𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: revers harem, forced proximity, fantasy, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, MMFMM

All I have to say is that I loved the spicy scene. There is barely a plot, but the smut is good 😏

Thank you NetGalley, Ascendant Press and Laura Navarre for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Ascendant Press for opportunity to read this book early

Gemini Queen is a paranormal erotic novel set in the Ikarus Academy, where our main character Zara Gemini, under certain circumstances, must become the next queen of the witch world.

I knew that this novel was erotic, but to be honest, I did not expect so much smut. This aspect of the book overrides a rather interesting ability hierarchy. And there is great potential in this world-building, but it has not been fully developed to the extent that I personally would like. There were also small logical gaps in the story with true pairs.

What I liked about this story: as I said, the beginnings of an interesting world-building and characters. They turned out quite lively and made me fall in love with them. Neo Mercury has become my new favorite

But overall, I had some pretty interesting and light evenings with this book, so I give it 3.5 out of 5.
I recommend this book to all fans of Smoot and the Academy setting

Gemini Queen: A Dark Witch Academy
3 Stars

This book just didn't work for me. The description was interesting, and I was excited to get started reading. I quickly found out there's too little plot and way too much smut, starting in the first chapter. For me, the writing and execution of this book is poorly done. I struggled to connect with several characters due to their lack of development, while others I disliked for being a**holes. This book is a fast-paced book with multiple points of view. At times, the POV transitions weren't so smooth. This book covers a period of a week. So, we don't get to see Zara take complete command of her magical powers, which would have been satisfying.

Overall, this book was OK, but not what I was expecting. I was looking for a Sci-fi / romance and this book is erotica. Thank you, NetGalley and Ascendant Press, for providing me with a digital ARC for an honest review.

DNF at 6%. I could tell that this wasn’t for me. I have nothing against explicit scenes, that has nothing to do with my rating. The FMC was very insufferable and had that manic pixie dream girl perfection going on that just didn’t vibe well with me. Dialogue, internal and external, was very cringe to me. I’ll chalk this up as a fluff read for some people but this would have been a difficult book to get through as that’s just not my preference for smutty reads.

4 Stars

This book hooked me in from the start and it was very steamy from the get go!! I enjoyed all the different personalities of the characters and felt that they were well written.
The first character we meet is Zara who does not want to take up the mantle of being the Gemini Queen and does everything she can to avoid it until she can’t. After being caught she is taken to the Academy, where at first she tries to plot to get away but eventually she learns to accept her role as queen. This includes a fated mate for Zara, Neo who is the person who wanted to help Zara with her training and so they can be together. Zara eventually ends up with her Harem of men who are all different and come together to help her.
This book is a reverse harem with romance. It’s has MMFMM action as well as plenty of MM too. Several tropes such as enemies to lovers,friends to lovers and Teacher / Student relations.
The plot and world building was good and I enjoyed the storyline that it followed and the fact that it wrapped up by the end of the book.
I did enjoy this book and at times felt that it was more sex than plot but overall it was a great read. It’s a standalone book but I would be interested to read more about this world and the characters in it.


Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for this early eARC.

If you wanted to read Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, but didn't want to brave the 5 book series, this book can serve as a quick and dirty alternative. Biiiiig emphasis on quick and dirty--characters start banging in chapter 5...that's only 4% into the book lol. (BTW, I'm not insinuating that that's a bad thing, it is what it is.)

Some words and phrases to give you a feel for what to expect: paranormal reverse harem, MMMMF (but MF, MM, MMF, and MMM all happen), fated mates, shifters, scenting your partner, mating bites and mating fever, teacher/student relationship, bi-curious characters and characters not even curious turning out bi, murder mystery, chosen one, etc, etc. I could keep going but I think my point has been made. There's a lot jam-packed in this standalone why choose story.

The writing has a lot of…personality, to say the least. The tone and style of each characters' POV DOES change but going from one to another can be jarring and I'm not entirely on board with the delivery. Zara is a headstrong ballbuster, so her chapters do reflect her brazen personality. There's a lot of purposeful attitude (I couldn't help but picture her flipping her hair or looking at her nails while thinking/saying the stuff that goes on in her chapters) but I feel like the writing could've been more graceful and eloquent while exhibiting the informal mood the author was going for. Then you get to Neo or Lucius's POV and these more "cerebral" characters' chapters are full of convoluted narrative with questionable word choices. It's all a trip.

You know how people say they read stuff for the "plot" but by plot they mean smut. That definitely applies here. The plot is nothing new and leaves much to be desired. The book actually takes place in the span of less than a week, so while it's technically all fast-paced, not much really happens. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to witness Zara learn to command her powers, or more magic in general. The displays of magic we did get were really neat and I would've loved to see more of it! The author's note did say she only meant this to be a standalone but wouldn't be opposed to a sequel, so fingers crossed!

Overall, I had fun reading this but I unfortunately was not a fan of the writing, plot, and execution of this book. If you're looking for a fantastical magic academy, I wouldn't recommend this. However, if you're in the mood for spice with a magical academy backdrop, this could work for you!

Just Wow!!! Where to start with this review. I could not put this book down, it was addictive and all consuming from the very beginning, with all the sexy scenes a girl could want.

Gemini Queen ticked pretty much all the boxes I love to see in an adult paranormal romance: strong main character, dropped into a situation she doesn't want to be in, suspicious murderer they need to watch out for, sexy love interests, and of course why choose when you can have them all! I fell in love with Zara and her men and didn't want it to end.

This is a polyamorous book where the main character invites more than one person into the relationship, there is also mm scenes which I am absolutely here for but if it's not your thing that's fine but just don't go into this expecting something different.

I am really hoping for a book 2 so I can discover more about this world and Zara's position in it.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC in return for an honest review.

The warlock world is divided into twelve families named after the twelve zodiac signs, but they are in decline. Zora Gemini is the last female pureblood and the designed queen. One problem, she doesn’t want it, nor her power and she doesn’t expect four warlocks to want her. Do those warlocks, waiting at the Icarus Academy, will change her mind?

“Now turn around me. And take off those innocent schoolgirl panties before I tear them off.” Holy fucking shit.

I had the same reaction «Holy fuck», I didn’t expect what happened in this book. Neither did I expect to be deliciously steamy. The world-building is really great. Zara won’t let anyone shame her for her sexual confidence neither shame someone to be still a virgin. I love it and the fact that the author made each wizard different. In general, the book was really great. Hopefully, we will get another book in this world.

I would recommend you all to read it.

You will find:

Paranormal romance
Conspiracy
Teacher-student forbidden love
Possessive males
Reverse Harem
M/M relation
Magic
Spicy
*The FMC read smut*

I will post the review on Instagram next week.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the ARC of this book !!!

this was so intense and so bloody steamy it was insane. zara is an iconic character and it was really fun to watch her come into her power!! i also think the author did an amazing job at creating such vivid characters and giving each of them their own little quirks that really made them memorable. i loved all of them really except for lucius, for some reason his character just didn’t really connect with me.

to be honest though, aside from some intense smut scenes and those few chapters at the end, there wasn’t much in the plot department. this really is just a smutty romantasy book without much going on. sometimes i forgot there was a queen killing plot happening.

thoroughly enjoyed though and would defo read others in the series if it continues !!

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read Gemini Queen.

I loved this book. I was easy to delve into and I liked the characters. This didn’t feel like the typical paranormal academic setting (which I liked) and the world in general was unique. I also enjoyed the RH aspect of the story (some bullying in the beginning gives ZA/ruthless boys of the zodiac vibes). I read this in one day and can’t wait to read anything and everything this author writes in the future.

This books has spice and then some. Great writing witty dialogue,great character development. The best reverse harem I read all year

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the author and am giving my honest review.

Gemini Queens is the first academy story ever written by this author but you wouldn't be able to tell. It has a well though out plot with original characters with amazing world building. Usually in any paranormal romance you have limited species or categories for the paranormal (i.e., witch, shifter, and vampire are usually the more well developed in the story). However, in this story we have such a diverse array of the paranormal and they all have unique labels (Mogadon, Valyrians, Kryll, Proteans). I loved the uniqueness of this paranormal world and add in the steaminess of Zara's harem and you have a really great read. This was a great first in series and I'm excited for what comes next.

This is a paranormal reverse harem romance with copious sexy bits (graphic banging starting early at 4%), a meh plot, highly irritating characters, and myriad plot holes.

The fated mate trope here makes 0 sense. Lucious says he would have been her fated mate if he was a student instead of a teacher. Does fate know that? Is fate like oh dang well I guess he's a teacher so no dice? It is inferred that the fated mate is voted on, so please tell me how this is fucking fated?

On the note of the fated mate, Neo is an absolutely enraging imbecile, and Zara is at first upset by his overwhelming overbearing idiocy but then does an about face and just gets the warm completely out of character fuzzies when he cancels her lease and has all her shit shipped to the island without asking her, which he can do because apparently being the "fated" mate of the fucking queen means that you own her and can have her cable cut off if you want to.

I mean, of the available books in this genre, specifically paranormal erotica that tries to pretend it's romance, this book is not bad. If you just want to get yourself in the mood, don't hesitate.

I received this ARC from NetGalley & the author! Thank you so much for allowing me to read this early.

Gemini Queen is a RH with MMFMM, MM action as well. Tropes: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, fated mate, fake hating each other, coming out & professor/students. This book really reminded me of Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac.

Zara is Elise
Neo is Leon
Ronin is Dante
Lucious is Gabriel
Vasili is Ryder

Now they do have similarities it’s def not the same book. But when i see the similarities at least i know that I’ll enjoy the book. The boys in this book don’t match the RB to a T but extremely close. Neo is Zara’s fated mate and knows & brings her to the academy to get training and to be with him. He has golden retriever vibes. Neo is a Capricorn & the smartest on campus. Ronin hates her from the start. They are the true enemies to lovers but so is Ronin with Neo. He definitely has an attitude but loves fiercely. Lucious is the professor & knows he’s not supposed to give in but can’t help with mating bonds. Lastly, we have Vasili who hates everyone around him but it’s all just a facade while he loves & falls for everyone so quick & so deeply.

Zara is supposed to somehow save the arcane races with her harem. I do look forward to reading the next book if one does come out. I felt like this book went a little quick and a lot happened extremely fast but that’s not always a bad thing. I think it could have been drawn out more over 2 books but we started to lack the initial plot of the arcane races are needing to be saved & how can Zara & her harem fix everything.

I’m looking forward to the next one!

This is a great twist on your typical academy books that have magic. It’s not your normal big school, which I think makes the relationship between the harem and the side characters more sweeter. The world building was done very well and really got you into the story. All the different magical abilities we’re interesting to read about, especially Zara’s lightening. Zara was also a complete bad a$$ and didn’t take crap from anyone. It’s something I love seeing with a FMC. What I love the most is not only everyone focused on loving Zara, but they all focused on the men and creating those individual relationships too. If you want to read about some spicy sword crossing you’ll be in for a treat. This book has some of the most detailed, well thought out spicy scenes that make you want to jump your partner or grab a toy. I also love the self exploration with her men, and them finding out who they really love and want to be with. There was a lot of growth with the characters which made me happy to see in the end. And what about that ending! Although it’s currently a standalone and ended on a good note, I would love to see another book about the 5 of them. I definitely want to see how everything goes for Zara after she leaves the academy, and how everyone gets along as their relationships progresses. Overall this was a great standalone RH, and I really hope to see more about them in the future.