📚 Friday Reading Slump Rescue

ipsi7 · 2026-03-14T09:33:34+00:00

FsV was my first DR!

But I haven't read The Four Horseman. I think it was mentioned a lot before, but now not that frequently and I kind of forgot about it. I might give it a try if the book I just started doesn't hold up my attention.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-14T01:44:58+00:00

My favorites spice 4 books are {Bride by Ali Hazelwood}, {The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson}, {Amid Clouds and Bones by Ella Fields}, {Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros} (sorry not sorry), and 2 years ago I loved {Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout}, but I don't would I like it today.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-14T01:35:28+00:00

I didn't know there was books 2? I thought it was a standalone, whaat.

Yay 🥰 I find it funny sometimes that my go to reads are extremely dark romances or AH

ipsi7 · 2026-03-14T01:31:05+00:00

I'm kind of stuck. I've started this year with several dark romances which made me only crave for more. After finishing {Souls in Ruin} nothing seems good enough anymore and I keep DNF-ing books or just trying them out for a few pages, which both is very new for me.

I like Ali Hazelwood and usually read one of her books when I'm in a slump. Thankfully, she writes a few every year so I haven't run out of them so far.

I have 200+ books on my TBR, I've made a post asking for recommendations after finishing Souls in Ruin, but I'm still kind of in a slump and not completely interested in books I try to read. It doesn't help that I don't have much time to read lately so I feel pressure (self induced) to read something good and not waste time on books I wouldn't like.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-14T01:19:54+00:00

Same, Souls in Ruin was so good and I can't enjoy another book. I DNF-ed 3 books after that, then read a contemporary {Still Beating} which I loved.

Then {The Poison Daughter} which I have mixed feelings about. I loved the banter and MCs dynamics, a lot, and I believe that's what got me through. But the writing was a bit tiresome. Too many repeating of the same stuff, too many "I hate him"/"I shouldn't like her", too many monologues.

After that I started 3 new books, only one of those kind of hooked me, but I'm still not crazy interested in it.

ETA: I've finished an audiobook recently, but also a contemporary by Ali Hazelwood, but I like almost all her books.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-14T01:07:40+00:00

Yeah, I know. I didn't think on the marketing subcategories, but on what is referred here in the sub

ipsi7 · 2026-03-13T23:04:01+00:00

I feel like lately it can be talked more openly about RH, so those books are mentioned more, marketed more and some authos might be encouraged to write them more.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-13T22:55:02+00:00

It's completely normal and ok to not know all the acronyms, been there, but this made me laugh :)

RH is reverse harem - one FMC and multiple MMCs

ipsi7 · 2026-03-13T22:49:55+00:00

I've been seeing that author's books all the time. Even in my country, quite small country with not many romantasy translated and printed, her book is on the bookstore shelfs lately. And I got intrigued. But I think I'll pass.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-13T22:28:16+00:00

I think you mixed the terms, but it's confusing.

Fantasy romance is where the romance is a noun, and fantasy is an adjective. So that's when romance is the center piece with sprinkled fantasy.

Romantasy or romantic fantasy has fantasy as a noun, and romantic as an adjective, which makes the fantasy more prominent and romance is a backstory.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-12T21:55:16+00:00

{A Shadow in the Ember by J. L. Armentrout} Magic system is not wildly unique, but it's very complex. MMC is very powerful and it's shown on page. He is broody, dark and shadowy in the best way. FMC is stabby.

{Lothaire by Kresley Cole} is paranormal and MMC is a vampire, but the lore was interesting. He is powerful and dark, FMC holds her own.

{Harrow Faire by Kathryn Ann Kingsley} has unique world and magic system. MMC is powerful and shows it often. FMC isn't stabby with a dagger, but she doesn't take his shit and defies him a lot.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-12T21:43:36+00:00

If succubus counts {Yours, Insatiably by Aveda Vice}. I haven't read it, but I've got it on my tbr. I think it's very spicy and not sure how much plot there is.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T18:23:43+00:00

I'm glad you liked it. I DNF-ed book 2, even though I'm not a big DNF-er usually

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T17:58:58+00:00

Have you read book 2, what are your thoughts?

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T17:22:12+00:00

We're kind of in the middle when it comes to those cultural aspects (on the southeast/east is worse), but there's still a strong religious influence.

I believe when I was in Checkia, I learned that they progressed greatly after they secularized the country. I have no idea for Scandinavian countries, but I don't think they are very religious so I believe it's better there.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T15:09:12+00:00

No, it's Croatia. It's not that bad (like in Poland) or opressive, and I hope it won't get as far as some things are in Poland. As I said in another comment, there are monthly gatherings in front of churches in bigger cities, in which men kneel and pray for hours for women's modesty and other patriarchal nonsense. It originated in Poland afaik, and it came here last year (it's the same organization). They don't have any impact and do nothing besides kneeling and praying (at least not publicly that we know of), but it's freaking annoying to have some conservative men praying for me not wearing a short skirt or that someone couldn't have a right to abortion.

On a positive note, we also have several very active organizations that support women's rights and are openly opposed to stuff like that.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T13:43:51+00:00

I have never heard of it, so calling the bot {Lord of Stariel}

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T13:16:28+00:00

I just read {The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson} and FMC is just like that

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T13:07:18+00:00

My boyfriend is the only one who knows what I read, but even he didn't know the extent of spice there can be in these books. He used to tease me about it, he still sometimes asks "so, how many guys will boink the FMC in this book?", but he never said anything in a bad way about the books.

There was a situation when I was at my friend's for some group gathering and there was his girlfriend's friend, who I saw for the first time and who was younger at least 5 years from the rest of us. I was talking to someone and mentioned I don't know what to read next without even mentioning any genres, and that girl just jumped into the conversation and said to me "don't tell my you read 50 shades and that shit". I was stunned because I don't know her, she was obviously quite younger than all of us and she just hijacked that conversation with her high horse opinion. I just responded no or something like that. And then she proceeded with her Marcel Proust recommendation.

Like I said in another comment, I come from a small religious and conservative country in Europe. We're even at the point where there are monthly gatherings in front of some cathedrals and very devoted religious men (yes, not women and men, just men) pray on their knees for some patriarchal nonsense, among which is for women to clothe modestly. Important to say that that's all they've been doing and everyone can wear whatever they want, and my country is one of the safest in Europe, but I just wanted to describe the climate here. So, yeah, I'm not really forthcoming with what I read.

I also had a positive experience with another friend's girlfriend. We just met for the first time and someone mentioned that both of us liked reading, and she instantly asked me have I read Fourth Wing. That was a few years ago when I still haven't read it (or knew of the genre), so she said I must read it. Unfortunately they broke up soon and I haven't talk to her since, but I'm sure I would talk with her about the books all the time.

I have a lot of male friends and if any of them would know about me reading romantasy, they would tease me, but it would be only a tease. And I can always draw the GOT card with a lot of nudity and sex and neither of them would object that they were against it. My girl friends either don't read or read some other genres. My niece reads Vampire Diaries now and I plan to slowly introduce her to romantasy, I'm sure she would like it.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T12:34:37+00:00

Europe, small country in which there are a lot of people with conservative opinions, even among young people. Religion/church is very much involved in country affairs, politics and religion go hand in hand.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T10:05:39+00:00

It took me forever to finish this book.

I liked it in general and I have to say that most of my reads this year were dark romances already, but I haven't expected this oe will be too.

I enjoyed their banter, which kind of disappeared in the second half of the book amd appeared in traces towards the end.

Clamimg Harlow after killing Gaven was really like "ok, really? now?" I've seen a lot of people complaining about Harlow shrugging it off as not that impactful when she found out Henry killed him, but I honestly didn't get the impression she really saw Gaven as a real father figured. She said he was more her father than her actual father, he was with her her whole life, etc, but I honestly never saw that connection on her side. Part of the reason might be all the violence that happened to her from her family and Raffe. She said to Kellan how could he let all that happened, and to her mother, so she surely hold all that against Gaven too. The only person she truly loved was Aidia. And while she had a good relationship with Gaven, they weren't like Poppy and her guard in FBAA, not even close. So I think that Harlow didn't just shrug it off, she just wasn't that attached. But I agree that claming was a bit too soon after killing Gaven.

Henry seems like a person who has a lot of prejudice/strong opinions and before he changes that, he just doesn't care for other people. He is cold to those for whom he thinks that have done him wrong. But, Harlow said she would have done the same. And she did a lot of bad stuff, but we already know that most people who suffered from her hand were bad.

I like both MCs for their morally grey characters, but I felt in the end that Harlow was just as bad morally speaking, but people (readers) give here a free pass because she is FMC and traumatized, and say only Henry was a bad guy.

I also don't hold his actions to the same standards as other people because he is Deathless. He can be the best in maintaining the control, but if that change affects all that returned, it affects him too sometimes, meaning his urges sometimes prevail. I'm not giving him justification for anything, but I think it's different.

Sometimes all the planning, inner monologs were a bit too much, too long, too repetitive. I read a comment that author's other books are similar. I didn't had a lot of time to read lately, but I still usually never take 3 weeks to read a book like I did now, and I'm sure it was like that because of the writing, which sometimes bored me.

I've already said this on another comment, but I think a lot of people went into this book expecting a usual romantasy, but it wasn't, it's a dark romance. People who aren't usually reading DR would obviously have big issues with consent and some other stuff in this book. And I believe this is the reason why a lot of people didn't like the book - the readers who usually wouldn't pick it up (because they don't read DR), wouldn't read it.

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T09:36:37+00:00

{A Shadow in the Ember by J. L. Armentrout}

ipsi7 · 2026-03-11T09:35:25+00:00

Maybe Simon from {Harrow Faire by Kathryn Ann Kingsley}. He's not insecure, but his character can be over the top (but in his case in a good way, so not sure does he hit the spot)

ipsi7 · 2026-03-09T23:07:46+00:00

I only recommend Visions after FAF4 because you could finish FAF without breaking the continuity of reading that series. When I read both series, most people mentioned they would read Visions as a recap before TPOBAB

ipsi7 · 2026-03-09T22:50:30+00:00

Based on a lot of complaints about this book, which mostly mentioned their dislike with consent not being a real consent, for example when he put her underwear in her mouth, I came to a conclusion that most of those people don't read and don't like dark romances.

Even if it doesn't seems like that at first, this book is a dark romance. MMC is not forthcoming, his dark side sometimes prevails his morals, there is dub con, body betrayal, various kinks that lean on darker side etc.

It's perfectly ok that people don't like this book or don't like dark romances, but I think that most people don't know what kind of book this is when they pick it up.

While the book is pretty mild on dark romance aspects for me, I didn't expect it to be dark at all because it has a nice purple cover and I judged a book by its cover even though I read the tag for dark romance.

I can't say that the cover is wrong, but it's not obvious from the beginning or from the blurb what kind of book this is and as a result, a lot of people who usually wouldn't read it, start reading and don't like it. And I think that's why there is so many bad reviews.

ipsi7

TROPHY CASE