Series Review Archives

Series Review: Academy Of Stardom by Bea Paige

Sep 16, 2021

I hadn’t heard about the Academy of Stardom series before I joined TikTok. But as soon as I saw it, I knew that I had to read it. I love dance movies, but I haven’t read many if any dance books, and I didn’t know what I was missing. This series won’t be for everyone. It’s dark, it includes a reverse harem and there are many triggers and content warnings that you will need to be aware of. But if you don’t mind them, then I suggest you give this series a go.

As I said this series does include dark themes and a reverse harem, to add to this it is 18+. The Academy of Stardom series follows Pen as she begins her time at a new dance school. What she didn’t expect to see was the boys – the men that changed her life, but also tore it to shreds. Now back together, Pen has to decide if she will forgive, if they can forgive her and if they can love each other again.

There will also be small spoilers from the series in this review. I tried to keep these at a minimum, but as I am talking about the whole series, it did become a little hard. So there might be a few here.

Content and Trigger Warnings: Abuse on and off the page, death, gun violence, sexual assault, drug and alcohol use, violence and dubious activities.

I didn’t know what to expect from the Academy of Stardom series. I hadn’t heard of the book or author before I picked it up. But I kept seeing it all over TikTok and I knew that I needed to give it a go. I’ve been slowly trying different romances and that makes me really excited. And this series took me by surprise. While I didn’t love and it’s not my favourite reverse harem that I have read, it’s still such a great series and not something that I have seen before.

As I said the first book in the series Freestyle begins with the protagonist’s, Penelope or Pen, audition for a chance at a new life, at a dance school. What she doesn’t expect to see are the men that not only changed her life for the better but also ruined her. It was a really interesting contrast; Pen’s reaction to seeing Xeno, York, Zayn and Dax again – she couldn’t decide if she loved them or hate them – and that made everything much more interesting. And they couldn’t decide how they felt either.

Pen and her men have a messy past and this is truly a love to hate to love romance and it was done so well. You could feel the tension with all of them. From the hatred and hurt that they all felt, to the love that they had. Freestyle is more about setting up not only the world but the characters and their relationships. While there is a lot that happens, it’s built on some fantastic characters development. Flashbacks play a great deal in the first book, and it leads to the reader not only knowing Pen and her men, but also knowing what broke them apart.

Photo by Henrique Junior on Unsplash

I really enjoyed Pen as the protagonist. She was really easy to get along with and I just felt like I could read about her life for ages. There were times where I just wanted to give her a hug and then there were other times where I wanted to make her see what was happening. Pen went through a lot before this series even started. And gosh, is it thrown about here.

Xeno, York, Zayn and Dax are all very different from one another and I really enjoyed that. I have found that sometimes when I read reverse harems I get confused on who is who. But I didn’t feel that here. At the start, it took me a while to understand who was who, but it honestly didn’t take long and wasn’t a big deal. I loved that they all not only had different personalities. But they danced differently too. It just made everything that more exciting. I don’t really know who exactly my favourite is, but I do have a soft spot for Dax that is for sure.

The romance is a true love to hate to love romance. There is so much angst and angry between Pen and the boys and it’s true hate at times. So much so I could feel it. But you can also see much they love each other, it’s why they hated each other so much. But once they let go of all the hate, the lies, the secrets. It was hot and very spicy. I’ve been reading more and more reverse harems over the last few months. Some I haven’t liked, some I loved. And this one I really did enjoy. Pen had such a different relationship with each of them. And this made for such interesting dynamics. Things weren’t just hot when they have sexy time, but when they dance – damn.

Photo by Markus Gjengaar on Unsplash

As I said this series is dark. And while the first book is the tamest of them all, it’s in Lyrical, book two that things start to heat up. And I don’t mean just with the group. Things start to get much messier and much more dangerous. And as each book goes on things get darker. It’s not one of the darkest books I read, but it deals with some pretty heavy things. Including mafia and gang ties. I wasn’t expecting certain things that happened in the book, but that made it so much more interesting. I didn’t know what to expect.

A great way that Pen and her men’s past is explored is through flashbacks. Normally I’m not a massive fan of them. I feel that it can take away from the story being told and I don’t feel as connected. However, I didn’t feel like that in the Academy of Stardom series. Nearly all of the flashbacks had their purpose. They mattered. And while I didn’t love all of them, I can see why they were used.

The writing and dance terminology was a little up and down for me. I know the basics of dance, but I did feel like it took me a while to understand what was happening during the dance scenes. There were times where I had to re-read a sentence a few times to understand how the body was moving. One thing that Bea Paige did very well is that she knows how to write emotions. There were quite a few times throughout the whole book, but especially Finale, that really got to me.

Photo by Charly Pn on Unsplash

Overall, I had a great time reading the Academy of Stardom series. It’s hot, spicy and full of lots of tension. It’s a great reverse harem and no one gets left behind. Academy of Stardom is a great mix of dark and light. There are some pretty horrible things that happened throughout the book, but there are also some pretty amazing things. Pen was a fantastic protagonist, and her men are just as great. If you are looking for a new and exciting series to start that is intriguing, different and spicy – then pick this one up for sure.

Have you read the Academy of Stardom series by Bea Paige? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? What are some romance books that you have read recently and loved?

Madison Kate by Tate James | Series Review

Jul 15, 2021

The ‘Madison Kate’ series by Tate James has been on my tbr for some time now. I didn’t know if I was going to ever read it, but it had always been in the back of my mind. Recently after joining TikTok my need to read this series so I did it. I love that it’s on KU – it makes reading these series so much easier and I can do it. And after reading it, I thought I should share my thoughts with you all.

Just a quick preface, this series does include a reverse harem, dark themes and is 18+. The ‘Madison Kate’ series follows Madison after she is set up and charged with a string of offences and made an example of by her father. Now she is back in town and wants revenge. But what she doesn’t expect when she arrives back is Archer D’Ath and his merry men to be living right down the hall. There is a thin line between hate and love – and many lines are crossed in this series.

WARNING – There will be small spoilers from each book in this discussion. I’ve tried not to spoil too much, but there might be some here and there.

Hate: The first book in the series is an interesting one. A lot is going on and the reader is thrown into the thick of it. I actually liked it that way. I think it’s a great way to start not only a book but a series. It’s not only engaging but demands the reader to keep on reading the book. Hate starts off the night that kicks of everything. It’s intense, will keep you on the edge of your seat and you won’t be able to put it down. You know what is going to happen but you don’t know how and when. And then it does.

When Madison Kate returns she is out for revenge. But she is in for one hell of a surprise. Archer D’Ath and his boys and her new housemates. What starts as revenge turns into something more and MK doesn’t know what to feel.

MK is a very interesting protagonist throughout the whole series. She isn’t easy to like – but that made me like her even more. I really enjoyed that she wasn’t likeable, it added another dimension to this book and the series. She isn’t nice, she doesn’t want to be nice and she does not care what people think. That makes for a protagonist that is sharp-tongued, smart and knows what she wants.

The romance is very interesting. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a romance here in the first one yet. While it does become that in the rest of this series. There is still a lot of hate going on in this book, which stops all of them from having feelings. I enjoyed the tension between all of them. MK and Archer have the most hatred between one another. But that doesn’t stop her from having feelings for him. Or having any feelings for Kody or Steel.

Archer is a dick – but I still really enjoyed getting to know him. Kody is crazy and I loved it. He was the first of the men that I was able to connect with. And then there is Steel, who I think just needs a big hug and someone to hold him tight. I feel like the men didn’t have massive arcs in this book.

I did find the pacing a little strange for the first half of this book. However, I can’t exactly pick up what I didn’t like about it, however towards the end it really picked up and I couldn’t put the book down.

Overall, this is a fantastic start to the series and I’m taken aback by how much I did enjoy it. It has elements that I enjoy reading from other books – so it shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Liar: After the previous book’s ending, I just right into Liar – and let me tell you it was a ride. I think this is my favourite of the four books. It’s that great combo of being intense and full of high stakes, while also having those quiet moments that you love in a romance.

Liar pretty much starts from the ending of the first book. So the reader is thrown back into the world of MK and her men. At the moment a lot of what is going on between them is full of hate and dislike. This drives each of them to do some questionable things.

Along with all of this, MK’s stalker is now becoming much more dangerous. You have no idea what is going to happen next and that is what makes this book so intense. I have said this before, and I still stand by it. I don’t mind when I can guess a few things that might happen in a novel here and there. Especially in regards to a mystery. I think that makes for good writing. The author has left enough crumbs for you to figure out what is going on. And I think that is what happens here. I was able to guess a few things – but then other things were thrown at me. And I loved that.

The romance in this one is very interesting. You can see that all the boys care for MK and she cares for them. But they don’t nearly let themselves see it. There were so many times throughout this book that I wanted to just scream at them all. In saying this we do get some moments here and I loved it so damn much.

I also feel like we get to see more of Archer, Steele and Kody throughout Liar. They get to really become their own people here. They start to form a great character arc that goes through this book and the whole series. The reader also gets to see the men a little vulnerable here. Their walls start to break down just a little and they let MK in.

The ending on this one was intense! It was so intense that I had to put the book down just to wrap my head around what was happening. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It’s full of high stakes, the romance is intensified and I couldn’t put it down.

Photo by Nikola Jovanovic on Unsplash

Fake: I was not prepared for this book. I was not ready to be hurt. I was not ready for the pain. But also some of the confusion. I didn’t particularly like the way that this one started. It just felt like we lost something as a reader because of the time jump and what happened in it. Because of this, I felt very disconnected at the start. It took me a little while to get back into the story. But once that I did get into it, I wasn’t able to put it down.

This whole series has kept me engaged from the start. I managed to read the whole series in about a week because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. And this one especially kept me on the edge of my seat. There was just so much tension not only between characters but because of the plot as well.

MK is having a really hard time in this book. She feels alone, disappointed and betrayed. She trusted Archer and the boys and now she doesn’t know what to do with herself. Because of this, she puts her trust in some old and new faces – and things aren’t exactly how they seem.

Things are also starting to heat up in regards to MK and her stalker in this one. Things are getting out of hard. And while she knows that she can’t trust Archer, Kody and Steel. She does know that they will protect her. She is feeling helpless and she doesn’t like that at all.

I think we really get to see another side of not MK, but her men as well. MK starts to become not just physically but mentally stronger – and with what is coming she has to. The reader can see Archer, Kody and Steele vulnerable side. Which isn’t something they want anyone to see.

The romance in this one has its many ups and downs. After we find out the big news at the end of book three, there is a lot of hate going on between MK and the boys. There is also a lot of hurt in this one. But slowly as the novel goes on and the stakes get higher MK walls to start to break again. And she can’t help but let her men back in.

Overall, this was a great third novel in the series. The stakes are becoming even higher, the romance is heating up and MK is even more dangerous than before. But she not only has Archer, Kody and Steel by her side, but a few others that she didn’t know she would have.

Photo by Ksenia Makagonova on Unsplash

Kate: I know I said it before but the intensity of this series is insane. I had to jump on the last book right away because I needed to know what on earth was going to happen next. If you thought the other books in the series had high stakes, then you are not prepared for this one. Everything we know has been leading up to this book and it didn’t disappoint. It’s high paced, intense and exactly what I wanted it to be.

Following the events from previous books, MK just wants everything to end. She has been stabbed, tormented, stalked and everything in between. She wants to move on, she wants freedom. And she wants her men. This is the book where we finally get to see them all let down their walls and let each other in.

As I said before, there were a few things that I already guessed in the previous books in the series. But there were a few surprises in Kate. I loved that I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen next, it made for a more intense and entertaining read.

The romance absolutely intensifies in this one. MK finally lets her walls down full and lets all her men in. She knows that they would do anything for her, especially love her. Archer was the most stubborn of the lot, but that is what makes their relationship much more interesting. It was fantastic. Both Kody and Steel were sweet and charming, but you never wanted to mess with them. You know from the start that they would do anything for MK. It was just great to see them all work together, try and figure everything out.

I haven’t really talked about this much, but I did want to make a quick mention of it. The writing style of Tate James is very easy to read. It just flows nicely, and I was never really stumped by anything. Sometimes I did feel that the pacing was a little off here and there, but it wasn’t a major deal. These are long books, and if you don’t like long romance books these aren’t for you. But I really did enjoy it.

Overall, this was a great ending to the series and a great pathway to the Hades series. MK was such a fantastic protagonist. She isn’t easy to love, but that is what makes her so interesting and addicting. Archer, Kody and Steel are rough and tough, but they protect their women with everything they have.

Photo by Sophie Keen on Unsplash

Overall, I had a blast reading the Madison Kate series. It’s not going to be for everyone. It’s dark and rough and it has a reverse harem. But it was so enjoyable. And now not only do I want the physical books of this series, but I can’t wait to start more from Tate James. I’m waiting till the Hades series is finished before I pick it up. But does anyone have an idea of what I should read next?

Have you read this series before? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Have you read many darker romances before? Let’s Chat!

Series Review: Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh #1

Oct 11, 2020

It’s been a long time coming, but I finally started the Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh. It’s one that has been on my radar for a long time. I always walk past it at work and go to pick it up, but never have. But with Nick talking about it and loving it so much, I had to give in. And I fell in love. So today I thought I share my thoughts on the first four books in the series that I have read.

The Psy-Changeling series follows two Changeling packs, the DarkRiver Leopards, and the SnowDancer Wolf Pack as well as the emotionless Psy and humans who at first seems to be the weakest of them all, but now fields are levelling and things are about to get interesting.

Slave to Sensation: I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this series. I haven’t read many paranormal romances before. But as soon as I started reading Slave to Sensation, I knew that I made the right decision. The first book in this series follows Sascha Duncan as she tries to hide her emotions that her kind deems flawed. Because if the Psy knew, it wouldn’t be good for her. When Lucas first meets Sasha, he thinks she is his ticket for answers, but he soon learns that she is more than she seems. But they both come from conflicting worlds and on different sides of a brewing war. Will they give in to temptation or hold their feelings close to their hearts?

Slave to Sensation is the perfect start to this series. It’s fast-paced, sexy and takes you for a ride. As soon as I started it, I feel in love with the characters, plot, writing and world, and I couldn’t it down.

Sasha was such an interesting protagonist. At first, the reader thinks that she is cold and calculated. But as the novel goes on, we understand that it’s a front. Not only does she have to hide her emotions from the Psy council but it’s the way she has been taught. I adored that Lucas and the rest of the DarkRiver Leopards can break her down and show her a new way of life.

Lucas was an alpha male in more ways than one, but he was also sweet and would do anything for the people he loves. It was great to see this contrast. I also love seeing how different authors write ‘true alphas.’ And I think that Nalini can have a great balance here.

The romance was adorable, sexy and everything that I look for. I like that it was a forbidden romance combined with an enemy to lovers. It was fantastic. I adored that the reader can see both Lucas and Sasha slowly fall for one another. It was especially interesting to see Sasha discover her feelings and what they are.

One of my favourite things about Slave to Sensation was that everything wasn’t info dumped. I sometimes find that when I start a new series, especially one with a world as advance as in this series. Things can be thrown at the reader. But information about the world and characters were slowly dripped into the book and it made for such a great read.

Overall, I adored Slave to Sensation. It was a fantastic first book and explores not only Sasha and Lucas. But the world as well. Plus, I haven’t even talked about the Cubs. Oh gosh. They are incredible. I love the world, the characters, the pact and everything else. Basically, I knew I would love the rest of the series, just from this book.

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Visions of Heat: When visions of blood and murder start to torment Faith NightStar it’s a bad sign for anyone. As an F-Psy she is widely sought out for her ability to predict the future. But she has to be careful, and when the visions turn to something even more dangerous, she doesn’t know what to do. Because succumbing to these desires, could also mean the end of her. When Faith catches the eye of changeling Vaughn D’Angelo things are about to get even more interesting. But while Vaughn wants sensation, it could snap Faith’s last thread of sanity.

Visions of Heat was a fantastic second book and not only introduced us to some new characters but made sure the characters we already love is present. I felt that this one had a different feel to the previous book, and I loved that.

Faith was intriguing from the get-go. I loved that we get to know more about the Psy world with her gift. It was a fantastic way to see more of the world, without info dumpling everything. Faith had to do a lot of growing throughout the book and it was nice to see. The reader gets to see Faith not only discover the world but also rediscover herself.

Vaughn caught my eye from the first book and I’m glad that we were able to get to his book early. He is intense and mysterious and that made for a great male protagonist. He is different from the others in his pack. Yet they still treat him like family, and I adored that.

The romance was once again fantastic in Visions of Heat. It was intense and interesting, and I adored seeing both of them fall for one another. Like Sasha, Faith doesn’t understand the notion of emotions add to that she is an F-Psy and things get intense. It was great to see the contrast between the two. I liked how Vaughn didn’t push Faith and let her grow on her own, but also gave her a little shove when she needed it.

The plot is pushed again in this one and the overall arching plot starts to take form. I love that we get to know more about the world as a whole throughout the book and it builds on things we know from book one. It’s really well done and I wish more authors were able to do it this way.

Overall, Visions of Heat was a fantastic read. I loved the intensity, the feeling like the reader is on the edge most of the time and how everything is moving forward. The romance was steamy and intense. It explores first love, new sensations and learning to understand again. Faith and Vaughn felt different from Sasha and Lucas but still had the same energy that I love.

Caressed by Ice: Judd Lauren was once an elite Arrow soldier forced to do terrible things for his people. Now in hiding with the people he once called his enemy. Once a deadly assassin he was cold and callous until he meets Brenna. Before she was abducted Brenna was innocent. Now her she evil runs deep inside of her. And when a body turns up, Brenna feels like she could fall to the maddens, but Judd is her hope. But her intensity goes again everything that makes up Judd. Now they both have many things to overcome.

Judd is such an interesting protagonist in Caressed by Ice. He has some pretty horrible demons. As an Arrow, he had to do things at the time he thought was right, but as his time with them went on he knew they weren’t. And when his family walked into trouble, he had to step in and help. It was fascinating seeing him understand what he did and how he learns to live a new life. He has to come to terms with this new chance of life he has been given.

With older brothers and an overprotective pack, Brenna needs some air. Ever since she was recused from a serial killer, she has needed space. Her mind was violated, and she has never felt the same. She feels like she is suffocating. I liked that the reader gets to see Brenna heal throughout the novel. And while she isn’t 100 per cent, we get to see her make some process.

The romance was so well done in Caressed by Ice. It was sweet and steamy and just worked so well. Both Judd and Brenna have had a lot happen to them. And it takes them both a long time to give in to each other. I liked that they both helped each other as well let each other find themselves.

I felt that this was one of the darker books in this series so far. Everything is starting to build up. People are dying, people getting seriously hurt. It’s intense and at times I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

Overall, I just love this series. Caressed by Ice is very different from the first two books. It still has the same feel and there is no doubt its part of the same series, but I feel it’s much darker. Both our protagonists have been through a lot, they both have many demons to overcome. It’s also our first real look at the SnowDancer Wolf Pack which I loved. It’s a fantastic addition to the series.

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Mine to Possess: As a powerful sentinel of the DarkRiver pack, Clay Bennett has a place where he feels like he belongs. But it wasn’t always that way. Growing up with his human mother he didn’t know his changeling father. He didn’t know the like of a pack member. Because of that, he tried to hide his animal nature and because of that, he murdered someone. And that he lost more than his freedom he lost his best friend Talin. Talin McKade just survived her childhood. She never thought she would see Clay again, but she needs help and he is the only that can help her. But seeing each other again brings back old memories and some of them aren’t good.

This is the first book in the series where the love interest is human. Which was so intriguing. It added another element to the series and more depth. It’s a strange feeling. There is so much going on in this series. But I never feel overwhelmed – and I think that is fantastic.

Clay is one of the darker characters from the series. He has demos that he has never been able to deal with and with Talin back in his life, it’s time to. For a long time, he believed that she was dead, and it hurts him a lot when he finds out that she is alive. It was interesting seeing the dynamic of Clay change and grow throughout the book.

Talin was interesting. I didn’t fall in love with her right away, like other characters in the series. It took me a while to warm up to her. But as Mine to Possess went on and she started to let go a little, I enjoyed her a lot. Like Clay, she has been through a lot before the novel. And all she wants to do now is find the children that she has grown to love.

The romance in Mine to Possess is a mix of second chance and friends to lovers. While they weren’t together before, I think in time it could have happened. And because of all their past, they want to be friends at first. They both have issues with one another and as the novel goes on, they start to fall.

We get to see much more of the world in this book. We get to meet different changelings, humans and even Psy. Some interesting things happen in this novel and it again pushes the overarching plot of the series forward. I’m enjoying that while each book has its own storyline, it still adds to the series.

Overall, Mine to Possess is a fantastic addition to the series. I liked that Clay and Talin were different from other couples in the series. It was interesting seeing the human and changeling dynamic. It’s also a second chance, friends to lover’s romance and I’m here for that. Plus, more cubs. I can’t deal with baby shifters. I just can’t.

Photo by Steven Kamenar on Unsplash

***

Overall I am just loving this series so far. I’ve currently got all the books up to book 11. I’m trying to take this series slow and just read a few books at a time. But it’s hard because I’m just enjoying it so much. I’m loving all the characters, the world, the writing, the plot. The cubs! It’s all fantastic.

Have you read any of the books in the Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh? What do you think of it? Who are some of your favourite characters? Do you plan to read this series? Let’s Chat!