the bone. I won't even mention the appalling ways the guards treat Snow. I'm waiting for the poor girl to have her breaking point that will force her into a change—never happens. I could just wait forever...or write my own book.
Snow is supposed to be a virgin, the fairest of them all, and pure-hearted to protect her country from the Queen's magic. But despite a life locked in the castle, abuse, and sexual assaults by guards, the naïve and pure heroine curses like a sailor and is somehow sexually experienced. When did she learn all this?
I understand that sometimes traumas can lead you to seek sexual pleasure to escape reality or have it like a healing therapy. But it's taken to the wrong level of here. You can't be a badass (or a sexually experienced virgin) when you're this badly mistreated. And when Snow finally meets her 7 kings representing the sins, they choose Snow for her pure heart. The kings intend to turn her into a vampire to give her strength to defeat the Queen, but all kings must get their whistle wet first?! So this virgin is like, "oh, yeah, let's do this!" for my kingdom. What?
Snow is simply jumping from one abuser to 7 others who f**k her to "give her power". No magic happens. It's simply smut in each chapter, no plot other than smoothly planned whistle-wetting scenes. In my opinion, it's all non-consensual (unless you consider having 7 men in you to save a country as something awesome).
Still, the author did get me through the entire book despite being a 0% plot. I've seen some positive reviews on GR, and I don't judge the ladies who loved this book if that's their thing. I admit that some of the steam (if we ignore the rest of the book) was vivid and juicy.
If you love (very) dark retellings with tons of sex (like literally 70% of the book is just that), this book may be for you. The kings of 7 sins truly embody their sins, taking the tale elements we know and turning them into epic smut.
Still, I have 0% judgement toward the readers who are into this book. If you think it could be your cup of tea, perhaps you should check it out on Amazon.
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Fire of the Fox by Sylver Michaela (The Broken Fae Trilogy)
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There's no better union than an artist and a Fae. And it gets spicier when these two start as enemies—this is a MUST read!
Bria is a creative girl, who is just starting college to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, but her toxic boyfriend and lack of money are no help when Bria is presented with an exclusive opportunity to study in Italy. All she needs is a spare $5k (imagine how awful it is when your dream is your everything, but money rules the world and steals this one thing you desire so much). Yet, Bria is not the type of person to give up easily, and it's what makes her so lovable. She won't let her personal life, financial issues, and school stop her from pursuing her goal.
When Bria discovers that her pathetic boyfriend Dax has cheated on her (again), her bestie Dallas proves to be a friend every girl needs and encourages Bria to go out. That's when they meet the mysterious Cinnamon Roll (a guy named Rune). Bria tries to prove to her ex that she won't let anyone use her, so she gathers her courage to dance with the new hottie. They share a steamy dance, and eventually, Rune gets Bria's number. The girl is excited about the opportunity, but the reality slaps her...again.
Finally, when Rune and Bria meet up, Rune's plans for Bria are not what she anticipated—he wants this gorgeous girl to pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for money...lots of it.
Now, this would seem straightforward, right? Date the hot guy—get easy, quick money to fulfil your dream. When Bria agrees to (*ahem* well, be used) she doesn't realise what she's getting into. Simple charades to get to know someone and pretend to be a perfect girlfriend to help a guy avoid some unwanted arranged marriages would be one thing. But discovering a world of entirely new species (Fae)?! (Yes, it's something a lot of us would love to get into, haha.)
This was a great read with a beautiful and detailed (but not overly-saturated) world where Fae of different kinds secretly live among us, most of them capable of transforming into animals (yes, this is where Fire of the FOX represents the story). To me, this book was unique and whenever I thought I could predict the outcome, Sylver Michaela proved me wrong.
All characters in the book are well developed. Bria is a loveable and strong female lead, her friendship with Dallas is admirable and realistic (I'm lucky to have friends like her in real life), and Rune is just the right type of asshole that readers like me want to read about. But it's not all. Akira (one of Rune's best friends) was my favourite character, and at some point, I wished Akira were THE main character (Sylver, I hope my wish comes true in the future book, please, please, please!)
The only thing I feel like was lacking was the believable romance at first. It seemed like Rune and Bria fall for each other too quickly, BUT this isn't the case as you continue reading. You know those books where you just don't believe the romance between the main characters? It's not the case here. Despite the speed at which their feelings escalated, I could still live, believe, and love Rune and Bria and their sweet enemies-to-lovers romance.
Where to get this amazing book?
Heather Relken blows my mind (again)
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You think you're not into aliens...and then you pick up this book and realise your entire life was a lie because you suddenly want to be abducted.
Lila's mouth and thoughts are filthy. But they turn out handy when she gets caught in a fight between humans and aliens and ends up taken on the alien ship with the mind-reading creatures. And they hear every sexual fantasy—or most embarrassing thoughts. But it's not all.
The most intriguing part begins when her captors find Lila intriguing because of her survival instincts and decide to "marry" her. And by that, I mean the alien type of relationship hierarchy: the alpha male ("husband") who provides for the family and enjoys the sexual extras with his mate, and the second male (or second "husband") who's there solely to take care of their female. But you guessed it right—the second male can't sleep with their female (but that doesn't stop Lila from fantasising about it). I found this concept so intriguing and adorable.
The story is packed with beautiful details and how the fictional world is built (including the alien traditions), tons of explicit steam, and healthy relationships (whatever happens between the lovers, all members discuss it and actually WORK on their relationship). And my favourite part—the story includes all POVs involved.
I loved this book and wasn't even into anything alien before reading this. The reason I picked up this book was that I already knew another book by the same author (Decadent Sins), which was about elves.
I highly recommend this book if you love detailed worlds, explicit steam, and polyamorous alien romance. The only thing I must warn about is the female POV's language may seem arrogant and filthy at times, but it does add up to her character.
The author kindly shared this custom made image of Paneun and his gorgeous golden eyes, and I must admit it's exactly how I imagined him.
I blanket her in the colors of my ardor. In the warmth of my protection. In the shade of my home. In the softness of my companionship. What I can provide, I will provide. And may the gods see our binding as fruitful and fierce, just as our match has been. (~New Horizons by Heather Relken)
Five stars from me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You can purchase the book here.
Follow Author on FB (don't be surprised to discover multiple beautiful pen names).
Steamy alien invasion (this book makes you want to be abducted)
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Who needs sleep when you can read Decadent Sins? It's bloody brilliant!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 5/5 OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK!
This is one of the most immersive books I've read. It makes you feel like you're in this elven world, living among your favourite creatures (and waiting for their enemies to suffer). I love the detailed world build, the traditions these elves have, and the liveliness to their characters.
Crane and Malah, surely brought together by fate, don't feel like they're fictional beings. Their characters are so well developed, that you end up living their lives while you read this book, and that's something that pulls me in and makes me addicted to the story.
The steamy scenes are highly explicit, full of details, dark romance, and it leaves you wanting to read more. However, the plot is incredible and captivating, making the story as a whole feel realistic. I can't wait to read the sequel!
Join the steamy dark romance journey here: Amazon.
Taste of Vampire by D.S. Murphy
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 5/5 I LOVED IT!
As you may already know, vampires have always been my passion. I've always loved movies about them as long as they included romance (and I was probably too young to watch those movies, but well—nobody needs to know, right?). However, I think there aren't enough movies like Buffy, Vampire Diaries, Twilight. But today's post is about a book I'd really love to see as a film.
Emily lives in a compound with her ill mother and younger siblings, but the starvation makes her hunt outside in the forbidden area—where poisonous ash can kill her. But the vampires are what makes this post-apocalyptic setting seem more thrilling than the Hunger Games as Emily must prepare for the choosing ceremony where the elite vampires pick their brides (what a great idea, right?).
🤫Honestly, I devoured this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. For those who can't survive reading a vampire romance without any steam—you may want to move along and skip this book.
But if you're like me and want to see the relationships between human heroines and vampires develop slowly, Taste of Vampire is the one to go for. This story is amazing and easy to read when you're tired. It takes you away to the post-apocalyptic world where vampires and humans live in peace with a mutual agreement (which at some point stops seeming so mutual but more like "these humans are our livestock willingly").
In other words, I can't wait to read the sequel.❤️ I highly recommend this book if you're a vampire romance lover with a soft spot for Hunger Games.
You can by the book here (link to Amazon).
Follow the Hummingbird by Elena Carter
Time doesn’t heal anything. That’s the biggest lie. This pain will always be with me.
These words say more about this book than you could imagine, but before I can introduce you to this journey, let me make a confession. This year has been challenging for everyone, including myself. My grandfather, aunt, and cat passed away during the past few months. But the grief will not shatter me. I was born a dreamer, destined to share my dreams with you, my dear reader.
And as a dreamer, I can relate to lovely Elena's book—Follow the Hummingbird.
I must admit it's challenging for me to rate this book objectively because it's not my usual literature. Both as a writer and reader, I love Paranormal Romance (PNR) books, but Follow the Hummingbird is a book for lucid dreamers who know grief. It's a touching story about a woman struggling with reality after her husband has passed away, but every loss has something mysterious to replace the void in our hearts. For the human heroine Tina, it's her lucid dreams (or the power to travel through the dream realms with the awareness that the world she sees isn't real). For somebody who knows the pain of loss, escaping reality will be more important than oxygen.
Follow the Hummingbird is a beautiful fantasy, full of mysteries, adventures, mind-bending puzzles, pain, and most importantly—love that never gives up even after you've lost someone.
Tina, at first, is seemingly an ordinary woman whose husband has passed away a while ago, but her pain never seems to heal. She misses her beloved Greg. Yet she's trying her best to continue living, although her depression would be impossible to battle if not for her loving friends.
But as the story develops, Tina discovers the power many people actually have but take it for granted. She discovers the ability to lucid dream.
As one of those people, I can relate to the story and my dreams. Sometimes it's hard to tell apart where your reality ends, and the dream begins—and vice versa. But for Tina, it's not just a dream. It's a self-discovery journey that shows us that "happy endings" are another subjective topic. Somebody may desire to attend lavish parties, own fancy cars, and date hot celebrities. But many people would rather escape this world altogether to experience at least a tiny drop of magic.
I'm giving this book 4/5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
This story made me want to cry, and although I always choose to read happy-ever-afters, steamy romances, and immersive fantasies, Follow the Hummingbird deserves these 4 stars for all the tears I almost shed. Thank you, Elena, for giving me this book when I needed it the most.
More features in this book:
✅ Immersive fantasy that describes how lucid dreamers see their dreams
✅ Friendship and our human bonds
✅ Emotional storyline as Tina battles her grief
🚫 No actual romance as this is about grief and love, not falling in love
🚫 No steam, violence, or any kind of explicit content
Leave a comment and tell me what is your experience with lucid dreams.
Stargazer Island Series by Sionna Trenz
Are you one of the readers who prefers enjoying the books from the third person? You might want to check this out. I've recently come across Stargazer Island series by Sionna Trenz (although I must admit I began with the 3rd book).
Where Hawks Soar is a detailed world to wander, written from 3rd person. It's not something I'd normally read because I find it harder to relate to the main characters, but Eric and Sage and how their relationship evolved made it worth it. Not only each islander has their own story, soul and characteristics, and the heroes from all 3 books in the series also seem to be friends (yes, you guessed it correctly – each book has its own MCs).
Hawk is a spirit guide that communicates to the main characters (Eric and Sage) to help them escape their tragic life events (I mean TRULY tragic for Eric). And the spirit guide leads these people to each other.
Eric was probably my favourite character (but I warn you – there are many of them, so reading the first 2 books might be highly recommended), but I loved Eric. At first, he may seem a bit cold towards the heroine (to the point she considers him gay), but as the story goes on, you learn more about his past, and your heart bleeds as you read it. If your imagination is as vivid as mine, you'll want to protect him from his awful father and mother as they are disgusting people. Eric's childhood, teen years – and I'd even say his adult life – are tragic, but Hawk shows him a path to escape the terrible things he's been through. Eric begins dreaming about a Native American girl – Sage. She has been bullied, and it slowly explains how and why she acts in the beginning.
Their feelings unravel slowly and beautifully, but life doesn't spare them (and nor does their enemy – the skin-walker), and they must face many trials before their happy ending. This story is for you if you love detailed surroundings, Native American theme, shape-shifters, slow-burn romance, and dialogues that make you chuckle. Here's the link if you wish to buy this book.
Happy reading, my lovelies!
I can't believe how much I fell in love with this book, wishing to follow Harper and Antoine to push them both together.
I can't believe how much I fell in love with this book. It was not what I expected when I started reading it, but that's exactly the best part about it.
Harper is an incredibly pleasant character, and reading the book from her perspective made it easy to dive into her story, feel her grief, her pain, but most importantly - her love towards her family. She's not just a human girl - she's a kind, delightful soul, somebody I could easily imagine being my friend. Her inner world reminds me about the things that we sometimes forget to appreciate until it's gone, making the girl feel relatable and delightful - somebody who has fire within them even at the darkest times, somebody who can shine for others when their own life is as dark as it can be.
On a side note, this story did remind me of Vampire Diaries to some extent (because of the grief and lost family members) but much better written. While reading Vampire Diaries made me give up on the book, Red Magnolia made me fall in love with all characters, live her story and left me hungry for more.
In other words, I loved this book, I would read it again, and I can't wait to dive into the entire series because Harper is now my friend, not just a fictional girl from a book. Adding this to my favourite YA books, there's no doubt.
If I've caught your interest, you can get this beautiful vampire romance here.
Interview with H.D. Fortuna, the author of Primal Allure
Best wishes!
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed the interview with H.D. Fortuna as much as I did.
If you're interested in Primal Allure, here's the link where you can purchase this wonderfully sweet yet steamy story (18+ content, though).
And as a little reminder – if you love an author (any author at all) – please take your time to leave a feedback. It may not seem like a big thing, but trust me – authors live on your feedbacks. It inspires us to write more, and it means a world to us. Thank you for your time reading this.
My best wishes to everyone. Take care,
Eli