I liked this book, but I had some issues with the plot and understanding of the magic system. I felt like this book could have been better if there was like maybe 25 pages more of background information describing the magic system. There were also several instances where a chapter would end and suddenly at the start of the next chapter, the characters would be somewhere new. There weren't enough transitional scenes.

Elowen is a very strong female main character which I appreciate, and she has appropriate responses to very severe childhood trauma. She has panic and anxiety attacks, which are written with care and the character isn't seen as less then because of it. I hate when a fantasy character has been through years of abuse and is fine because they're "strong". That's not a great message for anyone. Honestly, I loved all the characters in this book. I loved that Cayden was a mean cinnamon roll and Finnian was Elowen's brother in all but blood. I also thought the character motivations all made sense, even the twist in the end was well plotted.

The story progression does make sense, we start with Elowen and Finnian in a kingdom they created. When her and Finnian are on a spy mission in a neighboring village, Elowen meets Cayden for the first time. She finds out that Cayden want's the lost princess for an alliance. Of course, it turns out that he also wants to help her get her dragons back and maybe get in her pants along the way. I liked the slow burn, touch her and die romance. I wouldn't really call this enemies to lovers though.

Other than the lack of explanation of the magic system and the pacing issues, I liked this book and I'm excited to see when the next one comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Delacorte Press for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

Fear The Flames ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fear The Flames by @ is going to be your next 5 star read that will leave you wanting more. I had the privilege to read the indie version and devoured those 56 chapters within a day. I’m from Australia and the e-ARC is currently not available so I reached out to @dellromance and was lucky enough to have been sent the @netgalley link. When I woke up and saw that email I was shocked and surprised but immediately downloaded it to my kindle and the rest is history!!

Being that this book is now traditionally published I was curious to see which scenes from the indie version (which was 56 chapters long) would go and what new additional scenes would be included in the new version (which was 51 chapters long). However I am happy to say that even though something left, this new version of the book was just as great if not better!

So onto the main characters we go - Elowen and Cayden. I’m so thankful we got more about Cayden’s backstory and made him an even more loveable character and I can’t wait for book 2 to see even more of Cayden’s character growth. Elowen is such a powerful character in this and is even more hilarious in this version which had me kicking and screaming every time she and Cayden flirted/word sparred with each other.

I cannot ignore who amazing Finnian, Ryder and Saskia are in this book and I hope to see more of these characters in book 2! The comments they provide throughout the book are hilarious (not going to give spoilers here 🙈🙊)

Favourite scenes:
Bath scene (it had me falling in love with Cayden all over again. The way he looked after Elowen and stayed true to his word had my eyes turning glossy.
Brothel scene 🥵🌶️

Favourite quotes:
He’s like a walking supply of endless innuendos, smirks, and glares (Elowen)
If you are to be my damnation, it’s an end I’ll happily meet (Cayden)

Olivia, I only have one question for you and that’s when can I get my greedy little hands on book 2!?!

I read this while it was independently published and then got an ARC thank you NetGalley!! I love this book so much I cannot even put into words how incredible it is. Elowen is one of my favorite female main characters of all time, she goes through so much trauma and is still a bad ass powerful woman. I also love that she doesn’t become “fragile” or lose her thirst for revenge after meeting Cayden. I love Cayden and Elowens love story and how he absolutely worships her. I will read anything and everything Liv Darling writes she is incredible.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Fear the Flames!

When first reading this book, it feels like entering the story after it has already started. Personally, I would’ve liked a little more buildup and world building around Aestilian and how it came to be before going right into the story. I also would’ve liked to see a little more character building in the first part of the book. Overall, it just felt like something was missing from the initial part of the story. After a while, I got used to the world building as the story progressed aspect of the book.

I definitely enjoyed this book despite a few cringy moments. At times, it felt like the author was straying into the “I’m not like other girls” trope which pulled me out of the story. I also would’ve liked more of the story to include the dragons but I understand why they weren’t as present in the story. Hopefully in the next book, we’ll get more time with the dragons.

Was this a literary masterpiece? No. Did I have a good time reading this? Yes. If there’s a second book, I’d definitely give it a read. I’m very interested to see where the story goes from here.

ARC Review - Fear the Flames

FIVE STARS

Look, I might be a big fan of Olivia Rose Darling, but that doesn’t mean I’m biased when I say that Fear the Flames is a smash hit. I had the privilege of reading the Indie version of this book and when I tell you I FLEW through it, I’m not even exaggerating. It was just so captivating and intense that I couldn’t put it down. I remember sitting at a basketball game, reading it between each play because it was just. That. Good. And when the ARC came through on my phone after months of begging and pleading, I screamed.

My biggest concern with the traditionally published version was: Will the story be different? Obviously, I knew that it was going to change a little, but I was worried the essence and the reasons I loved the first book would be cut. I’m happy to say that they were not! While there were a few parts/scenes that I was sad to see go, the additions made up for it tenfold. And the ending? Totally worth it.

So now we have Elowen and Cayden. Thankfully (Olivia must have heard my pleas) we have gotten more of Cayden’s backstory. I feel like what Olivia added gave us more context and really fleshed out Cayden as a character and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, because I feel there will be even more growth. Elowen, she’s just such a powerful character and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see where book two takes her. Also, I don’t think we’ve ever given enough credit to Elowen, because reading the trad version really made me realize just how hilarious she is, which I’m glad was emphasized.

Saskia, Ryder, and Finnian are all standout characters and I hope to see a little more of them in the second book. Obviously, I love the group dynamic and am glad that we were given more time with each of them from when it was originally published.

All in all, I can see this becoming the next big fantasy. In my mind, it already is. If you aren’t reading this book, what are you doing? Be prepared, it’s going to blow everything out of the water. And Olivia Rose Darling, can I please have the second book soon??

This book was addicting, fast paced, and such a hilarious relief all at the same time. Heist, dragons, and romance were all things that pulled me into this read, but what I was pleasantly surprised by was all of the banter! The slow burn romance was more than worth it for the wait. I love the relationship that is built between the main characters. Did I mention dragons? That act like dogs? Loved this romance and fantasy blend!

Thank you Netgally and Penguin Random House for the eARC!

Thank you to @netgalley and @randompublishinghouse for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I read this description and absolutely fell in love! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book and dive into this world.

I feel like this book would be a great starter for those new to the fantasy/romantasy genre. It does a very good job of world building at a pace that doesn’t feel like info dumping. The author balances the information with action in a great way, easing you into the story slowly but quick enough that the action picks you back up.

I LOVED our main couple and their banter. I am such a sucker for banter. I wouldn’t classify this book as enemies to lovers (it’s an overused description that rarely is true) but it is a slow burn alliance of convenience. They fight against their feelings and chemistry with each other as long as they can but when they finally give in it’s such a sweet relief.

If you are looking for dragons, this book (at least the first) isn’t quite for you. They are there but the dragons only make a few appearances till the end of the book and don’t have a strong presence. The entire plot of the book is getting to them to rescue them, but we go without for about 90% of the story. I have high hopes that they have a greater presence in the rest of the series, cause every time they were on the page they stole the scenes.

The side characters were great additions to the story and brought some humor to the world that was needing considered the dreary setting. They are loyal and while they each have decent screen time, I do hope that they get more development as the series continues.

A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and I will continue reading this series with glee!

I don't even know where to start with this book. This is a book that had me kicking my feet in joy from the banter to the wonderful description of the scenery and outfits to the heist. The characters in this book are also wonderful and complex; really enjoyed the brother/sister relationships. The sorta of enemies to lovers was so well done and the build-up was great. Can't wait to see where the rest of this story goes.

It feels really awkward to say, but I feel like Fourth Wing did the “dragon romantasy” better. I realize publishing takes a really long time in terms of the schedule for books coming out, so it’s just sort of unfortunate timing…

I decided to stop after chapter 4 (8%).

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for inviting me to read this lovely novel. I know originally it was self published two years ago but with a new publisher comes new review ARC.

I’ll start by saying I did love the general concept and idea of this book. There’s just a LOT happening. I constantly felt whiplash going back and forth being pulled between plots that never really stuck. It felt like throwing darts at a board and hoping something stuck.

The characters are loveable. The spice was long awaited, the romance bloomed fast for me but the spice took FOREVER.

Genuinely I see a ton of potential for this book if someone took the time to narrow down the plot. There’s tons in here for a whole series I see but there’s too much thrown in at once. I do look forward to seeing more from this author as I love her writing style, it is very easy to read. Tons of fun quotes I found in this book. Love!

I loved the House of Dragon theme that the book had, it was amazing how the book was set up unlike others. I enjoyed the dragon aspects, I love dragons, and they flowed with the plot well.

Elowen and Cayden had juicy banter and the tension was thick between making things so much more addictive. I’m excited to see how the series continues to grow with plot and characters.

Since this book came out, I’ve read it 3 times. Twice the original indie version and now the traditionally published one. So it’s easy to say that I truly loved this story!!! I’m not gonna say it’s perfect but OMG it grips you from the very beginning and doesn’t let go. It’s truly one of my favourite romantasy books I’ve read in recent years.

I think the prologue and some more world building that was added in this version was a great extension! Some scenes were cut out, some were added but there weren’t truly many changes to the main storyline. I think the pacing was just right, without it being too slow or too rushed.

One of my favourite parts of this story is the found family. Olivia has managed to capture it so beautifully! It’s sincere, funny and you can truly feel the connection between all the characters.

The FMC is a badass and I loved how self assured she was in what she wanted and how she wanted to achieve it. She’s got vulnerabilities and insecurities but never wavers in reaching her goal.

The MMC is a bit of a mystery but perfectly broody and with just the right amount of touch her and die so my favourite type🔥

And the relationship between the MCs 🥵🥵🥵 the tension is dripping of the pages and I love the slow burn of them becoming allies and friends before anything physical happens. And without any spoilers but there is one specific scene that lives rent free in my head so for those who like their fantasy spicy, you won’t be disappointed 🔥

In other words, if you haven’t already read it do it!!! If you truly want to feel like you’re transported to a magical world, this the book for you.

The tropes include:

🐉 dragons!!!
🐉 reluctant allies to lovers
🐉 stabby FMC
🐉 morally grey MCs
🐉 found family
🐉 heist

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 3/5 🌶️

I had so much fun reading the indie version of Fear the Flames nearly a year ago, so I was beyond excited when I got the email to read an ARC of the upcoming traditional version.

The banter and the found family in this — still top-tier, and then Olivia went off and made it even better by tightening up the story and giving us more about Cayden and the dragons. There are less pages, but somehow it offers so much more this time around!

If you like fantasy, banter, found family, lovable side characters, romance, dragons, action, FUN, then this will be for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

Dragons! Magic! Spice! A young princess and her five dragons tortured only to become vengeance personified. I stayed up all night to finish this. I cannot wait to read more from Olivia Rose Darling.

# Fear the Flames
# 7/26/2024 ~ 8/2/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0

Pheww, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book! However, I do feel like this was more allies to lovers rather than enemies to lovers. They literally have the same common goal and Cayden wasn’t very loyal to his kingdom from the start lol. He was more fascinated with Elowen than anything else.

I mostly gave it four starts because it was really fun and had good bones! I do feel like there should have been more world building and more like dragon lore?? She’s after the dragons for this entire book but we really don’t start hearing about them until way later on. I just hope the next book really digs deeper into Cayden’s past so he doesn’t feel so one dimensional to me. But that aside, I still really care about him and Elowen and I’m really curious what the next book will be like!

All this book has a decent amount of spice more towards the end if you’re into that! It was definitely more than I’m used to but really fun!

Overall, I really had fun with this but I do hope for a little more from the next one and have high hopes!!

Things & Stuff:
- Deadly creatures (netherwraith)
- Medieval setting
- Spice 🌶️
- Dragons
- Prophecies & seers
- Graphic bits 😅
- “Touch her and you 💀”
- Allies to lovers

Where can I get a bonded dragon?!?
I like when the main characters are introduced early on in books. I liked the both main and side characters. I wanted more tension but the banter was good. The spice was good. I enjoyed the last 30% the most. And I always like a little betrayal/lie thrown in there. I’m hoping for more dragons in book 2!
Thank you to the publisher and author for this arc!

I have wanted to read this book for a long time, but I decided to wait until I could read the traditionally published version after it was announced. I’ve seen people rave about this book so to say I’m disappointed is an understatement.

This needed more prequel chapters because right off the bat we are expected to know the world and what’s happening. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing if there was more world-building and explaining as the story continues to give us insight into why it started where it did.

This book has a TON of dialogue, with very little action or plot. It needed a better balance of both, especially in the first few chapters to establish the world. I think the author lacked the ability to fill in the holes between point A and point B. I had no clue why we were going places and it seemed that maybe plans and meetings were happening off page with barely a sentence to explain after. The only thing I really knew for certain in this entire book was that they were going to get her dragons back. I couldn’t tell you why, and I couldn’t tell you why all these people cared about the dragons, or the main character for that matter, because they lacked so much depth that I couldn’t remember who was who. This is a common problem I find in romantasy books that try so hard to hit the mark of a found family trope. The side characters and their backstories aren’t established beyond a few sentences and are never fleshed out past their introductions.

Aside from the lack of world building, there is also a lack of feelings and emotions, that caused very little connection and chemistry. Between the characters, but also between me as a reader and the book itself. I love books with a lot of spice and character-focused books, however this had the mask of being a plot-focused book with a terrible execution of what we were given. I think this book is unique in the fact that I have never read a book that lacked so much information while still trying to convince you the characters knew everything they were supposed to.

The male main character was developed the best out of all the characters, and I enjoyed the banter. However, I would’ve liked more showing instead of telling. What were his eyes and body language telling us when he wasn’t speaking? No clue. I was also VERY confused about why he would be her enemy, but also her ally, and he’s guarding her for his own goals, but would basically die for her…? I reread the scenes where they met a few times because I thought I was missing something until I got farther into the book and realized it was just the standard for this book to not make any sense or explain a single thing. The romance, like everything else in the book, severely lacked chemistry and connection. I wouldn’t have minded a lack of plot if the spice and romance delivered, but there was hardly any tension and I was apathetic to the spice when it did happen.

I spent way too much time wanting to like this and convincing myself that it would get better because of how many good reviews I’ve seen. The concept had good potential, but this book did not deliver in any way. I will not be continuing this series, even if the reviews say the second book is better. I don’t need to waste my time again.

I read Olivia’s indie/self published version back in 2023 & instantly fell in love with her writing, the characters & this story.

The storyline immediately pulls you in & doesn’t let go the entire book. Elowen & Cayden are everything I want in a main characters. Elowen’s sharp words, smart, sassy mouth & Cayden’s dark, “demon” personality are exactly what I want in a pairing. Their intensity in what they believe, fight for & want leaves you constantly wanting more.

5/5
10/10
I said in 2023, I’ll say it again, Olivia - I hope you get the recognition you deserve in this book & continue this series because you have a reader in me & my undying love for C&E.

Bring on the Dragon Queen & take us to war!

I'd heard amazing things about this when it was self-published, but never dived in, so I was thrilled to read the updated version <33

Before I get into the details (and light spoilers?), I'll say now that I think this is a strong series start, and I'm very happy I read it (in two sittings no less). I'm invested enough in Elowen x Cayden to eagerly wait for book 2. But like many other first books, I was left with a few thoughts...

I love a strong protagonist, and if you do too, then Elowen is for you. I admittedly found her backstory (bond to the dragons) a bit hard to follow, and it wasn't explored deeply enough for me to invest, but I put that aside for how Elowen starts to come into her own. I'm hopeful that in Book 2 we'll start to learn more about why her prophecy shook a kingdom so much since her ~evil family~ felt a bit two-dimensional.

And the same goes for Cayden (who I'm obsessed with and honestly think was the best-developed character). Of course, there is a big twist at the end, but there were mentions every once and a while of his backstory that has me hoping he and Elowen are destined to be...

Thanks so much to Delacorte & NetGalley for the chance to read early!! Can't wait for others to read so I can discuss.

4.5/5 ⭐️. I really loved everything about this book. The pace, the world building, the characters, and I loved how we got to see so much more of Cayden’s backstory and character. Elowen really speaks to me as a main character; she is strong but also compassionate and kind. I don’t think I’ve seen a character quite like her in any books I’ve read and I loved it. I cannot wait for the sequel and to see more of Elowen’s story.