2025 Reading Challenges Conclusion

2025 is nearly over! 2026 is looming to be conquered next! I had a lot of challenges this year. Let's see how I did!!!

Goodreads -  140/140 books. Success.

Romance Reading Bingo - 25/25 boxes. Success. 

2025 Library Love Challenge - 36/36. Success. Bonus win....using the library I saved $423.88

➜ Winter Semester: Jan. 1st, 2025 – April 30th, 2025

Book	Type
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati	ebook
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson	audiobook
Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare	audiobook
Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh	ebook
Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh	ebook
King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander	audiobook
The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare	audiobook
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson	audiobook
Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce	audiobook
The Charm School by Susan Wiggs	ebook

➜ Summer Semester: May 1st, 2025 – Aug. 31st, 2025

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson	ebook
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez	audiobook
Highland Flame by Mary Wine	ebook
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez	audiobook
Between a Highlander and a Hard Place by Mary Wine	ebook
The Key Ingredient by Susan Wiggs	ebook
The Inn at Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman	ebook
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez	audiobook
The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray	ebook
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher	audiobook
Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh	ebook
The Situationship by Abby Jimenez	ebook
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie	ebook
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie	audiobook

➜ Autumn Semester: Sept. 1st, 2025 – Dec. 31st, 2025

Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer	audiobook
The Queen of Rot and Pain by Liv Zander	audiobook
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli	ebook
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh	ebook
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch	ebook
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss	ebook
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong	audiobook
Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong	ebook
The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong	audiobook
The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket	audiobook
Happy and Merry by Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella	audiobook
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie	audiobook

2025 #Audiobook Challenge - .65/75+. Failure. 

Close but no cigar. I just can't beat this challenge. :/ 

Here is my first audio of the year vs. my last audio of the year

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge - 26/16-25 books. Success.

TECHNICALLY, I read well over 25. I just stopped counting them. I was on a mystery/thriller kick this year. I think (if I do this one again) I may up the number ;) 

2025 #TBRChallenge - 12/12. Success.

OVERALL:

I pretty much accomplished all my reading goals! I fell a little shy on the audiobook challenge, but it was close. I could try it again next year, but we'll see. 

Good year overall! 

Book Review: The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Title: The Christmas Tree Farm

Series: Dream Harbor #3

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

Format: ebook

Pages: 369

Published: October 10, 2024

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.

Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor trying to take a break from both his life and his constant desire to fix things.

But somehow fate finds Ben trapped by a blanket of snow at Kira’s farm, and, despite her Grinchiest first impressions, with the glow of the fairy lights twinkling in the trees, and the promise of a warming hot chocolate, maybe, just maybe, these two lost souls will have a Christmas they’ll remember forever…

The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed, perfect to curl up with this winter!

Review:

Book 3.

Here we follow Kira, who has bought the Christmas Tree farm, but why? She hates Christmas and hates how cute this town is. Bennett is on vacation in Dream Harbor. He loves to fix things, and maybe he can help Kira fix the farm and fix her feelings on Christmas. Thanks to fate, Bennett and Kira are trapped by a blanket of snow on Kira's farm. 

You could read this as a standalone, but I feel like reading the other two will help get some backstory of the town and some of the people we come across. 

Kira is grumpy and just wants to succeed on her own. She has a lot of internal issues to deal with. She honestly needs a therapist before getting into ANY relationship.

Bennett is too sweet for his own good. He hates disappointing people. I liked him.

I did like watching these two interact. Their banter was funny. However, it got really, really old after a bit. Sure, they warm up and fall in love, but it was a long, long, LONG road. Was it...I dare say....boring at times? Sadly, yes. It took everything I had not to skip through. 

All-in-all, this was just okay. I enjoyed some of the banter, and it did feel very Christmas-y. However, there were some boring spots. I'm not sure I will continue with the series. Maybe if I have nothing else to read? I'll be nice since I do love the cover and this town. 3 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- TBR #12 (Celebration/Holiday Story)

 

Book Review: The Princess and the Pea by Victoria Alexander

Author: Victoria Alexander

Title: The Princess & the Pea

Genre: Historical Romance, Fairy Tale retelling

Format: Paperback

Pages: 354 

Published: January 1, 2009 

Where I got It: My shelf (Used book store)

Summary: 

A true American princess, Cecily White stood to inherit her father’s business empire. And with the twentieth century right around the corner, the independent beauty had no intention of marrying some foreign nobleman seeking her money. Then on a trip to England, Cece fell under the spell of a dashing peer who had more to recommend him than the length of his title and the size of his countinghouse. But Cece wouldn’t surrender her heart to the virile Earl of Graystone until he proved that the only treasure he wanted was her love.

Review:

I picked this up forever ago, and it has just been collecting dust on my bookshelf. Yayy for reading challenges to get me to pick up these dusty books!!

Here we follow Cecily and Jared. Cecily is a true American princess who stands to inherit her father's business empire. She is everything society wants: beautiful, rich, and polite. However, she is independent and has no desire but to marry for love. Especially those poor English peers that only have a title and debt in their pockets. However, there is something about Jared, the Earl of Graystone, that she can't resist. 

This story started off swell. I really enjoyed it. Cece was a gem, and I liked Jared. They were perfect for each other, but they literally "fell in love" like immediately. Luckily, there were a lot of issues, and Cece isn't an empty-headed fool. He needs to earn her and really show he loves her. GOOD. He's a fortune-hunter...no better than the girls of the ton. 

I think my biggest issue was how modern everyone felt. I get being "ahead of the times" and oddities, but sometimes it was a bit much. 

And the MIL? Omg. SURE she loves her son and wants the best, BUUUUT YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE IN THE POORHOUSE. Let him marry whomever he wants. Gah. I wanted to kick her. 

Plus the side romances drove me insane. I love when side characters find love too, don't get me wrong, but it was too much. It really bled into the story sometimes. 

Even with the issues, I did enjoy the journey of these two. 

I'll stamp this with 2 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- TBR #11 (Change of Plans)

Book Review: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Author: Nalini Singh

Title: Heart of Obsidian

Series: Psy-Changeling #12

Genre: PNR, UF, SciFi

Format: ebook

Pages: 368

Published: June 4, 2013

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained blood red.

A woman whose very existence has been erased.

A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.

A deadly price that must be paid.

The day of reckoning is here.

Review:

I am making some headway in this series! Yayy!

We follow Kaleb and Sahara. Sahara has been locked up and tortured for years. On the other side, Kaleb has been looking all over the world for her. Can she even be saved? Can he bring back Sahara and untangle her mind? 

This was pretty darn dark at times. Poor Sahara. She went through SO much. Also, poor Kaleb. He has a lot going on. 

Can they save each other? Eeee I had no idea what was going to happen the entire time. I was anxious for them both and honestly...for the whole world of the Psy. Things are changing and breaking. 

I'm so glad I took a mini break from the series. I was struggling, but they rekindled my love of the series. Yayy! Sometimes a break and a good story can fix all the doubt. 

But yes, a LOT happening in this one and lots and lots of spoilers. Trying to stay as vague as possible. 

The ending has me itching for the next book. 

5 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Kaleb

Least Favorite Character(s): The Council

 Challenge(s):

- Library Love #28

- TBR #10 (Here Be Monsters)

Reading Challenges Update (July - end of September)

Happy October!!!

Let's do an update from July to today. Oct-Dec is our last push to finish our goals! 

Goodreads -  Read 100 out of 140 books. Fell a wee bit behind because of my vacations this summer/spring. But we'll catch up. The holidays are always great reading times!

Romance Reading Bingo - Only 4 boxes left to check! 

2025 Library Love Challenge - Summer Semester (May 1st - Aug 31st). 14/12 books. Went over! Yayy! Per the math we saved $140.40. 

- Autumn Semester (Sept. 1st – Dec. 31st). 2/12. Doing alright. 

2025 #Audiobook Challenge - 42/75+ books. Eeeee. Not sure if I'll be able to beat this goal. This was an ambitious goal for sure, but I wanted to try! Might have to shove in some short stories to help get to at least 75. 

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge - 26/16-25 books. Yayy! went over the total. Next year I may go up a level.

Here is the bonus book...#26 ;) 

2025 #TBRChallenge - Do the monthly prompts! So far 9 for 9. On track! 

Book Review: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

Author: Angie Fox

Title: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers

Series: Demon Slayer #2

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, UF

Format: ebook

Pages: 294

Published: April 28, 2009

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Demon slaying powers should come with an instruction book ... Seriously. Why does a new hair dryer have a twelve-page how-to manual, but when it comes to ancient demon-fighting hocus-pocus, my biker witch granny gives me just half a dozen switch stars and a rah-rah speech? Oh, and a talking terrier, but that's another story. It's not like my job as a preschool teacher prepared me for this kind of thing.

So I've decided to write my own manual, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, because no one tells me anything. Dimitri my "protector" may be one stud of a shape-shifting griffin, but he always thinks he can handle everything by himself. Only he's no match for the soul-stealing succubi taking over Las Vegas. If I can't figure out how to save him—and Sin City—there'll be hell to pay.

Review:

Yayyy for the TBR challenge making me dig through the archives of books I've meant to read but just forgot. This is a slight stretch to the prompt for this month, but it works ;)

We are back with Lizzy. She wanted a nice quiet life as a preschool teacher, but she has demon slaying powers that she needs to learn how to use. This should've come with an instruction book...maybe she'll just write it herself. While still training and learning, another task pops up. Soul-stealing succubi are taking over Las Vegas. With her friends, she will have to save Sin City and her uncle AND her protector, Dimitri. 

I really should've done a quick read of book 1. It has been SO long since I read it. I don't really remember a lot. The book did fine as a standalone I guess, but (if I remember right) there is a lot from book 1 that is important to know. 

Awwwwww that puppers of hers! I forgot how adorable he was. 

Her granny made me chuckle. 

Lizzy was sweet. 

Love our gang of biker witches. So fresh! So cool!

I wanted more of Dimitri because I barely remember him. 

But yes, this was okay. I'm glad I finally got to read this. However, I really should've done at least a quick scan read of book 1 to refresh my memory of these characters and what happened. 

I think I would've appreciated this more if I remembered more. I was confused a lot. 

3 stars from me. 

Favorite Character(s): Pirate!!!! Lizzy is lovely

Least Favorite Character(s): The uncle

 Challenge(s):

- TBR #9 (Friend squad)

Book Review: Bananapants by Penny Reid

Author: Penny Reid

Title: Bananapants

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Humor

Format: ebook

Pages: 392

Published: August 6, 2024

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Estranged childhood friends unexpectedly reunite under bizarre circumstances and bicker their way to love in this bonkers romantic comedy.

Ava Archer misses her best childhood friend most especially during the month of April. Ask any tax attorney, it's a lonely, grueling time of year. Luckily, Ava has just received a surprising and delectably absurd offer from her posh doppelgänger at work. She must pretend to be the aforementioned posh co-worker for one night at an extremely fancy party; a party so fancy, there exists absolutely no chance anyone will recognize her or suspect her ruse...

Desmond (Des) Sullivan is a thief. And not the heart-of-gold kind. He’s the steal-from-the-rich-and-give-to-the-also-rich-so-he-can-get-paid kind. He does, however, have one firm rule never steal what the target can’t afford to lose. After a brutal falling out with his father, Desmond hasn’t returned to Chicago in over ten years. But when a good friend is swindled and something priceless is stolen, Desmond must return home, both as himself and his thieving alter ego. Infiltrate a dangerous secret society of the world's most elite billionaires while leveraging his estranged father’s resources and not blowing his cover? Sure. No problem. Or it wouldn’t be a problem if Ava Archer hadn’t just walked into the room, wearing a ridiculous wig, speaking with a preposterous accent, and pretending (badly) to be someone she’s not.

Review:

I've had my eye on this since it released last year. I like Penny Reid and this seemed like a fun read!

Here we have Ava and Des. The two were childhood friends, but became estranged and stopped talking. Des is trying to infiltrate a dangerous secret society with the world's most elite billionaires. However, when Ava walks in the room with a bad wig and a bad accent.....he has to intervene. Ava was doing just fine pretending to be her posh co-worker. She still doesn't fully understand why her co-worker needs her to do this, but they look a like and Ava needs this. The reunite under these weird circumstances that will lead to adventure and love. If they don't bicker each other to death.

At first...I really enjoyed this. I was loving the banter and bickering. You could tell they cared about each other, but the past has a funny way of messing up the present. 

Also, I loved that we dealt with mental health in such a good way. It never felt like too much and it felt real. 

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut.....after page 100 (ish)....I just....was done. I skimmed my way through the remaining book. I just couldn't care. What is wrong with me??? Everything was set up nice. A good plot and some good characters. But it just didn't connect for me. 

Am I the problem? This is 2 books in a row that I yawned my way to the end. 

Am I in a slump?

Oh no. 

This just wasn't the book for me. 

2 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): eh

Least Favorite Character(s): meh

 Challenge(s):

- TBR #8 (Do the Hustle)

Book Review: Regeneration by Pat Barker

Author: Pat Barker

Title: Regeneration

Series: Regeneration #1

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 260

Published: May 30, 1991

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

In 1917 Siegfried Sasson, noted poet and decorated war hero, publicly refused to continue serving as a British officer in World War I. His reason: the war was a senseless slaughter. He was officially classified "mentally unsound" and sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital. There a brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. William Rivers, set about restoring Sassoon’s “sanity” and sending him back to the trenches. This novel tells what happened as only a novel can. It is a war saga in which not a shot is fired. It is a story of a battle for a man's mind in which only the reader can decide who is the victor, who the vanquished, and who the victim.

Review:

This has been on TBR list for eoooons. Since High School! *coughs* Many, many years. Eek. So the TBR challenge was perfect to get me to dust this bad boy off and give it a read. 

It is 1917 and Siegfried Sasson refuses to continue fighting in the war. He is a noted poet and decorated war hero, but he is done. He views the war as senseless and just too much death. He is officially classified as "mentally unsound" and sent to the Craiglockhart War Hospital. Dr Rivers is given the task to fix him and get him back to the trenches. They need a man like him to help win the war. 

This started off so, so, so good. I really was enjoying it. This really digs deep into mental issues, war, trauma, morals, taboos of the time (like homosexuality), and so much more. It was deep and we see the war from a different viewpoint.

I had zero idea that this was based off of a real person. Naturally, when I was done reading, I had to do some digging and research on the fella. Very controversial person in his time. I think the author did a great job bringing him to life and giving us a possible look behind the mask. 

I enjoyed it overall. But the last quarter of the book...bored me. That sounds SOOOO bad, but I was ready to be done. Honestly, I think this should've been a novella. Lots and lots and lots of talking. Which I enjoyed, for the most part, but I found myself wanting to skim. It could've been the writing style lost me a bit as well. The flow was jarring and disjointed sometimes. 

All-in-all, I liked this. I'm glad I finally got my hands on this and can remove it from my TBR list. I needed a nice serious novel and this gave me what I wanted. We got some deep dives into many issues of the time and to be fair...we still struggle with some of these issues. It was good even with my issues of the last quarter of the book. I'll stamp  this with 3 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- TBR (Back in My Day) #7

Reading Challenges Update (Year-to-Date)

Happy Mid-July!

Meant to do this at the beginning of June as a half-way there update. But life...and my brain is that of a goldfish so I totally blanked. Let's give a Year-to-Date update! 

Goodreads -  Read 68 out of 140 books. Fell a wee bit behind because of my vacation. Whoops. I'll catch up...I swear. 

Romance Reading Bingo - Full sheet.4 bingos. Nearly have all the boxes checked!!

2025 Library Love Challenge - Winter Semester (1/1 - 4/30). 10/12 books. Failed Winter by 2! Crap. 

- Summer Semester (5/1 - 8/31). 5/12. Not doing too shabby. I'm hoping to go over the 12 so I can "catch" up and make up for failing Winter. 

2025 #Audiobook Challenge - 30/75+ books. Doing okay. 40% done. Not quite at halfway there at this stage in the game. 

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge - 16/16-25 books. reached the minmum!! WEEEE! I'm sure I'll hit the cap ;D

2025 #TBRChallenge - Do the monthly prompts! So far 6 for 6. On track! 

Book Review: The One Month Boyfriend by Roxie Noir

Author: Roxie Noir

Title: The One Month Boyfriend

Series: Wildwood Society #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 430

Published: May 24, 2022

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Fake dating my sworn enemy to make my ex so jealous he can't see straight?

Worth it.

Silas and I agree on one thing, and one thing only: my ruthless, heartless, narcissistic jerk of an ex-fiance needs to be taken down a notch.

So we do what anyone would do: we pretend to be a couple.

Even though Silas and I are polar opposites. Silas is a loud, cheerful, over the top showboat. He’s his hometown’s golden boy, the Marine who came back to rescue kittens from trees and walk old ladies across the street.

And me? I'm the awkward new girl who freezes up around strangers and can’t make small talk to save my life.

It shouldn’t work. We can barely have a conversation without arguing. There's no way we should be friends, let alone dating, except... Everyone believes it.

Especially my ex.

Now I'm having way too many real fantasies about the man who gets on my last nerve. My fake boyfriend is starting to feel a whole lot like a real one.

The kisses feel real.

The way he protects me feels real.

The night we spend together in a hotel bed feels very real.

This was supposed to be fake, but I think I might have fooled myself most of all.

Review:

I stumbled up this a while back and was curious about it so when it was free on Amazon I grabbed it up. Weeee love a free book. 

Kat and Silas do not like each other, but they hate her ex more SO why not fake date to get even. However, as they spend time with each other they realize they have a lot in common and maybe they can at least be friends.....or more?

Honestly, this was a roller coaster and maybe not in the best of ways for me.

This started off okay for me....got meh....got better....got meh again. Better for a hot second and then ended with me yawning. 

The characters, esp Silas, seemed to be my alley. Silas was swoon-worthy at first, but I ended up feeling neutral. Luckily I didn't hate them, but I just didn't care. I didn't buy the chemistry. I didn't buy the witty convos. Nope. 

I would've DNFed but there were moments I enjoyed so I stuck it out. PLUS I needed this for a reading challenge. ;)

All-in-all, I wish I had liked this better. I didn't "hate" it, but I ultimately didn't care by the end. Not for me. BUUUUUT there were a couple of cute moments, so I'll give it 2 stars overall. 

Favorite Character(s): no one

Least Favorite Character(s): no one....I didn't even care about the ex. I don't even remember why we had to hate him. 

 Challenge(s):

- TBR (journey) #6

Book Review: Magical New Beginnings by Brenda Trim

Author: Brenda Trim

Title: Magical New Beginnings

Series: Midlife Witchery #1

Genre: Urban Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Mystery 

Format: ebook

Pages: 215

Published: November 24, 2020

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

When life goes sideways, embracing the adventure is the fastest way to set things right.

One day I was just a widow facing the prospect of an empty nest, living a life that was anything but enchanted. The next, I had discovered my magical roots, and my rightful place as the Guardian of the portal between the Faery and Earth.

There was shock. And there was fear. After all, no one plans to start over at forty-five. I intended to grow old with my husband. I thought we’d live an ordinary life. So I’ll be damned if I’m going to waste this opportunity to live in a world I always thought was imaginary.

I’m half-witch, half-faery, and facing dangers as real as the ache in my bad knee. Ibuprofen and caffeine keep me going, and I could do this for the rest of my life. Whoever thinks my family home is an easy mark better take notice: the new Guardian in town isn’t going down without a fight.

After all, she’s already learned to let go of her simple existence and believe in the extraordinary power inside of her. What could possibly stop her now?

Review:

I've had my eye on this since it first came out. Forgot about it for a bit and then seen it was free on Amazon recently so I grabbed it!

Here we follow Fiona who is starting a new life after the death of her husband and her grandmother. However, nothing is as it seems. After inheriting the house, she finds that magic is 100% real and she has some huge shoes to fill. She is responsible for guarding this portal between the Faery and Earth. She is new to having these powers so she will have to relay on her new friends to help her. 

I really enjoyed the premise behind this. I especially loved that we have an older set of characters here. The majority of them seem to be 40+ so that is really cool! Rarely do you get a UF or PNR with older characters. Loved it. Plus the whole portal thing was cool!

Fiona was a sweetie. She acted like she was 80 instead of being in her 40s though. It did get annoying....like we get it hon. You can stop. 

I didn't like Bas....the love interest.....maybe in the next book he gets better. I think Fiona could do better if I'm being honest here.

The mystery was interesting enough and it kept me reading on. However, I had issues with the ending. It just ended. You could call it a cliffhanger...sure....but it felt like the author just cut the book in half is selling the other half as book 2. It was just so dang abrupt. 

I also did find myself struggling a bit with reading this. It felt so chunky in places and the pacing was really off. It just didn't flow for me like I would want. 

All-in-all, I did enjoy the premise and the majority of the crew. It was nice and refreshing. I might read book 2 if it is free....someday. I hope book 2 is edited a little bit better and flows better. We shall see. I'll give this 2 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Fiona

Least Favorite Character(s): Bas

 

 Challenge(s):

- Cloak & Dagger #12

Book Review: The Lily Brand by Sandra Schwab

Author: Sandra Schwab

Title: The Lily Brand

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 310

Published: June 21, 2005

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Forever Marked

Troy Sacheverell, fifth earl of Ravenhurst, was captured in France. He'd gone to fight Napoleon, but what he found was much more sinister. Dragged from prison to an old French manor on the outskirts of civilization, he was purchased by a rich and twisted widow. And more dangerous still was the young woman who claimed him.

Lillian had not chosen to live with Camille, her stepmother, but nobody escaped the Black Widow's web. And on her nineteenth birthday, Lillian became Camille's heir. Her gift was a plaything: a man to end her naiveté, a man perfect in all ways but his stolen freedom. Yet even as Lillian did as she was told, marked that beautiful flesh and branded it with the flower of her name, all she desired was escape. In another place, in another world, she'd desired love. Now, looking into burning blue eyes, she knew there was no place to run. No matter if should she flee, no matter where she might go, she and this man were prisoners of passion, inextricably linked by the lily brand.

And while her heart remained locked in ice, his burnt with hate. Would they ever find true happiness?

Review:

Been meaning to read this book for a long while. I have enjoyed the author's other books but never got my hands. on it. Thank goodness for TBR challenges ;)

Here we follow Troy and Lillian. Troy was captured in France and his luck keeps getting worse when he finds himself as a prisoner in an old French manor on the outskirts of civilization. He was bought by a rich and evil widow who gives him to his stepdaughter. Lillian had not chosen to live with her stepmother but no one escapes the Black Widow's web. However, Lillian is done and plans an escape to get her and Troy out of there. After they seperate, they think they will never see each other again....until they are reunited in England in proper society. 

This was pretty dark at times. The characters went through hell at the hands of the Black Widow. I was hoping that they would see each other as fellow victims, but Troy has a lot of issues so it takes him a while. Trauma ya know. 

This was an interesting format to the a-typical romance. Which was super refreshing. Things happen (no spoiler) and they are forced to marry, but he hates her. He blames her for what happened to him and she blames herself. It took a LOT of time for them to see sense and find their love. It took time, talking, and friends to help. I loved this.

Awwww the side love story was adorable. I want to see more of them. They were sweet beans for sure. 

But yes. For sure some triggering topics so keep that in mind.

All-in-all, I liked this quite a bit. The beginning was dark for sure. I expected it but I was still like, "WHAT?" but I couldn't stop reading. I had to see how they would find each other and have their HEA. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Lillian and Troy's friends

Least Favorite Character(s): The Black Widow and Troy's cousin. Snakes. 

Challenge(s):

- TBR #4 (Interesting location)