thesoulessrider's reviews
227 reviews

Burning Quarter by Melissa McSherry

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dark emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Stevie had a tough childhood and is now on the run, but she’s thriving as the badass apothecary at the Quarter, the go-to for any remedy. Enter Lennox, co-owner of BB, who’s just as obsessed with fire as she is—and even more obsessed with Stevie. New Orleans will always give me The Originals vibes, which makes the setting feel extra intense. And the junkyard scene? Absolute perfection. Between the two, Grey still takes the prize for being unhinged, but Lennox’s protectiveness over Stevie totally won me over. The ending was beautiful—she can finally live without constantly looking over her shoulder. Reading this on a bad day brought me some real comfort; Stevie’s resilience hit close to home. Just a reminder to check the trigger warnings—your mental health matters. 

Thanks Melissa for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts 
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A Kingdom of Blood and Magic by Chiara Forestieri

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dark emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mareina and Malekai have been comrades in arms for over a century, fighting side by side, holding back their feelings, and building up some serious pining tension. Mareina has this massive fear of getting close only to lose people (I feel that on a soul level, karma has taught me the same lesson a few times!). She’s got a mission to kill this big threat, and guess what? It’s her freaking soulmate, Nakoa. And yeah, he’s insanely hot, with wings and a tail that... let’s just say, does exactly what it should (iykyk🥵). Oh, and he gives those forehead and head kisses that just destroy me—someone catch me! Now, don’t get me wrong, Malekai has my whole heart —he’s the “burn the world down for you” type, and he makes her genuinely happy.
Mareina’s wings?!? Picture Digimon's angelmon wings in black, and then Nakoa’s horns (I totally pictured her grabbing them while riding him, Lucifer-style, if he’s ever back in her good graces).
The cliffhanger!😮‍💨 Who do you think she's gonna end up with?

Thanks Chiara for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts 
Coffee & Curveballs by Mika C.C., Mika C.C.

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emotional funny hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Christian’s engaged to someone else, but the second he met Madison, it was game over. Now she’s dating his best friend, and he’s stuck in a jealousy spiral, wanting her so badly but knowing he shouldn’t. And honestly, she’s just as into him. Every time they get close to confessing, something gets in the way, and I was practically begging the universe to give them a break. It’s a super slow burn, but trust me, the build-up was worth it! The spice? 🥵 Perfect. And that epilogue? I cried (happy tears I promise)🥹. This is my honest review—huge thanks to Mika and Bookwormproofreading for the chance to read this. Sports romance lovers, don’t sleep on this one!
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My Turn by Madilyn DeRose

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

So, Jayce is straight-up obsessed with his twin brother’s girl, Alana, and when I say obsessed, I mean will do literally anything to make her his. Alana falls for the wrong twin, and let me tell you, this story is dark. Like, really dark—I’m talking pitch black. I usually handle heavy content pretty well, but this one had me muttering “WTF” more than once. I even shed a few tears—not because it triggered me, but because I legit wanted to save Alana from Jayce’s messed-up decisions and give him a good smack. I kept wishing Jayce would've come clean, like he mentioned, and maybe they could’ve fallen in love the right way. The author gave us two endings (HEA and non-HEA), both twisted in their own way, and yep, the spice level was high. Madilyn!! I’ll never look at coffee creamer the same way🤯. So, while this wasn’t my personal favorite, I can totally see it being someone’s next 5-star read. Mental health matters so please for the love of God check the TWs. 

Thanks Madilyn and Booksirens for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Run To Me by S. Wilson

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dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0

Alright, buckle up because Enzo is unhinged in the best way possible. Robyn, our quiet, book-loving bookstore owner (you know I love an FMC who reads), meets her match in Enzo, who’s giving full-on Diesel from Den of Vipers energy—possessive, protective, and yeah, he’s got a pierced 🍆. The way he’s only soft for Robyn and his family(um..sometimes)? Swoon. And Enzo with those forehead kisses? I’m 🫠 It was hilarious watching him get all nervous about what Robyn’s thinking while he’s out here being a total alpha otherwise.Sorry, Luca, but I’m switching teams—#TeamEnzo all the way! A man who anticipates your every need before you even know you need it? 🥵 Yes, please! The slow-burn spice was top-tier, and the surprise twist—wow. No spoilers here, though, you’ve gotta read it for yourself. Oh, and can we talk about Enzo’s soft spot for Izzy? Too cute. Marco’s moments with Robyn? Adorable.Seeing Luca, Izzy, and everyone back again in this book was the cherry on top (psst, I’ve ARC-read it—my review is somewhere out there in the abyss if you wanna check). While it’s an interconnected standalone, I highly recommend reading book 1 first. Oh, and heads up: check the TW, especially for mental health.
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Drive Me Wild by Carly Robyn

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh God, this book had me crackling from the start! It was so fun seeing Blakey Blake and Ella from book 1 again, and then we get to Josie, the SMM of McAllister F1, and Theo, the hot Aussie race driver who is every bit the charming f***boy. Their banter? Bombastic.Theo’s love for driving is all about the total control he feels behind the wheel, and honestly, I get it. That complete control is chef’s kiss 😮‍💨🤌🏻. I’m torn between smacking him for thinking with his 🍆 or kissing him for being the sweetest, going above and beyond for Josie. He’s 100% golden retriever energy with German Shepherd muscle. I love when the MMC admits his mistakes and works on himself instead of being a narc, and Theo absolutely treats Josie like the goddess she is. He’s so smitten—like, “you’re so whipped” smitten. Carly absolutely nailed it with this one! I might be biased as an F1 fan, but reading this on Charles’ birthday felt like the perfect day to dive in.

I was glad Aly recommended book 1, and a big thank you to Valentine PR and Carly for this beautiful ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Sinners Retreat by Lauren Biel

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dark emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Kindra, our journalist with a side gig as a serial unaliver, is out for revenge, while Ezra, a PI who’s also got a thing for unaliving, makes them the ultimate messed-up power couple. She’s tracking down her brother’s killer (and no surprises there, I totally called it), but omg Ezra—this man is pure 🔥 and knows exactly what he’s doing, iykyk. The found family aspect? It hit me right in the feels, shining through the madness. And can we talk about the pineapple incident? I died laughing. The whole cattle hunting thing might sound disturbing, but I was cracking up—haven’t laughed that hard in a while. The ending sealed the deal, and now I’m dying for book 2. First time reading Lauren’s work, and I’m officially obsessed!

PI X Journalist
Serial unalivers
Friends with benefits to lovers 
He falls first 
Cinnamon roll MMC

Thanks Lauren, Booksirens for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts 

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Defeated Demons by Jessica Girke

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emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

4.0

Jessica, you really had me tearing up with the final chapter of Nate and Lynn's story in Defeated Demons! Years later, they’re married with twin daughters—Ann (yep, named after Lynn's sister) and Luna. The kids’ nicknames are adorable, and fatherhood really suits Nate. Wow, Nate, I didn’t know you were a wolf lover like me! 😱 Holger's story was so beautiful, and for 3-year-olds, Ann and Luna are super smart! And the surprise with Oliver and Marta? I’m so happy for them! Honestly, I don’t have much to say except Jessica gave them the perfect ending they deserved. Nate and Lynn have finally defeated their demons. If you haven’t read book 1 and 2 yet, you need to!
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Bloody Quarter by Brooklyn Cross

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dark emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Alora just got out of prison, carrying the weight of her past, and then there's Greyson—our blue-eyed demon who's out here hunting for his next prey. He sets his sights on her, his new "doll" (yep, that's her nickname) and the only victim he’s decided to keep for life. Y’all, this man is unhinged and OBSESSED. The HP references? Loved them. I spent 90% of the time with my jaw on the floor or laughing out loud (Greyson being jealous of a puppy? I can't). But let’s talk about the bar scene—Brooklyn!!! 🔥🙇🏻‍♀️ That ending was perfect. Alora and Greyson are a match made in hell, no doubt. This book is unhinged, so seriously, check the TW/CW. Mental health matters!
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Oh No, I Shot A Spaceship And Kissed An Alien Cyberchef by Kate Sinner

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challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Okay, so Nolen is this alien chef who's totally into his human assistant Laura, and she's feeling the same way. But Nolen's got this whole "I'm not good enough for her because I'm disabled" thing going on, while Laura's just dealing with her own baggage from Earth. And I'm just sitting here like, "Dude, she loves cooking and taking care of others! Sure, she's messy, you're a neat freak, but come on—open your eyes, mate!" Their banter is everything, and the way they look out for each other, especially when she literally saves his life, had me hooked. The spice? On point. Plus, the found family vibe in this book really shines, and I loved seeing familiar faces from the earlier books in the series. Oh, and the alien translators? Hilarious—especially when they throw out lines like [Come up with a better insult here] 🤣. If you’re into cute, spicy alien novellas, this one’s the perfect palate cleanser or slump buster!
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