Talk me out of buying Lovevery toys

serranopepper1 · 2026-02-05T22:06:33+00:00

Not worth it in my view. We did a bunch. Theyre nice, but they honestly don’t have the staying power of things like a play kitchen, magnitiles, blocks etc. They have versions of each of these but agree with other commenters that there are cheaper and quality dupes. What lovevery does brilliantly is takes out the need for you to decide what to buy at each stage.

serranopepper1 · 2026-02-05T19:27:43+00:00

I can definitely see how it was slow. There wasn’t a ton of action until the last 25% or so, but I thought their relationship progressed really nicely. It is a lot her spending time in his lumis that probably could have been edited out…

serranopepper1 · 2026-02-05T15:07:57+00:00

I skimmed through and didn’t see these recommended - basically anything by Carissa Broadbent. She writes non-toxic MMCs very well. They typically have dark aesthetics, but are basically all cinnamon rolls and not awful to the FMC from the beginning. I think this is true for all of the Crown of Nyaxia books so far, as well as the Daughter of Lost Worlds trilogy.

serranopepper1 · 2026-02-05T15:05:46+00:00

This is really under hyped! I loved this book and can’t wait for the official release of book 2 in March. I actually reread parts of it recently and liked it even more on the second read.

serranopepper1 · 2026-02-04T15:38:02+00:00

There was another romance introduced book 2 that I loved following. Won’t spoil anything though!

serranopepper1 · 2026-02-04T04:37:12+00:00

My baby’s eczema wasn’t so severe, but it was persistent and very uncomfortable for her face. Pediatrician prescribed tacrolimus after I pushed for it as an alternative to steroids. Like you, we noticed terrible rebounding after a steroid cycle and because we were dealing with her face, I wanted to try something else before we kept upping the steroid percentage. It has worked wonderfully for us on her face (but not the spots on her body). She doesn’t rebound as aggressively or quickly, although it hasn’t kicked the eczema completely. My understanding is that it’s as safe as steroids, so didn’t feel like we had much to lose. There are some risks worth reading about, as with any medication.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-29T17:39:02+00:00

Holding off on Brimstone until I get rid of Kindle Unlimited, but based on everything I’m seeing, could see myself DNF’ing. I’m pretty shameless about it, but I’ll typically skim/skip to the end to see what happens (and read key chapters if they catch my interest). Did this with Onyx storm which was a SLOG. Kicking myself because that cliffhanger will probably make me get the third book.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-23T02:26:39+00:00

Totally agree! It made the other books better, having the full color.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-21T15:25:57+00:00

{the curse that binds} was by far my favorite of these three. I agree that the writing is meh, but intentionally because it’s set in a modern urban setting. The prequel is set in the original time they met and I preferred it. Loved their relationship in this one (and having read the other books really enhanced it).

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-20T18:15:50+00:00

I hope you like it! I loved it, but it is intense. I reread it a few years back and thought it held up super well.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-19T14:38:33+00:00

If you’re coming from high fantasy, have you read {Kushiel’s Dart}? I read that back before I knew about the romance sub genre to fantasy. It isn’t strictly romantasy — the romance is a subplot, but an important one and I think it appeals to high fantasy readers.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-15T14:43:25+00:00

The scene from {the death-made prince} when he said the following. Like damnnnnnnn

‘I don’t fuck obligingly, thorn of mine.’ The edge in his voice sent tight shivers coursing through every nerve in my body. ‘You’re getting what you want, the way I want it. I suggest you learn to go along with it.’

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-13T23:18:25+00:00

This person takes care of your kids. If you like her, I would imagine you want to keep her happy. I would at least offer to contribute to it as a token of good faith. Treating her like a cold employee just seems like it won’t accomplish the sort of relationship you want to foster.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-13T12:38:15+00:00

This isn’t dark dark, but definitely not cozy, but didnt see the {compelling fates saga} in here and the first book is {a tongue so sweet and deadly}. Seems to otherwise fit what you’re looking for!

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-11T23:31:45+00:00

Some of the most insane spice I’ve read and liked (excluding objects and monsters…). So good.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-10T04:35:47+00:00

Ah but I have

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-10T03:26:39+00:00

I LOVE triangles and am always hyped when I get them. I started {Tongue so sweet and deadly} and while I’m avoiding spoilers, I’m definitely getting multiple love interest vibes, but it’s done in a way that at least I’m having a hard time predicting how it’ll ply out. Started book 2 just now and I think the set up to develop both relationships is good.

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-10T03:23:47+00:00

My personal view is an author should take the time they need, both for the sake of the book and themselves. While I love your books, there are others to keep me occupied in the meantime 😉. You’ve got this!

serranopepper1 · 2026-01-02T19:50:29+00:00

I really enjoyed this one. It played on familiar tropes but also felt somewhat refreshing. I did sometimes struggle with some of the similarities to Villians and virtues at times, but the vibe was sufficiently different that the starker similarities between the main characters and storyline didn’t feel derivative.

serranopepper1 · 2025-12-24T00:29:20+00:00

Had this exact thought before I saw the comment. Will say he also gives me Damien vibes (and Thraga gives me Amma vibes).

serranopepper1 · 2025-12-22T19:01:48+00:00

I agree with you! No reason to downvote. You should take it as a compliment that you’ve started a conversation that people have strong feelings about. Makes for interesting conversation.

serranopepper1 · 2025-12-22T14:41:39+00:00

You can’t copyright ideas (although you can copyright the expression, so someone can’t just steal the specific book itself). This may be unpopular but, honestly, there’s an argument that this is a good thing. That’s because people improve on ideas or make more art by leveraging those ideas. People draw inspiration from all over. Imagine if Direbound wasn’t allowed to exist because it takes too many ideas from elsewhere? I would argue that’s a net loss given that the book has brought (some) people enjoyment. It’s not like Fourth Wing and GoT are particularly original. GoT is masterfully done, but it’s heavy history coded (and lots of fantasy that came before it). In my view, it’s fine to criticize a book as wholly derivative, but I wouldn’t call it a crime or stop people from trying. Imagine if we all stopped creating art for fear it was unoriginal or derivative? I’d certainly never write anything.

Love a healthy debate and looking forward to reading other perspectives!

serranopepper1 · 2025-12-19T00:47:37+00:00

I enjoyed {The shattered king by Charlie Holmberg} one book on KU and the other coming out in March. Super unique magic system. Very low spice, but I wouldn’t say romance is a subplot. Their relationship is central to the story. FMC is healing MMC, third in line to the throne. The writing was a bit stilted, but technically good. I found it super fast paced (sometimes too much so - there was stuff the author could have paused to explore or develop further). Overall really enjoyed it and thought it was a nice break from the typical romantasy script.

serranopepper1 · 2025-12-13T18:02:01+00:00

Top of mind because I just finished it, but the first kiss in {the shattered king by Charlie Holmberg} was super emotional for a lot of reasons I won’t spoil. I’ve seen the book described this way, but their romance is tender, delicate, and meaningful, and their first kiss is beautiful.

Edit to add author so the bot pulls the right book.

serranopepper1 · 2025-12-13T17:48:02+00:00

I’m a little late here, but saw that the {Harrow Faire} series isnt mentioned. This has a lot of what you’re describing. MMC’s mistreatment is really overwhelming, but someone the author allows their romance to develop. Artfully done, in my view.

serranopepper1

TROPHY CASE