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Desola

@desola_reads

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romance + romance fantasy book lover

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I’m soo excited to get back on my zoom this year guys! A few books I’m reallyyy excited to read and talk about! 🥳🫶🏾 please send through recommendations (I can never have too many) & let me know if you’re excited to read any of these too!

#tbr #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #booktok #romance #romantasy by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

Long time no see guys! These are a few of books that I’ve enjoyed recently (yay!) and not forced myself to finish or DNF’ed (did not finish) from pure frustration as has become the norm recently 😂

#bookstagram #romantasy #booklover #romance #romancebooks #bookrecommendations #romancebookstagram by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

Crowns of Nyaxia (The Nightborn Duet) - Carissa Broadbent

This is easily one of my top five romantasy series. It’s about Oraya, a human raised by a vampire king as she joins a deadly tournament, called the Kejari where there can only be one winner. There she meets Raihn, another opponent in the tournament and we get to watch their growing chemistry and emotions despite the circumstances. I personally really enjoyed getting to know the main characters, watching their chemistry and relationship grow despite the odds stacked against them. I also really enjoyed the storyline around her complex relationship with her adopted father - it’s messy and super grey but actually really sweet!

If you like a badass female character, enemies to lovers with a side of deadly, high stakes games (think hunger games), you’ll love this!

Have you read it? Let me know what you thought!

#romantasy #romantasybooks #bookstagram #romancebooks #enemiestolovers #crownsofnyaxia #bookrecommendations by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

The Dead Romantics - Ashley Poston

A recommendation from a true reader @ronkeaa (I thought I read a lot & fast but I thought wrong because I was shocked by how much she’s reads and how quickly she does it 😭)

I finished this book a few minutes ago and just had to come talk about it - it was such a good read!! I started this book this morning and was hooked. I laughed and then I was BAWLING (not once, not twice, but three times) and then I laughed again.

I haven’t really read many paranormal / “magical realism” books (specifically “ghost” books) and I was pretty skeptical because I assumed that they would all end terribly and if there’s one thing I don’t like, is a romance book that ends badly. Safe to say, I’ve eaten my words, GIVE ME MORE!

Not only was the banter and romance here absolutely amazing to read, I really enjoyed how the book really spoke about familial love and what it means to grow up in a household of love. I found her writing to be pretty poetic, reflective and super touching (hence my tears 😂)

Plot: Florence Day is a ghost writer who’s been struggling to finish her latest book because she no longer believes in love. She gets her book extension declined by her new editor. She has to go back home and is surprised to see the ghost of her new editor (😭 yes she can see the ghosts of dead people). They start spending time together and we watch their relationship grow and change.

Have you read this too? Let me know what you think!

#paranormalromance #deadromantics #bookrecommendations #romance #romancebooks #bookstagram #ghostromance by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

Whilst I’m still in a book funk, busy searching for the next best romance novel (help!), these are two light hearted, more “contemporary” & funny fantasy / supernatural romance books that I’ve enjoyed 🫶🏾

#bookstagram #bookrecommendations #romance #romancebooks #contemporaryromance #supernaturalromance #bookrecs by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

Continuing on from the last cutesy book I read and in the spirit of giving you books that will guarantee that you will have you giggling and kicking your feet with excitement, here you go! If there’s one thing I know, is that a Christina Lauren book never fails me. They are one of my fave romance novel writers (they are a duo)

The Nanny - Lana Ferguson

Cassie is a grad student studying to be an occupational therapist and looking for a new part time job after losing her current one. Aiden is a chef and single dad to a 9 year old girl looking for a live in nanny. The twist here is that Cassie used to have an account on Only Fans to earn extra money and Aiden used to follow Cassie on Only Fans. They’ve never seen each others faces and initially don’t realise who each other are when he hires her to be his daughter’s nanny. Warning: there is spice in this! (tropes: single dad, forced proximity)

The Paradise Problem - Christina Lauren

Anna, a broke artist and Liam, a wealthy heir to a food conglomerate got married a long time ago in order to gain access to subsidised family housing near their college campus. She thinks they’ve ended their marriage (oversight on her part) but Liam shows up and tells her that not only are they still married but he’d like her to fake their relationship to his family in order to help Liam ensure he receives his massive inheritance for a price. (tropes: forced proximity, marriage of convenience)

#bookstagram #bookrecommendations #romance #romancebooks #contemporaryromance #romcombooks #bookrecs #spicybook #romances by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

The Fiancé Dilemma - Elena Armas

So, I’ve been in a little bit of a reading funk for the past week and a half. I’ve started and paused three romance books and nothing was really working for right now. I kind of knew I was in the mood for a “light” romance read and boy oh boy, did this book come at the right time. It came out at midnight tonight and yes, I’m done reading it lol. did someone say 4am sleep time? welp.

Did this give me the read I was looking for? Did it give me all the feels and corny lines and make me feel warm and toasty inside? (with a few eye rolls thrown in there due to the corn). Was Matthew a PERFECT book boyfriend? Was the chemistry absolutely delightful from the moment they met? YES to all the above! This was a super smooth, easy and fun read. I LOVE the “fake engagement” trope (it might be my favourite, you know) and this definitely delivered on it.

Now… do I think that Josie (our main girl) perhaps could have recognised, acknowledged and dealt with her baggage slightly earlier? Maybe. But that was pretty much a fleeting thought and it didn’t hinder my experience of the book. I really enjoyed that their interactions with each other were so deeply steeped in love and care (mostly from my fave - emotionally intelligent and all round great guy, Matthew) and most things (even the emotional scenes) were approached in such a healthy and loving way.

Note: The plot is pretty much what it says on the tin (i.e. the blurb) so I’ve skipped it for this post

#bookstagram #romcombooks #elenaarmas #fiancedilemma #romance #romancebooks #romancebookstagram #bookrecommendations #booklover by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

CONTEMPORARY ROMANTASY / PARANORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS (p.s. contemporary - set in the modern world)

These are two of my recent fave “contemporary” reads. I really really enjoyed these two! They’re very well written and super interesting. The right amount of “steam” and sweetness. I also love the “fake dating” trope so the Fake Mate was right up my alley. Coincidentally, they both have werewolves - they’re the main species in The Fake Mate and one of two in Bride (the other being Vampyres). I usually don’t gravitate to romantasy books with werewolves as the main species but these were so so good that I had to read it!

My friend said she found some of the things the characters said in the steamy moments in Bride to be a bit too much, but I say INJECT IT in my veins! Bring on the corny!!! I didn’t think it was too much personally but let me know if you agree!

Have you read any of these? Let me know what you thought! by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

ROMANTASY BOOKS I’VE PRE-ORDERED

These are a few of the Romantasy books I’ve pre-ordered that I’m excited to read! Quite a few come out this August so I cannot wait!!! This is my push to you to read the books that are already out before these are released.

Are there any that you’ve pre-ordered as well? Are there any you think need to be on my pre-order list? Let me know!

1. The Songbird and the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia, Book 3) by Carissa Broadbent
2. Born of Blood and Ash (A Flesh and Fire, Book 4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
3. The Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, Book 2) by Kristen Ciccarelli
4. Of Frost and Feather (Flame Cursed Fae, Book 2) by Eliza Raine
5. Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, Book 2) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
6. A Crown of Victory and Vengeance (The Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows Series, Book 2) by Vera Raye

#bookstagram #bookrecommendations #bookstagrammer #romantasy #fantasy #romantasybookstagram #bookish #booklover by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

House of Shifting Tides - Olivia Wildenstein (Kingdom of Crows, Book 4)

Plot:

This book is told from Zendaya’s (Fallon’s mum) POV as she navigates being reborn as a new species of shifters without ANY of her memories from her previous life as Cathal’s mate. Zendaya re-learns about the world (from scratch), navigates her strange relationship with her grandmother (The Shabbin queen) and her fellow Shabbins and her feelings about Cathal all whilst also dealing with the aftermath of the drama from the previous series.

Thoughts:

I would give this book a 3.5/5. I really did like her previous books in the series (see my previous post) and I did enjoy this but I didn’t LOVE it. Zendaya and Cathal are definitely cute as a couple - he’s sweet and it was very adorable watching how protective he was of her. However, I don’t personally love second chance romances so it has to be really really good for me to love it. I didn’t love the balance of a general plot and the romance itself - I felt like bulk of the romance and cute moments came way too late for me. I also didn’t think the way the plot unfolded was the most cohesive and I felt like there were a few things about the plot that felt unsatisfying, especially at the end. I think some of my mixed feelings was came from it also being a little hard for me to switch from Fallon and Lore to a different couple. I found myself being like “ok but how are Fallon and Lore feeling and how are they dealing with this?!” at specific moments that involved both characters.

#bookstagram #romancebooks #booklover #romantasy #romantasybooks #fantasybooks #romantasybookstagram #fantasybookstagram #bookrecommendations by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

Kingdom of Crows - Olivia Wildenstein

This book is centred around Fallon, a halfling (half Fae, half human) who receives a prophecy and sets off to fulfil it in order to become queen and be with the man she likes. We follow her on her journey to free the “crows” (beings who can turn into crows who have been trapped), watch her navigate the prejudice she faces due to being a halfling and be introduced to the world of the crows and the life changing consequences that comes with this.

I really enjoyed this series and would definitely recommend. Now, I’m going to give you this disclaimer because I think you’ll need it. When I started this book, I thought Fallon was very childish, I didn’t really enjoy the storyline and I thought it was pretty obvious that Dante, the guy she really liked was RUBBISH. Like please Fallon dear, open your eyes. BUT it gets better… it really does! I’d recommend pushing past it before you write it off completely. Once you get over the world building hump, the plot starts to pick up and it hurts to say this… but when she’s introduced to the world of the crows, the plot definitely gets a LOT better. Beings that turn into “crows” are definitely a pretty unique concept to me and I haven’t come across it before. I initially found it a bit strange - (you’re telling me that these people can turn into iron crows… okayy…) but I love the characters (I mean Lorcan mostly haha) so I’m SOLD. I loved the male lead (not going to say his name and give a spoiler) - he’s mature, kind, caring and the way he treats Fallon is really sweet.

Her fourth book, a standalone spinoff of this series just came out (House of Shifting Tides) and I’m looking forward to reading it. It’s a “second chance” trope, which I don’t usually love but because I enjoyed the series, I have to read it lol. Wish me luck guys!

If you’ve read any of these books, let me know what you thought! by @desola_reads

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2 years ago

Cannot wait for this to come out this August! This is the fourth book in Jennifer’s Flesh and Fire series. This and the Blood and Ash series are soooo good guys! She is definitely part of my top romantasy authors! 🫶🏾 by @desola_reads

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2 years ago