Item: House of Burning Frost
Rating: 5
Author: Jen

BOOK REVIEW: House of Burning Frost (The Kingdom of Crows #5) by Olivia Wildenstein

House of Burning Frost (The Kingdom of Crows #5)
by Olivia Wildenstein
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
FAKE AN ENGAGEMENT TO THE ICE KING TO TRAP AN ENEMY.

END THE SHAM BETROTHAL ONCE THE FOE IS CAUGHT.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

If I were mortal, the epitaph on my tombstone would read: 'Here lies Isla Ríhbiadh, cherished daughter of Fallon and Lorcan, crown princess of Luce, and blunderer like no other.' Luckily, I'm an immortal shifter sorceress, so my countless slipups haven't resulted in my untimely demise. Yet. When my latest blunder lands me in the steam chamber of a very naked and very irritable Faerie king, I worry the pointy-eared Glacin will dispose of my body under six feet of solid ice. Instead, he suggests we get married. Our betrothal is purely strategic, meant only to trap King Konstantin's shifter-hating enemies. He's uninterested in finding love, and I'm uninterested in falling for a man who isn't my mate. A fool-proof alliance. Obviously, I'm a fool for thinking this, since nothing I ever do goes right. What starts as a friendly ruse soon turns into a perilous game. One that blurs the line between scheming and desire. Between childhood fantasies and adult realities. Between the Ice King and me. House of Burning Frost is a tale of peril, passion, and the power of love to transcend the confines of fate.

*This spicy standalone romantasy can be read without reading books 1-4, but, for more enjoyment, it's suggested to read the prior books.

Review:

House of Burning Frost was a steamy romantasy that was impossible to put down. With the most fabulous slow burn, sexual tension that was palpable, and moments that had me laughing out loud, I fell madly in love with this book. Mystery swirled within these pages, so I was always nervous for what would come next. With bargains, traitors, love, secrets, and friendship laced throughout this story, this book went straight onto my favorites list!

“Define little spell.”
“I could chop the tip off one of your fingers. I’d grow it back immediately.” His lips remain crooked.
“Tempting.”

Isla was someone I absolutely adored. She could be so brave and fierce, yet she could be uncertain and struggled at times with her blood casting. So when Isla had the most memorable meet cute with King Konstantin, I was nervous for her. They started off on the wrong foot, even if they had this beautiful chemistry between them. Yet with tension thrumming, I was waiting for the fireworks to explode.

When he lowers his hand, amusement has softened his own expression. “You will end up being the death of me, Miss Ríhbiadh.”

Konstantin had me from the moment he met Isla. He was charismatic, fair, protective, and logical. And when we got his point of view a little farther into the story, I was screaming! His thoughts…..oh you wouldn’t realize what they were underneath his icy facade. His country was in turmoil, and there was so much unrest, so we got to see how much he struggled with all that was on his plate. But we also got to see his thoughts towards Isla. And I absolutely loved them!

“Let the ruse begin,” the Ice King murmurs.

Watching Isla and Konstantin work together and try to find trust was so much fun! Especially when you throw a marriage of convenience on top of it. The fact that there was some animosity there, while they were pretending to be engaged, will keep you smiling. Their banter was fabulous and I loved how they messed with each other! At times it felt like they were going to explode. So with rejection, hope, and the kindling of more, I fell right along with them!

He guides my head down toward his and silences me with a kiss that streaks fire down my throat and into my chest.

While this book can definitely be read as a standalone, I can’t recommend reading the previous 4 books enough. You get to watch Isla’s parents fight for their happily ever after, and there’s so many characters from the past who make an appearance in this story. So I was cackling with delight each time a new one would appear haha. Also, the political intrigue kept us on our toes! With the mingling of fae, shifters, and humans, there was still a lot of tension and discrimination. The way it played into the storyline definitely kept me surprised!

“I don’t fucking trust anyone, Isla! I don’t even fucking trust my own general!”
Oh. That’s… unexpected. “Well, you should trust me. Or rather, you should have, for I want nothing from you. Nothing. Not your crown. Not your affection. Not your admiration. Not your coin. Nothing.”
“And I want everything!” he exclaims.

House of Burning Frost was a forced proximity, marriage of convenience that will keep you smiling from that first page to the last. And this steamy romantasy made me cry all the tears! Along with screaming with laughter too. I think this is definitely Wildenstein’s funniest books. So with the most fabulous ending ever, and getting to see so many favorites, I closed this book so happy! If you love romantasy, definitely add this one to your tbr!

“You, Isla Ríhbiadh, have set fire to my kingdom of ice and torched your way into my frozen heart.”

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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BOOK REVIEW: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Crush (n.): a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that's inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

Review:

99 Percent Mine was a hilariously sexy romcom that was laced with deeper moments filled with emotions. Darcy had known Tom Valeska since she was 8, and her twin claimed him as his best friend for life. Tom was now engaged and was overseeing the cottage renovation of the twin’s late grandmother. And usually when things got too emotional for Darcy, she bolted. And flew somewhere distant. Yet this cottage was a piece of her heart, and she was going to try her best to stick around. So she got a say in how it was renovated. So while Darcy and Tom had been friends for a long time, there was definitely a sticky background there. Darcy wasn’t the best with sensitive words or sensitive topics. And she hurt Tom years ago. So nowadays, Darcy was obsessed with what percent she had of Tom and what part belonged to her brother. And each time she won something, she bumped up that percentage a little higher.

I’m the liability he swore to take care of.

Darcy Barrett’s thoughts were absolutely hilarious and so ridiculous at times! While she was rough around the edges, and maybe that’s an understatement, I loved her! With her sugar and sweet wine addiction, the two didn’t go hand in hand with her lifelong heart arrythmia. I will say as someone who’s so conscious of her heart issues, it did bother me that Darcy didn’t take better care of her heart *cries*. Especially when it was obvious that alcohol was messing up her life. She didn’t do photography anymore and seemed to be skating by in life while making some bad choices. Life style choices, not great…alcohol choices, not great…job choices, not great. I couldn’t wait for Darcy to actually face something. And not run away like she always did in the past. Darcy was definitely the queen at bailing on life!

“What do I get in return?”
“You know, heart, soul. The usual.”
“Oh, Darce.” He sighs like I’ve learned nothing. “You’re messing with me again.”

And then there was Tom. Ohhh Tom. He was my favorite. Some of Tom’s words knocked the breath out of my lungs. And I loved how he messed with Darcy and would make the reader laugh too. Especially with the underwear thing! Yet Tom saw so much. So I wanted to cheer when he would hit the mark in regards to Darcy. But at the same time, I wanted to wrap my arms around myself while stating that it was way harsh Tai! As they worked through things between themselves and each other, I was cheering for them each step of the way. That they could love themselves. That they both could heal. And that they would find love together.

He laughs, and the afternoon sunlight turns the floating dust particles into glitter around us. It turns his eyes to whiskey, and they get me drunk. A guy like this? He’s the only one who’s ever made my stomach flip.

One thing that stuck out to me was that Darcy was a very sexual being and she had no problem sexualizing everything Tom did. It was so hot and you could just feel the tension electrifying between them! Yet miscommunication was the name of their game. He thought she had a wild night? She was truly at McDonalds lol. And neither seemed to be completely honest with the other. But as the renovation unfolded, they worked together. Helped each other. And threw in a little jealousy here and there. If you love slow burns, this book is for you! Darcy and Tom had the most fabulous slow burn!

Fuck it. If he wants honesty, I’ll give it to him. “I would have undone your belt and got down on my knees, and made you pray to God.”
“Jesus,” he says with no air.

There were also deeper emotional moments within the pages. It shocked me how much it hurt to watch Darcy fight with her twin. They both could be so stubborn. So I loved the relationship Darcy had with her bestie Truly. She told her everything! And I loved that Truly held her accountable and made her realize things. She was the most amazing woman! Yet the writing style wasn’t my favorite. It had very flowery, out there descriptions. Almost purple prose, but that’s not entirely the correct description. Once you read it, or if you already have, then you’ll know what I mean. So while I adored this book, I still had a few issues. But that epilogue was perfect! There was not only a 99 Percent Mine epilogue BUT also one for The Hating Games! And it left me closing this book with a smile on my face and being soooo happy!

His unforgettable eyes are the last thing I see before he pulls me up onto my tiptoes and puts his mouth on mine. Thunder cracks above us and then, the world goes silent.