Tate James knocks it out of the park with Hades's story.

From unadvisable actions in bars that aren't hers to dealing with gangs and upstarts that are angry that a 23 year old female is running the town. Hades is a bad ass chick with a bloody past and an empire that's being threatened, as she's also fighting her feelings for 3 different men. This is what I was looking for with the Madison Kate series, portions of this book and series live rent free in my head.

Read this if you liked the premise of Madison Kate, but wanted something a little darker. Why choose with age gaps, slow development, motorcycles, high heels, fast cars, and super hot spice.

Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and to the author for allowing me access to this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Dark Romance
Format: ARC Ebook
Pages: 380
Spice: 2 🌶️
POV: First POV
S/S: Hades #1
Check trigger warnings for any book

This was my second Tate James book and, like the first, I finished it in a day.

The author’s writing style and storytelling is addictive. Hades, or Hayden, our main character was multifaceted with an intriguing past. We still have quite a bit of mystery to her as we know the general information but no details yet.

The men???? YESSSSSS. They’re all very different from one another. I have them so vividly pictured in my head. The personalities are so individual, you can clearly see how the « why choose » situation is gonna work.

It is technically both a slow burn and insta lust/love with the different men in our little circle.

The spice wasn’t overwhelming, it accompanied the plot throughout the book. And…. May I say… I wouldn’t mind a man from that town.

Can’t wait to continue this series, although I’d recommend reading the Madison Kate series first as we get easter eggs and the timeline of the Hades series is after the MK series.

Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram

I’m totally OBSESSED! This book had me hooked from page one and I couldn't put it down. It’s like the perfect mix of suspense, romance, and badassery. 🔥

✨ The Plot: Hades is the queen of the underground and she’s fierce, fabulous, and just a little bit dangerous. The twists and turns in this story kept me on the edge of my seat, and the mystery had me guessing until the very end. 💋

💖 The Characters: Hades is my new girl crush! She’s strong, sassy, and doesn’t take crap from anyone. And don’t even get me started on the guys—so dreamy and complicated! 😏

🎀 The Vibes: The dark, edgy vibe of this book is balanced perfectly with some sweet, swoon-worthy moments. It’s like the perfect combo of edgy chic and soft glam. ✨

If you’re looking for a thrilling read with a kickass heroine and lots of juicy drama, 7th Circle is a must-read!
5 stars from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved the Hade series and now this.
Tate James knows how to grab her readers.
So good.
Great story and characters.

I ended up listening to this one on audio before receiving my ARC copy. I love a dual narration audiobook. It's the only way to listen in my opinion. I really enjoyed this one even though it didn't leave me in a chokehold like the Madison Kate series. This one feels like more of a slow build than the MK series. Hades is the FMC I wish MK had been though. Hades is a legit badass. She acts like a 30 year old woman not the 23 year old she is. I loved that about this book. I think part of why I wasn't as into this one is because I don't really like Lucas as a romantic interest for her. I get the reasoning as to why she is drawn to him but I'm not a fan of his innocence. Now Cass and Zed on the other hand... Well.. I am totally interested in their stories. I'm looking forward to more from them in the coming books.

Thank you to the author and Bloom Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why choose with some of the most delicious men and bad a** mfc. I absolutely loved Hades, and was especially surprised by the little surprise we got at the end of Madison Kate series. While this is a standalone series, it does take place directly after those events in Madison Kate, in the same town, and has some crossover. You actually meet Cas in Madison Kate series as well. . So I definitely recommend reading. Hades is tryin to run her empire when a ghost from her past makes her believe he’s back. But how is that possible when she’s the one who put him in the ground? This series is definitely darker, SPICY (the opening scene in the club… I mean damn!), with morally grey men who will do whatever to takes to keep Hades. And Hades, who will handle her own business without the help from anyone. I am utterly obsessed with Tate James writing and the Shadow Grove world.

This is not normally my go to pick when it comes to romance but i’m really glad I did. This book was really well done and I really enjoyed it. The characters chemistry and dynamic was off the charts. I’m now on the edge of my seat and can’t wait to read the next one.

7th Circle by Tate James
Re-Release Date: August 20, 2024

Pages: 380
Format: 🎧📱

Hades:
💙 7th Circle
💙 Anarchy
💙 Club 22
💙 Timber

⚠️Content Warning⚠️
Please check content warnings BEFORE reading.

What to Expect:
🖤Age Gap
🖤Alpha Males
🖤Badâss FMC
🖤Cliffhanger
🖤Contemporary Romance
🖤Crime
🖤Dark Romance
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤Fast Burn
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Friends to Lovers
🖤Gangs
🖤Grumpy/Sunshine
🖤MF
🖤New Adult Romance
🖤Slow Burn
🖤Stalker
🖤Suspense
🖤Thriller
🖤Trauma
🖤Why Choose

Book Description:

Quote:
“Mentally, I wrote a quick eulogy for my panties because they'd officially drowned.”

Ratings:
FMC: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
MMCs: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75

BWBH Review:
The one name feared most in Shadow Grove is Hades. The 23-year-old leader of the Tri-State Timberwolves takes no shît from those she oversees. In 7th Circle, this badass runs a tight ship with the support of Lucas, Zed, and Cass.

7th Circle is a maffia-adjacent romance packed with suspense, steamy sêx, and a whole lot of “Yes, Sir”. If you’re a fan of organized crime, strong female leads, and MMCs who would burn the world down for their woman, this is the book for you.

7th Circle is perfect for readers who enjoy badass FMCs who run their world and a cast of loveable MMCs who range from an eighteen-year-old with a positive outlook on life, the FMC’s best friend and second in command who harbors a secret crush, and a grumpy gang leader who has to figure out how to write a love letter.

I loved this book so much! Tate James does a great job at giving us this strong female lead that you can't help but root for her throughout the book. Going into it and feeling like it is potentially going to be a why choose book made it all that much more interesting and I needed to read it all in one sitting to see where this book was going to go.

I was definitely not disappointed and can't wait to read more of this series!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

This is for readers who crave a dark, suspenseful, and passionate tale of forbidden love, loyalty, and power, and is a must-read, offering a gripping reverse harem romance that explores the complexities of a strong-willed heroine and her multiple love interests in a gritty, crime-ridden world.

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️/5
.
Tate James is re-releasing her Hades Series starting with “7th Circle” and if you haven’t read it? Well, it’s fine. I didn’t love the Madison Kate series and this one falls along the same lines.

Hades is a 23 year old woman who runs the gang, the Timberwolves. I should’ve stopped there 🤭🤭 I’m not a gang book person and I did it anyway.

#netgalley #arc #hades

This one was a reread and I didn’t quite enjoy it. I found the writing pretty cringey and over the top and I hated the exclamation points.

This is the first book I've read by Tate James. I was intrigued and wanted to read this because I've heard so many great things about the author. I assure you, after this read, I will be reading whatever else I can get my hands on written by Tate. I'm especially looking forward to reading the Madison Kate series.

This book is bingeworthy and delicious. I devoured this book within a couple of days. Hades is a bad ass FMC but she's very relatable. There were many times where I wanted to scream at my book and tell her to stop being stupid when it came to the guys around her, but it wasn't in a way that makes you upset with her. It just makes her that more relatable. The males in the book, Zed, Lucas, and Cass, are all so different and definitely not friends. This is the first why-choose romance I've read where they weren't all friends sharing the same love interest. I really enjoyed the dynamic among them. The mixture of spice (fast paced love) with slow burn romance is *chef's kiss*.

The plot absolutely had me hooked from the start. I kept reading because I NEEDED to know what would come next. I absolutely cannot way to get into the rest of this series and find out what happens next.

I was first introduced to Hades when I read the MK series and I immediately knew I had to read her series right away. 7th Circle blew me away!!!! I ate this book up so fast, Hades is such a bad ass take no shit MFC and I absolutely adore her. Her love interests complement each of her personalities so well that you can’t help but smile when they interact. The spice between them is also off the freaking charts!!The plot is great with twists and turns that keep you wanting more and that cliffhanger definitely entices you to want to read the next book. I can definitely see the Hades series becoming a favourite of mine and will definitely recommend it to anyone who will listen.

Wow I liked this books even more than I thought I was going to. And omg what a cliffhanger! I am a Hades fan 100% and also Zed and Lucas and Seph. I think the gangs and having a women gang leader who is also a huge bad ass is so inspiring. I had no clue where this story was going but I could not put it down. The angst and the suspense had me pushing through late nights. I cannot wait to get into the rest of this series.

I'm a huge fan of the Madison Kate series so I was excited to read Hades. Unfortunately, it felt like a bit of a copy of the other series. I still enjoyed it, but if you have read Madison Kate already I wouldn't recommend it.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I was intrigued with the story arc, what happened with the timberwolves, why is Hades such a fierce heroine and all. On the other side, I felt like the writing wasn't vibing with me. I felt like it was juvenile in some parts and it took me out of the story. Overall I had an okay time and will definitely recommend this to others who want a story/setting similar to this one.

I thought this was going to be like the Madison Kate series, but it was even better! Hades is such a fun heroine. I can’t wait to see what happens in the upcoming books.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

3.5⭐️

So honestly, Hades annoyed me for the majority of the book.
Like how did she make it to the top when she seemed that careless? Letting a random guy into her place and telling him her real name.

I’m disappointed. I was expecting a strong FMC, but we got one who just allowed her boundaries to be stomped over.
He calls her a name she didn’t like and she asked him to stop, but did he listen? No, and she didn’t do anything.

I hated seeing how often her boundaries kept getting pushed by these men that I already know are being set up to be in the harem.

I also really dislike how she decided to keep that a secret from her sister. Like….it’s not going to end well.

I will say….things started to get better at 75% of the way through. I felt like she started to grow a backbone and stopped letting them step all over her. I also liked that she didn’t just let them get away with being fake.

I am interested in seeing what will happen next. I’m hoping that her character develops and we see her being stronger and more ruthless.

Loooooved Hades, so good to see a woman being an actual bad ass although I am comparing her to MK. I'm not fully understanding the different groups but the dynamic between Hades and the lads was all I cared about loool. Packed full of action and difficult to put down, with an actual cliffhanger. Excited to read the next!!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the DRC!