I love this author so it was an automatic request for me. This book was so good! I love an enthralling fated romance that is hard to put down. Connor is what book boyfriends are made of and I’m here for a snarky Lieke. I can’t wait continue this series!

TW: gore, parental death, parental abuse (physical)

Spoilers ahead, beware!

This was my first Vanessa Rasanen read, I heard good things about her Aisling Sea series so I decided to try this one out. Unfortunately I could not get past a few things with this book in order to really enjoy it.

The pacing is VERY slow, this is a slow burn romance but even besides the romance the story moves at a glacial pace. Our FMC, Lieke, first appears as this love sick human girl absolutely infatuated with the young prince who she grew up with. Brennan is the promiscuous type, falling into bed with anyone he can and doesn't pay attention at all to Lieke. After a night chasing him Lieke gets attacked and is saved by Connor, the heir to the throne and Brennan's brother. After the incident Lieke is sent away to her extended family where she trains and learns to defend herself. It's three years before she makes it back to the castle. After more stupidity, Lieke gets entangled with Connor in a fake engagement plot but they soon fall for each other.

To be honest I abhor love triangles. This one wasn't too bad as that's not really at the forefront of the story after she comes back from training. It's only used as an excuse at the very end which I was grateful for. I couldn't stand Brennan, he didn't give one care about Lieke, her feelings or for his brother who took his punishments from his abusive father every time he messed up...which was often. He had no redeeming qualities for me even towards the end where he finally grows up a bit. Lieke was okay...I didn't like her younger self...she couldn't take a hint and get over Brennan and his obvious ignorance of her. Once she grew up a bit she was more likeable but still naïve when it came to her extended family. Connor was decent, a bit of a hero complex and some random rage issues that would pop up, but overall likable.

Besides the pacing problems, the magic system wasn't really fleshed out enough for me. We never get why or what or actually any type of explanation about the blood used as a poison against the fae. Most of Connor and Lieke's love scenes take place in a dream which irked me a bit as well. And Lieke had this obsession with the one time he put her against the wall with his hand at her throat but it felt like the author was trying too hard to convince Dark Romance fans because that's the only bit of that kind of stuff we get. Overall just a very generic Romantasy that I most likely won't continue. Thank you so much to Crab Apple Books for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a fun read. Leike is a likable and relatable main character. Conner was the perfect amount of self loathing for me. Ugh. I quite literally love him. I can’t wait for the next installment in this new fantasy romance series. I am obsessed with how they’re all interconnected standalones as well.

First of all, I’m so excited to get my hands on an ARC copy of Until the Stars fall by Vanessa Rasanen. I truly did enjoy this fun and easy read.

The things I loved:
• The short chapters; it honestly made me feel like I was FLYING through the book.
• The dual POV (always a fav for me)
• Brennan’s character growth
• I’m intrigued by Calla; hoping we see more of her!
• Raven 🐦‍⬛ (lowkey shipping her with Matthias)

The things I didn’t love:
• The overuse of the nicknames
• Connor & Brennan’s father had a lot of inconsistencies as a character..maybe that was purposefully done?

Overall, Until the Stars Fall was a 3.5 out of 5. I definitely enjoyed this book, but it didn’t have me in a chokehold.

Until the Stars Fall by Vanessa Rasanen

This is the first book in Vanessa's Immortal Reveries series of interconnected standalone’s, and what a great place to start. I loved Lieke and Connor's story.
It’s a romantasy with all the best tropes - dual POV, fake engagement, one horse, fated mates & who did this to you. What stood out to me is how refreshing it was to read a story where the timeline is a bit more realistic. The first 20% of this book spans 3 years, so the development of the characters during this time actually feels believable. Connor and Lieke’s nicknames for each other were adorable and I loved that he was a fae shifter.

Overall I really enjoyed Until the Stars Fall and will be eagerly awaiting the release of book 2.

“Until the stars fall, Connor, you keep going, because it’s what you do. It’s who you are.”

Thank you Vanessa Rasanen, Crab Apple Books and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I give this book 4.5 stars. This book was a fun, fast paced read and I couldn't put the book down.

If you like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake engagement and fated mates this book is for you. I thought all of these tropes were well done in this book without feeling cliche. I enjoyed the dual POV this book provided. The author did an excellent job of showing us key events from both characters views without us having to read the entire story twice. The characters were engaging and I found myself rooting for them the whole book.

The world and magic of the world was very easy to understand.

I will say that the plot of this book is primarily the romance, so this may not be for you if you prefer the romance to be more of a sub-plot than the main attraction. While the romance portion of the plot felt very flushed out and compelted, I do wish the author would have provided some resolution to some of the other plot points but I won't state what they are as to not spoil the book. I don't mind being left to use my imagination, however some of the plot points left to our imagination feel like they were just filler in the book without the resolution to them.

Overall I think this book was fun and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantasy books!

Thank you for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC.

Ok y’all…. This book!! I could not put it down. I’m not usually one to read 400 pages in a day but this book got me to do it. A standalone fated romance with so much push and pull between the two main characters. I felt like I was reading a true enemy to lovers and I absolutely loved it. Loved the dual POV. The story wraps up in the end so it is a true standalone so my only issue was that I wanted more and I’m sad it’s over!!!

Thank you to Vanessa Rasanen, Crab Apple Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for my advanced reader copy!

I absolutely adored this book! For fans of ACOTAR you will be just as obsessed with this world!

“Forever and beyond”

Lieke is a human girl living in a Fae castle after her parents died. She works in the kitchen and her best friend is Brennan the prince, however there is a rebellion coming and she is sent to the gallows to die after she kills a Fae… everything starts unfolding, the romance is slow burn and *chefs kiss*


Loved!!!

Thank you to Vanessa and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 ⭐️

What I enjoyed:
Dual POV
Playful Banter
Enemies to Lovers

What I disliked:
Minimal world building
Overuse of nicknames
Not enough explanation on certain aspects (magic, reasoning for the rebels to go against an alliance)

The book was a quick read with short chapters but I would have enjoyed more in depth explanations in certain areas. If you enjoy romantasy with not a lot of depth, this book is for you.

⚠️Before I start the review I want to thank Vanessa and Netgalley for this Arc. ⚠️

Until the Stars Fall is an interconnected stand-alone with an easy fantasy setting world-building, short chapters, first-person dual POV, and a pinch of spice.

The premises of this book were great and honestly, it didn't disappoint. Usually, fantasys are full info dump and sometimes you just want an easygoing romance story and this is what this book is about. The shortness of the chapters mixed with a simple writing style made the time fly and I lost myself quite a bit in here.
Yes, it reads a little juvenile, and yes, there is this mixed writing style between modern and old language that is a little bit out of context but it works for this book.
And do you want to know another thing that usually I don't like but here worked so well? The very slow burn and when I say Slow burn I mean an entire book sloooooow burn. But believe me or not here is great because the characters spend a ton of time together knowing each other.
What I didn't really appreciate was: 1) The time jump, 3 years skipped in 3 chapters and we know this only in the middle of one 2) Few of the characters knew about the identity of the rebels but they were never questioned apparently 3) Some scenes could have been cut and we could have used a little bit of more info.
I had so much fun tho and this book had an unexpected grip on me, I think that some books are meant for this purpose: to have you lost in an easy simple story.
#UntiltheStarsFall #NetGalley

This a delightful, dual POV, fated mates romantasy.

Lieke, the FMC, is an orphaned human servant in the palace of the Durand family. Conner, the MMC, is the older brother fae prince.
Initially, I thought been there done that but I love fae stories regardless. Won't stop until I read them all! BUT:::: This is so wonderfully written, it feels like the first and only fae romantasy I've ever read. I was captured from the prologue and didn't stop until I finished it. I adored all of the characters, main and sides. I loved the political storyline, it was just enough for the story to be interesting outisde of and in addition to the romance.

Speaking of the romance:

"Is it too late?" "Too late for what?" Slowly he faced me and I could have lost myself in his stare. "For us".

It's perfect. I'm not much of a swooner but I swooned. I held my hand to my heart. I shed a tear. This book had me in my feels multiple times. So wonderfully written.

"Its good to feel things, sweet girl. Its how we know we're alive. As long as we have breath in our lungs, we have reason to be thankful, for it means we still have time to make a difference and have a chance to be someone else's joy."

I'm also not much of a highlighter or tabber but this book had me highlighting quotes a pieces I definitely want to come back to.

Highly recommend this beautiful book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book to review. Quotes taken from eARC are subject to change. Opinions are my own.

I know how much heart and soul goes into creating and crafting stories but unfortunately for me, this one missed the mark.

There was a lack of detail, world building, and descriptions that was somewhat baffling. Maybe I missed it but by the 40% point I don’t think the FMC’s hair color had even been mentioned one time.

Dialogue and simple transitions to new locations is all that was offered in this story. What do the characters look like? What do the locations look like? Smells? Colors? Descriptions of clothes, rooms, buildings, the world? All missing completely. How?

The cover and map are beautiful but all that I found within the pages of the story was dialogue. The only way I knew what the main characters looked like was through character art on social media.

What’s the magic system? Magic was mentioned twice in the first half and the FMC acted like she wasn’t sure what it was or if it even existed. This is a fae world. Where’s the magic?

How are we skipping three years of time and character growth across two chapters?

I admire anyone who puts their heart, time and energy into creation. There are a lot of good reviews for this title so I’m happy others have loved it.

For me, I need more in a book and story than just dialogue. The world has to be set up and there has to be even tiny details as I read.

"You", I whispered.

"Me", Connor said, his lips twitching as if he were suppressing a smile".

Firstly, THANK YOU NETGALLEY!!!!! This book was SO good and I enjoyed literally every single second of it. Need a new romantasy to read? Here you go!!!

Cracking down on this book, I genuinely cannot find words to say how much I loved it. This novel offers so many brilliant characteristics that I would love to share with you:
- forced proximity
- fake engagement
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- the banter!!!
- "who did this to you?"
- "did he hurt you?"
- ONLY ONE BED!!!
This novel hit absolutely every brilliant trope and executed it perfectly. Lieke, a human FMC, explores the inner worlds of the fae--two prince brothers--Brennan and Connor. One, a childhood best friend/crush, the other, an older brother who cannot stand her. You may see where I'm going with this..
Until The Stars Fall is a standalone within an interconnected series. With this in mind, we do get a perfect conclusion in the story and so many wonderful moments captured between our main characters. If you are an avid romantasy lover like myself, do yourself a favor and add this to the TBR. You simply won't regret it :)

Rating: 3.5 stars

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed it. The vibe is a bit different from the author’s previous series, but I felt like the romantasy genre suited her very well.

***It is the first book in a series of interconnected standalone novels. So, while we are still left with questions regarding the politics of the world, the main leads still have their HEA and there isn’t any sort of dramatic cliffhanger.***

I immediately fell in love with Connor. He was hands down my favorite character in the book. He was just so protective, honourable and kind. He deeply cares about others and puts in a lot of effort to gain his people’s trust and to keep the peace in his kingdom. He was an easy man to root for. I also adored his friendship with Matthias.

Now, the reason I couldn’t give it a higher rating was because I didn’t particular like our female lead Lieke at first. She came off as rather reckless, entitled and slightly delusional (especially when it came to Brennan). I also wasn’t a fan of how she was easily swayed by Brennan for most of the book. Her love (crush?) for him lead to some really cringey moments and I was just waiting for her to move on from him. She did end up growing on me by the time I finished the book and that is mainly due to her growth during the second half of the story.

The slow-burn romance was also written very well. It wasn’t rushed and the feelings between Connor and Lieke developed in a way that made sense. Their banter and chemistry was excellent too!

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the second book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

(Review will be posted on Amazon and Instagram the week of release)

This is such a great book, a beautiful fantasy romance with a strong plot that holds it's own against the romance element, though the romance definitely drives the story.

This book has become a real comfort read for me, the characters are so well written and thoroughly developed, I really felt like the story was true to the way they had been written and really made sense for these characters. I also loved the side characters (and loved to hate some of them too!) I can't wait for more from this series to explore some of the side characters stories in more detail. Vanessa's characters are always front and center of her stories, and you can tell from reading the book just how much thought she puts into developing and understanding them.

This book was well paced, and I love that the heroine actually took time to develop her skills and training, unlike some books where she's suddenly a master swordswoman overnight! The tension and romance between the main characters was so delicious, it had me screaming at my kindle in the best ways!

If you're a lover of low fantasy, high stakes romance, fake engagement, marriage of convenience, and fated mates this is definitely the book for you!

This book. This book. THIS BOOK.

I feel like Vanessa packaged this book up with a gorgeous bow and gave me everything I wanted. It is the perfect combination of fantasy and romance with notes of Old Hollywood glamour (it is a retelling of the classic Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn), tension, and spice. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me yell "dammit!" This book is escapism at its finest -- it is a gin and tonic after a long day, your favorite movie to curl up to, it is a comfort read in all the best ways -- it captivates and holds you until the end. I devoured it.

The characters -- I am not sure I can do them justice. I loved getting to watch Lieke grow from this girl with a crush to a badass who takes no prisoners. She knows what she wants and she fights for it. As for Connor -- he is a cinnamon roll of a man with moments of morally grey that will have you lusting for more (I know I was). The side characters just add to the story. Matthias and Brennan (keep your pants on, sir -- IYKYK) show how well Vanessa knows her characters. I am a huge fan of character-driven books and this one delivered for me. The characters are driving this story and I couldn't help but get attached to them.

The plot and the world-building are spot-on. Vanessa gives you pieces of this new world she is building through Lieke's and Connor's eyes, but she hints at so much more as the next couple takes over to provide their story in book 2. I cannot wait to learn more about this world. It is the right combination of world-building without overloading the reader with more than they need to know. It hints, it entices, and leaves you wanting more. And the plot is relatable and fast-paced.

Just trust me on this one. Add it to your list. It is a must-read.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝, 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭?

“𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡.”

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝. 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧. 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞?

“𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐀𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐲.”

“𝐘𝐞𝐬. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐦𝐞.”
𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬. 𝐌𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲.
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡?
𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐨-𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, “𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈’𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐦.”

“𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞!” 𝐈 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. “𝐒𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧.”
𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐌𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞. “𝐎𝐡, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥.”

“𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐞,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞.
“𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞?”
“𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠. “𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬? 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝.”

“𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡,” 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲.
𝐈 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐝. “𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨.”

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨?”
“𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥?” 𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝.
𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐫𝐭. “𝐈’𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰.”

“𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞. “𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦, 𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞.”

_______________

I am an avid fantasy lover, but so many times that tag comes with long series, over involved conflicts, heavy world building, and demanding levels of energy. So if you’re like me and long for something that scratches the itch but feels more like a comfort read that you can binge in 1-2 sittings (or all night long because you started it at 11pm and can’t stop) then have I got THE BOOK for you!!

Orphaned at a young age, Lieke has worked in the palace nearly her whole life. As a human serving the fae king and queen, she is protected within the castle as long as she follows the rules set in place to keep humans safe. Soon after, the queen succumbs to illness and Lieke befriends the youngest fae prince. Their friendship quickly becomes more, but when it leads her to break the rules and she finds herself in mortal danger, she is sent away. After enduring years of brutal training to defend herself with family she never knew, Lieke returns to the castle to find that her prince, Brennan, is now betrothed.

Connor, heir to the throne and Brennan’s older brother, has been tasked by their rage-prone father to ensure that Brennan’s marriage goes off without a hitch. So when Lieke returns to complicate things he quickly finds himself with his hands full. Then one night after Lieke is attacked and takes the life of a fae within the castle walls, Connor intervenes to save her life—as her fiancé. Forced to continue the ruse, they both quickly realize that they have signed up for far more than they’ve bargained for…and that it might just be the one thing they have each been searching for all along.

This book is fantastic. It is high stakes without being stressful, suspenseful without being overbearing, steamy and hot without losing the plot, and action packed without once swaying from its romantic, fairytale roots. If there were ever such thing as a true fantasy comfort read it would be this book!!

Connor is the responsible, reserved, overburdened, leader of the king’s armies with a heart of pure gold. In a world of bookish bad boys he is a gentleman, but that still doesn’t stop him from being dominant in ALL of the RIGHT ways. Lieke is a realistic FMC, strong but vulnerable, emotional and prone to making poor decisions, but loyal to a fault and desperate to do and defend what is right. I love them individually but I love them together even more and watching their relationship stumble at first, but then take root and blossom was one of my favorite journeys!!

This installment is a stand alone, so all of the characters storylines are wrapped up in this book, however we are given clues to an overall conflict that I have a feeling will continue to thread through the world and subsequent books in the series.

Overall I cannot recommend this book enough!! It truly does have it all and brings everything to the table, leaving you satisfied but wanting seconds. I cannot wait to get back into this world and I hope we see more cameos of Connor and Lieke because I miss them so much already!!

Super cute romantasy. I was hooked from the beginning and really enjoyed the FMC’s growth throughout the book, the multiple POV, the banter, and the romance.

READ THIS BOOK!!! As I'm shouting from the rooftops. You need Connor and Lieke in your lives (but you also need Matthias and Mrs. Bishop in your life too). If I could give this book a million stars, I would. If I could make a bookstagram romantasy starter pack, I would add this book. This book is my new comfort read. I will pick up whenever I'm feeling happy, sad, or just need something to soothe my soul. This checks all the boxes for me. I will also buy this book in every form possible, because I love it so much!

Vanessa made this beautiful world come alive. She makes the characters jump off the pages and allows their emotions to get you sucked in. I can't wait to see where this series goes and is how everything is connected. I have my theories and I can't wait to see if they pan out.

Lieke is sunshine with a feisty attitude (when she needs to use it).

Connor is such a grumpy Captain American, who puts everyone else's needs before his own. Oh, and he has a temper. The tension between them. *melts*

I love Matthias and all his sass and humor. I can't wait until his book.

Mrs. Bishop the underdog of the story with her wisdom and ability to taste lies. I love that she keeps all the characters in check.

To recap: please read this book. It's my favorite.

“This is really going to complicate things,” I murmured, my voice cracking nervously. Connor’s eyes sparked. “Then tell me to stop,” he said.

This is one of those reads that has the banter, snark, plot and characters that keep you on your toes while not giving too much angst and make your heart swell 10x because you love them and want them to just live happily ever after!

Connor is that hero that will do anything for others and constantly takes the brunt and responsibility at the expense of his own happiness! He’s a little angry golden retriever that needs all the love and deserves to be happy!

Lieke is a fighter and a biter- you definitely don’t want to be on her bad side! And I love that she gives just as good as she gets!

When their paths collide into a forced proximity, fake betrothal- you can imagine the snark and tension that begins to brew 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

What you can expect:
✨ Hero gets the girl
✨ Fated mates
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Banter and snark
✨🌶️🌶️
✨ Slow burn
✨ Rebels vs Royalty
✨ Shifter