I was really rooting for this book! The beginning had me hooked and I loved the psychological elements that were presented. As the book progressed I started to hate the characters and kept getting so lost and confused.

Some of the issues I found:
- There was very little world-building. The book kept talking about the Seelie and Unseelie but never explained what this really meant or any kind of backstory.
- The main female character was very quiet and reserved at the beginning of the book and did a complete 180 once she was brought to the Fae world. She became rude and the feelings she had for the main character male was very teenager.
- The mate bond and relationship between the main characters made no sense to me. I understand that the mate bond would draw them physically to each other but they acted like they loved each other so deeply yet they never had any conversations.

I think overall the book had a lot of potential but just fell really short for me.

Didn't love this one... The MCs had no chemistry or tension. I didn't like the captive aspect or the lack of communication. The banter was good but this just fell short in many ways.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this Fantasy Romance. The connection between the MCs was fire. I loved the tension and the guessing game throughout this whole book. I do wish we received a little bit more backstory on the prophecy but overall really good read. Very entertaining and you will fly through this one. Enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley for this copy.

This book was great in all of the classic romantacy ways. Dark magic, touch her and die, secret pasts, unexpected twists and turns and spice.

I read the book in one day as once I started I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I like that the world building wasn’t too intense and it got into the story right away with action.

There are some big unknowns I can wait to get the answer to… hopefully in the next book!

This was unfortunately, another addition to the pile of books that eagerly dabbles in popular book tropes yet fails to make the most of them. It was a quick read, and I must admit that it didn't demand much brainpower, but that's not necessarily a good thing. There simply wasn't much happening in the story that personally piqued my interest.

The romance, which should have been a focal point of the narrative, turned out to be a major disappointment. The connection between the main characters felt forced and lacked the depth and spark. It was, in a word, bland.

At the outset, the main characters showed promise, drawing me into their world. However, halfway through the story, it was as if their personalities did an abrupt 180-degree turn in the wrong direction, leaving me scratching my head in confusion. This unexpected shift in character dynamics only added to the overall frustration I felt.

The one saving grace was that it didn't drag on for too long. It was a brief read, sparing me from an extended encounter with its shortcomings.

Thank you, NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I really loved this book! From the first moment, readers are plunged into the action, and it totally hooked me. I read it in one sitting!
The fae world (both the Seelie and Unseelie courts) were familiar but the added details of Imogen's past made the story refreshing. I didn't feel like I was reading "just another fae book," if that makes sense. I really liked Imogen's character and how brave she was (even if she made stupid decisions because of it).
I also loved that this wasn't just an enemies-to-lovers story, but also a fated mates story. It really added an extra edge to the tension that was so captivating. Both POVs felt relatable and there wasn't one that I liked more than the other--although I am a sucker for the protective male voice.
Overall, this was a great read and I can't wait for the rest of the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book is for when you want an easy quick read. It has a little bit of all the main elements in fantasy romance- a little bit of plot, a little bit of smut, a little bit of romance, a little bit of character development. Subjectively, it’s just a little bit good. Nothing really stood out to me about the world-building or character development or plot, but I didn’t dislike the book. To me, it just felt a little run-of-the-mill standard fantasy romance, and while I finished the story- I think I’d probably recommend other books before this one.

Disclosure: I did receive a digital ARC copy of this via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This might be a 2.5⭐️ book if I could give 1/2. Since I can’t, I’ll round down. Proceed with caution if you want to read.

Tropes: Miscommunication, Enemies to Lovers, Fated Mates, Captive Romance

Synopsis: Imogen is a librarian stolen from her world by a dark and broody Fae Prince. She is stole due to a prophecy that states that she will be the downfall of said dark, shadow-daddyish Prince's crown. Once in the Fae world she is held captive in his castle, where she is acting as a servant. Fate intercedes, and I’m actually not sure why…

My Thoughts: I did not really enjoy this book even though I finished it in about 24 hours.

Everything develops way too quickly in this book because it is only about 250 pages, but there is very little backstory or development so the reader is left with a ton of questions.The main female and the main male character don’t seem to like each other very much (and neither are particularly likable). There is little chemistry, even with the fated mates thing thrown into the mix. The fact that she is a captive, but a servant, but lives in a suite is really bizarre.

The character development and the world building does leave A LOT to be desired. Imogen goes from a sweet, homebody to a defiant, reckless, foul-mouthed, hot head. Weird change. Tarian seems more like a powerful (not sure the extent) abused puppy who bites due to a trauma response. What is the difference between all of the Fae? I dunno. What is literally any background on the characters? Not sure. What are all these powers that Tarian and Imogen possess? Not a clue.

There was a lot of predictability though. Imogen you know is Fae right off the bat and I assumed she is powerful. Tarian is not thought through as a character at all. You know they are going to go through with the mating bond. I knew that Sarah was the daughter that she was switched with. You know that he is going to give up her true name (which is weird since his whole being wants to protect her, so why did he let her tell him?), you also know that she is the key to the prophecy, but only to break down the prophecy and remake it into one kingdom. I assume that she will be the Queen and Tarian will be the consort.

I did find a few story inconsistencies/plot holes/spelling errors that I am sure will be fixed before the book is released. I won't be reviewing on social media since this was less than 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Lorelei Johnson for my ARC copy of this book!

Tropes in this book:
fated mates
enemies to lovers
forced proximity
prophecy

This book was such a fun read, I really enjoyed both Imogen and Tarian, our FMC and MMC. I typically prefer the FMC be the main POV with only a few MMC chapters, but this book did a great job of having a POV that was fairly balanced between the two without making it difficult to read. Both Imogen and Tarian are well defined characters with complex backstories. The side characters we meet along the way, Sarah, Ethan and Vys are also a ton of fun to get to know.

I always love a Fae book that touches on politics and has the Seelie and Unseelie courts, and this was no exception. The world and story felt familiar in the best way, and Lorelei provides enough world building to feel immersive and comfortable without bogging down the story or making it drag.

I hope Lorelei doesn't leave us hanging too long waiting for book 2 because I can't wait to read it!

I really loved this book and its premise. It was written for me and the tropes that I love and enjoy in all my books.

The plot was really interesting and definitely had me hooked right from the start. The characters at their base are just meant to fall in love despite the circumstances in which they're brought together (captive trope), however I found them really interesting and really enjoyed their relationship and dynamic by the end. It took me a minute to get there and vibe with it, but when I did I had a lot of fun reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really bad. I had to DNF at about 50% because the plot was going nowhere. The amount of cringy lines was over the top. The world building sucked. The relationship did not go well together. I really hated how surface level each character was, and how none of them had a big impact on anything. I really wanted to push through, but I just couldn’t. I’ve been trying for two weeks now and it just didn’t work.

Thank you to NetGalley to the digital copy.

This book was written well, it just wasn’t for me.

~This book was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I was skeptical of this book. Seemed like a lot of typical fae fantasy books in the beginning, but this novel really captured my heart and had me fiending for the next page!

A prophecy that a human woman will end a fae dynasty, a dark prince with control issues, and a seemingly normal human woman. What could possibly go wrong? 😝

Full of action, danger, enemies to lovers 🥵🌶️🌶️, and plot twists to die for! I was thoroughly entertained and I cannot wait to read the next book to fill the empty space in my chest this cliffhanger ripped out!

Thank you to Netgalley and the authors for this read! Only recommendation is to perhaps improve the cover art and provide a map of the world or a family tree for reference. I would also love to see more of the fae world described like the animals, monuments etc.

"The Prince of Never" by Lorelei Johnson and Hailey Jade delves into the life of Prince Tarian, burdened by his cruel, doom-foretelling mother, and Imogen, a librarian with the ability to see imaginary creatures while guarding her sanity.

The story immediately captivates with its fast-paced narrative, leaving me eager to continue reading. The introduction of diverse creatures into Imogen's world added a layer of enchantment that resonated with me. It was gratifying to witness Imogen's experiences become real.

While some miscommunication between Tarian and Imogen left room for improvement, it made me reflect on how real-life miscommunications can occur in our own relationships. Reading the story from their perspectives, I empathized with their struggles.

As the story unfolded, I found myself completely immersed, thoroughly enjoying the narrative.

Thank you to Lorelei Johnson, Hailey Jade, and Netgallery for the opportunity to read this book early. Without a doubt, I would recommend and personally purchase it.

"Prince of Never" by Lorelei Johnson and Hailey Jade is a book that tested my patience during its initial chapters. However, once the story fell into place, it transformed into an incredible and captivating tale that left me eagerly anticipating the next installment.

The early stages of "Prince of Never" were a challenge for me as a reader. For approximately the first 5 or 6 chapters, I found it difficult to immerse myself in the story. The narrative appeared disjointed, and the pacing felt uneven, making it hard to connect with the plot and characters. I began to question whether I would continue reading.

However, I'm glad I persevered because, as the story progressed, it started to weave its threads together, and the world of "Prince of Never" began to come alive. The intricate plot and richly developed characters started to make sense, drawing me into a world of fantasy and adventure that I had initially struggled to access.

By the time I reached the latter part of "Prince of Never," I couldn't put the book down. The intricate web of the plot, the characters' development, and the well-crafted world had me hooked. And now, I eagerly await the next installment, as the story has left me with numerous questions and a burning desire to see where it leads.

In conclusion, "Prince of Never" by Lorelei Johnson and Hailey Jade may have a slow start that tests your patience, but if you can push through those initial chapters, you'll be rewarded with a captivating and immersive fantasy world. This book has left me eagerly anticipating the next installment and excited to uncover the mysteries that lie ahead in the story.

This book was tricky for me to get into. I found Imogen, the FMC quite unlikeable throughout the story. She was described as this librarian who lived a quiet existence, but her personality didn’t really reflect that. I also have to say, that I wouldn’t have even realised she was a librarian except that people kept repeating it so I don’t know why it was such a focal point (as it wasn’t an important fact to the story).

I liked Tarian as a moody MMC, but really didn’t enjoy that there was no real plot development between the characters except that they are “fated mates” (and that explains everything). Apparently if characters are “mates” then insta-love is okay?

I saw most of the plot points coming (which is fine) so there were no real shocks or surprises. Lots of things just seemed to happen too easily. The story made me think of ACOTAR but not necessarily in a good way (for me).

There were little details in the story that were a little too on the nose for me. I think they were references to popular TikTok sound bites or other trends, but I generally don’t enjoy these because they pull me out of a story.

Thanks to NetGalley, the authors and publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book draws you in with the main characters. It is a slow burn. I wish there was more with the supporting characters. The author gives you small hints throughout the story. It ends with a cliffhanger and I cannot wait for book #2 in the series.

New authors for me and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a Enemies to Lovers style romance in an interesting world. While the world itself isn't heavily detailed we know that the land of the Fae and the mortal realms are side by side. There are paranormals in the human realm but they are Sir not appearing in this film. The FL is a scarred and scared young woman who was attacked in her teens and has spent copious years in mental health care due to her seeing things that are not there. She does however have a close group of friends who are her support structure. The ML is a prince of the unseelie fae and quite an A$$hole. He journeys into the mortal realm seeking a woman prophesized to destroy the unseelie throne. To put a stop to her. Instead he finds far more than he can handle. The FL is stronger than she seems at first and is not one to mince words. Needless to say they mix like fire and gasoline. While the story isn't very complicated plot-wise it is written well enough that it is an enjoyable read. It was a pretty short read for me as I finished it in a couple of hours. But it was fun and kept me going until it was done. Good romance all around worth reading it and it's sequels.

Absolutely loved!! I was completely sucked into this book and couldn’t put it down until the end. The world building was just enough, but not overly done. The characters were by far my favorite part and contradicted each other perfectly. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Solid romantasy for lovers of ACOTAR, These Hollow Vows and A Court of Honey and Ash.

Tarian will ultimately be the downfall of the Unseelie court. However, that doesn't stop him from tracking down the very woman who's prophesied to make Tarian's fate become his reality. Imogen has lived in the human world her whole life, yet never felt like she fit in. Over the years, she was terrorized by monsters no one else could see and became more and more isolated from her family. Despite not really knowing who she is, Imogen’s attraction to her captor fae prince may also be the key to revealing her past.

Thank you to the authors, Lorelei Johnson and Hailey Jade, for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley!

The premise of Prince of Never intrigued me since I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers and urban settings. One of this book's biggest strengths is its visual storytelling; there were several scenes where I felt completely immersed in the fae world. This book also has a true villain, which is not always common in morally grey romances.

While I enjoyed the book, I still felt that aspects of it didn't hit the mark for me. First, I was surprised that one of Imogen's best friends (who's briefly introduced to at the beginning of the book) is a halfling and comes to her aid in the fae realm. She doesn't really question it, and it felt a little too coincidental. Second, Tarian's prophecy wasn't very clear, so at times I found myself wondering why destroying the court and its brutal queen would be such a bad thing. Lastly, I felt that the MCs' romance could have been developed a bit more. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of insta love or third act breakups, but I'm looking forward to see what awaits Imogen and her newly discovered identity in the Seelie court.

Overall, I enjoyed Prince of Never and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Curse of Fate and Fae series. If you enjoy books with fae, fated mates, political intrigue, and forbidden love, you should definitely check this one out!