The second book in a romantacy series A Monsoon Rising offers a lot more of a focus on the romance between the two MCs and less on world building and the dualing kingdoms aspect that was offered in book one. I was eager to start book 2 as the first book left on a satisfying note but still a cliffhanger.

I am going to be honest about two things.
1. Was the book work reading? Yes, it was a fun read and worth it but...I found that this was not a binge worthy book. Instead it was a storyline that I enjoyed enough to finish, but it dragged and was missing the action, narration and development needed to make this a lasting read.
2. The spicy scenes-Were they necessary? No, it felt like there were added in because it is the vogue thing to do but didnt really add or make sense to the story.

In the end, I would recommend this book to a reader wanting a romantic romp in a fantasty world. But it fell a little flat of the previous offering in this series. It has left me doubting I will pick up book 3.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an excellent second installment of the series. The first book was a little lackluster, but this one stole the show. It was faster-paced, I was more intrigued and into the plot way more, and the romance was incredible.

I enjoyed this more than the first!! The world, the romance and the action, I can’t get enough. Often second books don’t live up to the first but this was an exception to that!

I enjoyed A Monsoon Rising a lot more than the first book! There’s finally some payoff for this angsty couple that was pretty steamy. While the characters still aren’t my favorite, I found them more likable in book two. I’m more invested in them after spending more time together. I typically read adult romance these days, and this YA romance with hidden feelings, yearnings, and secrets felt young. Loving the dragons and even the setting. The backdrops and scenes are a beautiful vibe. Even their clothing is interesting. After reading The Hurricane Wars, I wasn’t planning to pick up A Monsoon Rising. I’m glad I got approved for an ARC on Netgalley and continued the series! I’m invested and looking forward to continuing when the next book comes out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Hurricane Wars walked so A Monsoon Rising could RUN! This book felt much faster paced, had so much more tension and spice, and even more political conflicts. The ending was amazing, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher (Avon and Harper Voyager) in exchange for an honest review:

A quote to convince you to read this masterpiece: "Just him and me and the monsoon."

This book was absolutely incredible, and I could not put it down once I finished the first book, The Hurricane Wars. In this continuation, we follow Talasyn and Alaric further into their political negotiations, struggling to heal from The Hurricane Wars, and witness a not-so-wise romance unfold.

Thea Guanzon is an extremely talented writer, and her writing improved even from The Hurricane Wars to A Monsoon Rising. What captured me the most: the way Guanzon wove the chemistry, love, and affection between Alaric and Talasyn. It felt like watching two ice cubes thaw. My heart melted along with theirs, and there's really nothing better than a morally gray FMC, right? Her resistance and constant reminder of the mission was just enough to have me yearning for this romance more than anything else. Guanzon gives her characters and moments just the right amount of time and space to let them thrive. The banter had me giggling, the interactions between side characters in conjunction with Talasyn and Alaric were hysterical, and the political undertones were woven so intricately underneath it all. Especially when it concerns Gaheris's plotting.... Needless to say, I'm very excited for the next installment!

A Monsoon Rising is the follow-up to The Hurricane Wars and picks up right were HW left the readers. It follows the relationship of Talasyn and Alaric who are forced into an alliance to facilitate peace. They are opposites as shadow and light but they do grow to see each other as equals. While their feelings develop, politics and another future war get in the way and cause disruptions to their opposing plans.

I enjoyed this book more than the first one. I did not get into it as much until the second half but I was fully invested at that point. I plan to read the next book since this one left us in a big cliffhanger!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Monsoon Rising

My American edition is lost in the mail. This one crossed an ocean to find me and I’m so glad that it did because ✨Stunning✨

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them.

This book! Talasyn and Alaric are so funny and down bad but also in denial. They’re both working their own agenda while preparing for The Moonless Dark and being very clear there are no feelings, but maybe it would be fun to kiss. Their banter is fantastic. The stakes feel higher but more intimate. I’m still laughing every time I think of the library and it’s been WEEKS.

The final pages of this book had me stressed and I was glad I was home alone when I finished it because I shouted no out loud before I could help it. It’s gonna be a wait until the next one 😭

This book was wonderful and delightful but the ending gutted me!

“I will always remember this. Just him and me and the monsoon”

I giggled along to their humor and loved the budding relationship between the two. I believe this book will have generally higher ratings than the first because it was fast paced and easy to keep up with, obviously less world building than the first. Those who stuck out the tedious world building and details in the first half of book 1 and went on to fully enjoy the book will love this sequel.

“Was it her fate to keep on changing, swapping one life for another like the coats of different seasons here in this land of eternal summer?”

What in the world was the ending I’m so confused when will the next book come out & why did I think this was a duology 😭

Enjoyed this one more than the first book. The chemistry between Alaric and Talasyn really is fantastic in this book.

That said the overall plot didn’t move forward all that much? Lots of scheming and basically setting things up for book 3. So safe to say this one was more about the romance, and in a-okay with that 😅

HOWEVER. THEA. What was that ending?? Book 3 better come out ASAP. I need my bebes to be okay.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book was a masterpiece! This book added onto the world building that was set up in the first book so well, but also I loved how this book dove more into Alaric and Talasyn. This book truly sees these two go through a lot together. They are working to make the tenuous alliance they have work, while also fighting their true feelings for each other. Talasyn is also learning so much more about her magic, and everything is in high tension around them as they work to save everyone. The main thing I will say that stuck out as to why I loved this so much was the true emotion you can feel radiating off of these two the entire book. Whether it’s anger or passion, or a mixture or the two, these characters and their emotions come to life on the page.

2.5 stars- this really did not work for me in the same way the first novel did not work for me. I think the best part of the writing is in the development of the romance, but there was not enough development over the course of the story to make the romance interesting. The plot in this novel was off, it felt like the same situation repeating over and over again without any real development of the story or moving the plot forward. I think this is a series that leans to heavily into tropes, and the decision on the direction of the ending really solidified this for me. There were aspects I liked, but I feel were really weakened by poor world building, slow pacing, and poor plot development.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

If you love banter, tension, dragons, cute nicknames and when the title has a cute reason as to WHY it's the title, you must read this book. It doesn't happen often that the sequel is better than the first, but it definitely lives up to the hype.

What a sequel! This book was so much more fast paced than HW. HW had so much world building that in MR, we were really able to dive right in to the story. Still have the same level of tension between the characters and more development of their relationship. At times it could be frustrating with them constantly misunderstanding each other but the times we did get them connecting it was so good and worth it. I love how the ending confirmed some of my suspicions but at the same time really left me shook. I'm going to be impatiently waiting for the next book. I usually don't enjoy the sequel as much as the first book in a series but I think I enjoyed this more that HW which was such a great surprise. I can't wait to see what happens next.

This book leaves off where Hurricane Wars left off. Talasyn and Alaric are newly wed and have been tasked with protecting the realm from the moonless dark, as well as dealing with all the politics that their union has brought. This, on top of their undeniable attraction while keeping secrets from each other. This book was incredibly hard to put down with all the action, angst, and sexual tension! I honestly can’t wait for the third installment of the series!!!

In this book you will find:
- Forced Proximity
- Arranged marriage
- Slow burn
- Forbidden romance
- Marriage of convenience
- Royal/political intrigue
- Reylo book
- Dragons

This was such a fun Romantasy read! If you enjoyed the Hurricane Wars, then this book is for you!

I want to thank NetGalley and HarperVoyager / Avon Books for in exchange for my honest review.

This book felt a little slower than the first one but still enjoyable. It ends on a huge cliffhanger!

I loved being back in this world! I loved that the romance was amped up compared to book one but they continued to have that same banter that we get in the hurricane wars.

I feel like both Talasyn and Alaric had such good character growth in this book and I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens to them in the next one!

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-book ARC of this new release. I enjoyed Hurricane Wars but actually liked the sequel more because there was far less world building needed (I’m not a huge fan of the adjustment period of world building in fantasy). This is a medium spicy romantasy and I felt like it got the enemies to lovers/forbidden love part right, specifically how they are held up from loving each other due to their own personal traumas.

I did not realize this book would end on a cliffhanger and I now I’m a tad bit disappointed that I have to wait for the next book! Overall, I think Thea is an excellent debut author in the romantasy genre. Her characters are complex and the sexual tension is present! I still love the relationship the main character Talasyn has with her long-lost father and the dynamic between her father and Alaric was quite hilarious in this sequel.

I found myself laughing, on the edge of my seat, and rooting for the main characters to embrace vulnerability and confess their love for each other. This book was a very entertaining romantasy read.

Thank you to Netgalley & HarperVoyager for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

There were too many issues with the story for me to find myself truly immersed and having an enjoyable time. There was too much romanticizing of the colonizer (as other reviewers note as well). Additionally the majority romance plot seemed to overshadow the fact that there is a war going on in the story...I understand that is the point of romantasy- romance being at the forefront but when the political machinations are left underdeveloped it allows the story to fall flat.

"She kept her eyes shut as his touch lingered, then drifted away. Briefly, she wondered, what it would be like to live in a world where she was allowed to take his hand."

4.5 rounded up!!

it was a little crazy to me that The Hurricane Wars took place over nearly a full year, but A Monsoon Rising was entirely within like 4-5 months.

A Monsoon Rising begins a little over a week after The Hurricane Wars ends. Alaric is still in Kesath, but preparing to return to the Nenavar Dominion. Talasyn is now running her own household on the island of Iantas, spending most of her time there or at the Belian Sever practicing her aethermancy.

I loved that the romance was allowed to exist more presently in this book, versus the first one. while the book is definitely “romantasy”, where the romance carries the story, the plot outside of the romance is still very captivating in my opinion. I was excited to see how the Voidfell Sever scenario went, but am even more excited to see what happens when Alaric and Talasyn both find out about the plans happening on either side of their loyalties.

[insert Marie Kondo saying "I love mess" here]

the book does end on a cliffhanger, and I truly wouldn’t mind it, BUT.

I feel ROBBED that we didn’t get a scene at the very end showing Alaric’s reaction to what happened to Talasyn. ROBBED. THAT would have been a PEAK ending for me. I am begging that there’s a special edition out there that has that as a bonus scene because I need it now.

plot: ★★★★☆
there isn’t much new to share in terms of the plot—everything that’s happening are following the events and planning from the first book. we follow Talasyn and Alaric as they struggle to navigate their individual political courts, plan/train to save half of the world from the Voidfell Sever, ANDDDD trying to convince themselves that their attraction to each other is only skin deep. I do kind of wish that we could have handled the Voidfell Sever earlier in the book and gotten a bit more out of the book, but if we had to drag out that task in order to get all the fun romantic scenes we had, then so be it.

writing: ★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)
the writing does struggle, similarly to the first book as well. it gets repetitive frequently. the ways of describing things are almost always the same, down to the same exact wording. but if it’s one thing Thea Guanzon can write the hell out of, it’s two people desperately yearning for each other and I am HERE for it.

pacing: ★★★★★
I’d say this one is just a hair on the slower side, due to us going through a shorter timespan than the previous book, but it’s still a quick read.

romance: ★★★★★
PLEAAASSEEEEE the way I was getting SO stressed out every time someone interrupted Talasyn and Alaric I was going to turn feral. I love them in their sweet moments so much. their dynamic is genuinely so much fun for me to read. I can feel it in my bones that Alaric will be the one to confess his feelings first and I will be screaming at the top of my lungs when that happens.

while the concept of them trying to hold on to the persona that hates the other person does start to get a bit old the longer their romance goes on, I do enjoy that their way of holding on to their personas is to pick a fight with each other that often turns to something else.

characters: ★★★★★
the way that Sevraim was absent for so much of this book should require jail time. he is quickly becoming a favorite character of mine, and I NEED to see him and Talasyn form a friendship.

it feels weird to not have seen Vela as much. I know it’s hard for Talasyn to see her, but IDK, it still feels like for such an important character, she should be more present?? like we lose some of the war-focused side of the story when Vela isn’t around. in the same breath, it feels weird for Gaheris to not be super involved, with how controlling his character is made to be, but I have a feeling we will see that change soon.

also, who’s taking care of Guava while Alaric is with Talasyn????? if that bird dies, I’m rioting in the streets.

over-all: ★★★★★ (4.5 rounded up)
I loved it!!! I can admit that the story could use more structure/fleshing out at times, but I just genuinely have so much fun in these stories that I don’t mind at all. however, I’m devastated that I have to wait an unknown amount of time for the next book to come.