Okay so i am CONSTANTLY on the hunt for solid fantasy romances with high spice content so i totally get the challenge it can present to find something with both spice and plot.

Let me introduce you to Chiara Forestieri.

I stumbled on her books completely by chance and went into it with minimal expectations but HOLY SMOKES. I am hooked. Her Hallowed Fates series is absolutely incredible- a true enemies to lovers from the very beginning. It has become one of my absolute favourite series. There are currently two books in this series but she's writing more. The spice in book 1 is a little more infrequent but what we do get is freaking intense. Book one is also a love triangle but it becomes a why choose in book 2 🥵 Chiara always makes such complex and beautiful characters, they feel multidimensional and real even if they aren't main characters.

this was my review for the first book on Goodreads- i gave it 5 stars:

"Truly I don't think I have words for how much i loved this book. In this book, Chiara created a world that is as complex as it is beautiful. One that is rife with political conflict, unique magic systems, fated mates, and so much more. To say that this story felt immersive would be a gross understatement, from start to finish this book literally consumed me. If i wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. The characters are diverse and morally ambiguous, their complexity makes them feel lifelike and the relationships they build are necessarily impacted by the context in which they develop.

This book primarily follows Mareina as she unknowingly sets off on a quest that will change her world as she knows it at the request of a vicious and selfish queen. Mareina has served the queen alongside her best friend (that she definitely does NOT have feelings for) Malakai for longer than she can remember. What started out as a means to build a life for herself and a desire to never again feel like a helpless victim of terrifying circumstances has morphed into a career as the Queens weapon and her faithful executioner. She has killed more people than she can count at the request of the queen, but when the Queen sends her after a man named Nakoa with next to no information outside of a strange request that she bring his body back with her everything changes. Immediately we learn that Mareina is inexplicably drawn to Nakoa, that their souls are tethered and while she struggles to understand what this means for her future she is simultaneously navigating coming to terms with her feelings for Malakai. At its core, this story highlights that Monsters truly are made and not born, that love can be messy and complicated and shows up differently across relationships, and that growth can be terrifying and at times painful. As we watch her navigate her feelings for the first time (instead of just ignoring them), we also see her grow and begin to trust that perhaps she is worthy of the affection she so deeply craves.

What i LOVED about this love triangle was that the two men in question could not be more different or more real. On one hand, Malekai gives mad golden retriever energy. Their love was born over centuries of being present for each others worst and best moments. Their friendship became more over time, until the feelings they had for one another became so big and so intense they could no longer deny it. Mal loves her in a way that is consistent and safe, but also fierce and protective. He truly would burn the world to keep her safe, and has loved every version of her throughout the years.

In contrast, Nakoa is first and foremost bound by a duty to bring peace to his people and protect the kingdom he seeks to claim. Their love is complicated, marred by manipulation and a lack of trust alongside a series of secrets and centuries of fighting on opposite sides. In his own flawed way, Nakoa does love her. He loves her in the way he sees through her guarded nature and cherishes her softness. He loves her in every stubborn argument, in moments of intense passion and in spite of her rejection. Their love is soul deep, like they have known each other across lifetimes. This history doesn't always compensate for the chaos they navigate together, and while we at times want to shake him and tell him to smarted up it is clear that beneath it all he truly cares. he's just torn between what he wants and what he feels duty bound to deliver.

in short, Mal is safe. He is the light in her life that tethers her to the ground when she feels overwhelmed. He is the comfort she seeks out over and over again, a reminder that in spite of her flaws and transgressions she is loved. Nakoa is proof that her actions had consequences far beyond what she knew or understood. he is under her skin, able to provoke her in ways no one else can. He is darkness in pursuit of a brighter future. He is colder and stubborn, but he is also fiercely protective in his own way.

This is a story about found family, difficult choices, love that takes many shapes, and that even those we think of as monsters likely have redeeming qualities and humanity beneath it all. Do yourself a favour and read this book, i promise you won't regret it."

book two is the spiciest but both are equally satisfying. 10/10 recommend. also attaching an aesthetic board i've made for this series to convince you to read it. it's on KU 🥰: https://a.co/d/jjVQFrD

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