A Monsoon Rising is an incredible follow-up to one of my all-time favorite books: The Hurricane Wars. One of, if not the best, romantasy couples! Talasyn and Alaric's relationship had me giggling and kicking my feet. I also love the world building and I can't wait to see where this series goes next.

I really love the way Thea writes. I felt like the story was going in the right direction and I found myself entertained throughout the book.

A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon is beautifully written, with lush descriptions that really bring the setting to life. The dynamic between Alaric and Talaysn is a standout, with great banter and tension. While the pacing is slower than expected, the emotional depth is there, and the twisty ending leaves you eagerly anticipating what’s next.

I’m definitely excited to see where the series goes next. If you love atmospheric worlds and slow-burn stories, this one’s for you!

*A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for the eARC of this book! A Monsoon Rising was one of my anticipated reads and it did not disappoint!*

I wanted a slow burn and by god I got it. This love is intense. It’s slow, tortuously so at times, but worth every second. Their chemistry is so unmatched and they’re just so good together they don’t even know.

The side characters are some of my favorite in any series. Prince Elagbi has my heart; I hope to god nothing bad happens to that man. On the flip I want to absolutely beat Gaheris’ ass. He’s such a prick and I fear he had something to do with the ending.

Speaking of the ending, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! THEA WHEN I CATCH YOU!!! I cannot believe I have to wait for another book because how long is that going to take? WITH THAT ENDING?!

Agonizing ending aside, this book was 5 stars for me. Everything is so beautiful especially the spice. Thea has a way with words. Everything is so pretty and just UGH!!! I love this world even if it’s fucked up and cruel.

Since I tried and tried to read book one, but sadly couldn’t connect to it, there’s no way I can even attempt to try and read this one. Super bummed. I’ve heard great things about these books but they’re just not for me.

Unfortunately this series did not hit for me. The first book was a DNF for me but I can see how so many people loved it!

Thank you Netgalley, Thea Guanzon, and the publisher for the e-arc!

I enjoyed this richly beautiful sequel and how we focused a bit more on the romance this time around. It allowed us to see more characterization and develop emotional attachments- something that is essential good storytelling in my opinion!

Many authors struggle to live up to the excellence of the first book in a series, but not Thea Guanzon! This was FANTASTIC! I adore the beautiful world she has created; the rich descriptions of the Nenavarian landscape and the unique magic system tied to it were so vividly described I felt like I was there! However, the real star of the show is definitely the growing relationship between Talasyn and Alaric - I was entranced by their enemies-to-lovers arc. They both have to balance the fate of the world with the fate of their two people's AND their growing feelings for each other. They are the only two people in the world who understand each other fully, and I am begging the universe (and Thea Guanzon!!) to give them the happy ending that they deserve!

4.0 / 5.0

Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon is not as good as the first book but I think it opens up more for the resolution in the book(s) to come. We get more development of the characters and a chance for the enemies to lover to really kick up a notch. I still enjoyed this world and seeing the lore and politics get filled in more. Some of the plot is a little too convenient and some of the characters don’t jive with their book one performances, but overall I enjoyed it.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access for access to this eARC.

5⭐ 4🌶️

The events in A Monsoon Rising pick up directly after the conclusion of The Hurricane Wars. The arranged marriage between Talasyn and Alaric is in place and their kingdoms have joined forces in order to stop the growing threat of the Shadow Gate. Light and Dark magics combined are the only ways to stop it, causing the once enemies to have to learn to work together.

A Monsoon Rising is a perfect slow burn. Book 1 was slower than slow, and we get some great payoff for that tension here. The romance had me kicking my feet and screaming because of how amazing it was. I love how Alaric starts to see more of Talasyn outside of who she showed him before, and she was able to see a softer side to him.

The world building was rich and beautiful, Thea is skilled at crafting a world that leans on its fanfiction roots, but also evolving it into something more. The romance took a front seat to everything else, and honestly I'm here for it.

😍 Enemies to Lovers
😍 Rich World Building
😍 Reylo inspired
😍 Arranged Marriage
😍 Light v Dark Magic
😍 MORE Dragons
😍 THE CHEMISTRY


A hugeeeee thank you to Thea Guanzon, NetGalley, and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC and Physical ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I struggled with getting attached to the characters in this book. I thought they could have been fleshed out more and made more relatable

I LOVE MY WIFE BUT I CAN'T TELL HER
I LOVE MY HUSBAND BUT I CAN'T TELL HIM


that's the entire plot and i YEARN for them

I’ll be so honest. I feel like the plot itself had me a little up in the air with this book. BUT THE ROMANCE??? INSANE CHEF’S KISS. I WAS IN FACT IN SHAMBLES. ALARIC. I ADORE YOU. I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. My brain was simply trying to get into that big brain mode to fully compute everything, but I for sure still enjoyed it! The story and the romance were action packed and kept me on my toes the whole time. I was glued to this once I started getting into it, just feasting on their moments like it was a Michelin Star meal. Reylo Slaylo. 3.5 but rounded way up for the repping of my space parents!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for this arc!

I love this series so much. No one does enemies to lovers and the fallout in between like Thea does. I had to take breaks because of how deeply I felt for them and the impossibility of the overarching war and growing opposing personal legacies.

Thank you to Avon and Harper voyager for the eARC.

Just finished A Monsoon Rising, and wow—what a journey! 🌿✨ This book swept me away with its lush world-building, compelling characters, and a story that kept me hooked until the very last page. It’s an epic blend of adventure, intrigue, and heart, with twists you won’t see coming. If you’re looking for a gripping tale with high stakes and rich emotional depth, this one’s for you. Highly recommend adding it to your TBR—it’s a must-read! 📖💛 #MonsoonMagic #BookLover #FantasyReads

A Monsoon Rising is the sequel to The Hurricane Wars, a book I loved. I was beyond thrilled to receive an ARC. Did it live up to the hype? Well yes... and no.

This book had two promises to live up to: the overarching plot of the Hurricane Wars themselves and the promise of the budding romance between Alaric and Talasyn.

The sparks certainly flew between our two leads; with them finally consummating their arranged marriage and forbidden romance. While there was spice there was little progress on the communication between Alaric and Talasyn. This was more than occasionally frustrating. We can only hope that there is headway on that front in the sequel.

Where this novel fell down was in the plot, with the focus on the threat of the Moonless Dark, the stakes felt pretty low. Some action-packed scenes of rebellion did occur but were few and their impact was low. The political stakes of the Nenavarene Dominion were also on the back burner. This was unfortunate to me but perhaps this was a genre switch more firmly into the realm of Romantasy than of a Fantasy with a central Romance.

The final twist was not telegraphed or foreshadowed satisfyingly. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book and sped through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Such an amazing sequel to this series. I am ready to see where these characters go next. The complexity of this world makes it intriguing to continue and follow these characters. I think pacing could've been a little better but otherwise a great novel.

I feel like a lot of this was filler and there was no real action until the end but that doesn’t matter I liked it. Also this focused on romance over plot. they’re in love but they don’t want to be!!

I really enjoyed the second book in this series, I had to reread book one since it has been a bit. this is a very captivating fantasy with a unique world and magic system. Of course, I always picture Kylo Ren when I am reading. I am looking forward to more from this author!

ARC Review

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for me to read and review honestly!

I think I would have liked this a lot more if I had read the first book in the series directly before reading this, but it had been a hot minute. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me in almost every aspect. I had a hard time relating to the characters and found some characters to be very annoying. I also felt like this book dragged on and was slower than I was expecting.

(This is only shared on my Goodreads and nowhere else due to the lower rating)