DNF @ 50%.

The premise of this sounded super interesting but the writing was just so basic. No world building, very literal, and no relationship building. The narrator read so slow I had to speed it up to make it tolerable.

DNF @ 57% - ugh, this started out promising, but it just quickly devolved into spice with no real relationship development and the plot (outside of the romance) has disappeared. Idk, I'm just not vibing with this and need more build up and development :(

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the AudioARC of "Forewarned" by Chantal Fernando.

I very much enjoyed this fantasy romance. The world building was lacking a bit as well as the character back stories could have been explored more but it was a fun and quick fantasy romance read which was very entertaining. It is the authors take on the very popular story line of "a dark and powerful fae who everyone thinks is a bad guy turns out to be a hero". It wasn't the next great literary masterpiece but I still enjoyed it, it was a solid 3 star read for me.

There's a lot of telling instead of showing here and much of the story feels very surface level to me. I found it difficult to really connect with any of the characters because I didn't feel like we got to know them very well. For example, August is supposedly Astrid's best friend whose been like family her whole life and I feel like I have no idea who he is at all. I also think the pacing was a bit too quick -- everything is just going from one thing to the next without much reflection or full commitment to each scene. I do like the fated mates trope and I will probably continue with this series to see how it develops. I think there's definitely potential for the story to grow and for the characters to be more fleshed out. I listened to the audio and can say that the narrator, Anne Robert, does a great job and I hope she does the next audio as well!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the digital ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for the AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

After listening to this I automatically recommended it to a friend of like minded reading and she was also enthralled. Was this the next BIG read? No! Was this a good, quick romantacy that satisfied my need for fantasy smut? Yes! I gave it a 3 star because while I did appreciate the developing story and the hotness, it did read like the author had a set of check marks for this genre of book and was just checking them off. I wasn't a fan of the MC because she was so whiney and perfectly wrapped. She was beautiful. She was alluring. She was powerful, but no one knew it because she had to hide it all her life (not even her brother/best friend). She has an aversion to her mate because she saw a unreliable vision of him stealing her magic. She has a handsome sidekick to might be a love interest, but no...now he's a brother figure. Everything seemed gift wrapped so the reader didn't have to think too hard to make connections. It was entertaining. It was hot. It was a worthy read if you are in between the novels with more depth and world building. It's a very character driven novel, so a lot of the other aspects are just...meh. Still, I do plan on reading the next and enjoying the ease of that one too.

No Regrets!!!!
Solid 3 out of 5 stars

This book had so much promise. I was excited to read it based on the blurb, however I found myself wanting so much more from it. The audio itself was great, it is actually what kept me hanging onto the story long after I knew it lacked the depth I was wanting. Overall, the pace was too fast with a lot of dialogue (which was great) but too limited on world and character development. I would have liked to hear more about the characters thoughts, impressions, and feelings to expand on my connection with them and to smooth out the breakneck pace that seemed to be occurring. There was also so much casually discussed between the characters that felt like was critical to the plot but not given enough explanation or world building to make much sense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Forewarned* by Chantal Fernando was an absolute delight from start to finish! I had the pleasure of listening to the ALC, and I was immediately hooked by the fast-paced storytelling and the captivating relationship between Rave and Astrid. The tension and buildup between these two characters kept me glued to the story, making it hard to stop once I started.

The world Chantal Fernando creates is immersive and evocative, filled with fae magic, fate, and irresistible enemies-to-lovers vibes. Astrid, as a fae seer and healer, is such a compelling character, and watching her navigate her feelings toward Rave, her true mate, was both thrilling and heartwarming. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the romantic tension adds to the intensity of the plot.

With excellent pacing and a perfect balance of action, emotion, and steam, *Forewarned* is a must-read for fans of Romantasy. Chantal Fernando has truly delivered a masterpiece, and I can't recommend it enough!

Format: Audiobook ALC (advanced listening copy) via NetGalley! Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC-all thoughts are my own 🥰

First off, I could NOT put this one down. I literally started and finished the audiobook the same day 😅

If you like rejected fated mates…you’ll eat this up. I can’t go into too much detail about some of the drama and shocks because of *spoilers* but I was engaged through the whole book. And the ending has me ready to start book 2.

I usually prefer dual or duet narration but Anne Robert carried this audiobook all on her own!

I have a few things I would have liked to see differently done in the book but again *spoilers* which is why I rated it 4 stars and not 5 but overall it was a highly binge able listen!

I’m on a journey to DNF less books, but God, I wish I quit this book. There was quite literally nothing I liked. The plot was jumbled, the characters were either annoying or bland, and the amount of modern day references in a high fantasy book made me want to scream. She seriously calls the MMC her shadow daddy…like come on!

The worst part of this book isn’t the walking red flag MMC, who threatens to kill any man who even breathes in her vicinity. It isn’t the blatant plagiarism of ACOTAR & Bonds That Tie. It isn’t the worst marketing line I’ve ever seen, which lies that this is an enemies-to-lovers when there’s no scrap of enemies in this book.

No, the worst is the FMC. She’s the worst kind of “pick me” I have ever read. She has every guy in this book, except one, falling at her feet but still complains every two seconds. She can never make up her mind, and she definitely emotionally cheats on her mate without any true regard for his feelings (don’t worry, I hate him too). And if she says “we are mated now” one more fucking time…

There’s so many good reviews on this book on Goodreads, and I’m happy this author found her target audience; however, I am definitely NOT it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Let me start by asking Chantal Fernando, how could she leave this book on such a cliff hanger. I can not wait to read Foretold!
This book was a wonderful adult fantasy fiction. I love all the characters and enjoyed seeing Astrids character development.  Rave is possessive, dark, and powerful. So sexy!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Chantal Fernando, and the publisher for this highly entertaining audiobook.

Forewarned by Chantel Fernando
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

•••Spoiler free review below•••

It has been a minute since I binged a spicy Romantasy book and this one was the perfect listen. A hidden seer, a prince of shadows, and a pending war with vampires — this book had everything! If you love spicy fantasy reads, give this series a try. The first two are out now and the third book is due out in November!

Read this book if you like:
-dislike to lovers
-fated mates
-territorial MMC
-found family

Forewarned is OUT NOW and newly released in audio format! If it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is not a literal masterpiece, made to be analyzed by the literature classes of the future. It knows what it is and it does it well. It is a fun time made book, it will not revolutionize your world, but the time spent with this book will be pleasant and you will be back for more, just like I will.
It is rare for me to say this about a romantasy, but I wish it was longer, more worldbuilding, and more time spent getting to know the characters, I don't know if it would turn it into a fantasy with romance, but I really felt it would have been a nice addition (only reason why it's not four stars).
That being said, it was fleshed out enough to not be lost, and enjoy it. One thing about the audiobook, is the narrator ended almost every sentence that was not dialogue on an up note, almost as a question, and it got distracting sometimes, but overall the interpretation was nice.

I knew this book was gonna be a 5 star read since the beginning! I was completely hooked that I could not stop listening. This is a rare occasion where I finished a book and immediately started the sequel. It had everything I wanted and could ask for in a book. I love a good fated mates and especially he’s ruthless but with her. I found some similarities from ACOTAR, which was a fun part of the story. That ending had me SHOCKED! I’m waiting to see how this series will play out and hopefully it will be my next favorite.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone, although I do think that some may not like it as much as I did.

Thank you to the author, Dreamscapes Media, and NetGalley for this audiobook.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately for me, it fell a little flat. Let’s start with what I liked. The plot had so much potential and is overall a fun story line. it’s a quick and easy read (or listen) and was interesting and kept my attention. Sadly, where I felt this book didn’t live up to its potential was mostly with the writing style. Since this is a personal preference, I know so many people will enjoy it. To me, the writing style felt very YA in the sense of over-explaining things that didn’t need explaining in the first place. Also, the spice was very repetitive and not captivating. Lastly, I listened to this book and did not enjoy the narration. It felt very robotic at times and it threw me out of the story every time. I think I would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more if I had read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

I'm super pisseddd at the secret at the end! THE AUDASITY of MENNNN! Cant wait for book 2!

Publisher's summary
The fae spend their entire lives searching for their true mate.
But me? I know who my mine is.
And I don't want him.
My name is Astrid. I'm a fae—a seer and a healer.
Not much scares me. But him?
That's the darkness I'm never going to let catch me.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book!

Forewarned
By: Chantal Fernando
Narrated by: Anne Robert
Series: Fated Love, Book 1
Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
Release date: 09-03-24
Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook.

Let me start by saying I LOVE spicy books. This one however, felt like it lost the plot pretty heavily once the characters actually got together in favor of smut. Despite this, most of the character development and dialogue felt like it would have fit in better in a true YA novel. Modern phrases usually don’t pull me from a world significantly, but words like “roomies” and the narrators emphasis on them pulled me from the world a bit.

Overall, I am curious to see where this story goes and I was excited to see that book 2 is available on KU already.

Such a great book! The story kept me intrigued the whole time and I loved the world building and the different magical beings. The banter between the main characters was really good too. I had a bit of an issue with the narrator, I’m not sure if it was just me but she came across breathless and very soft spoken which was not how the character came across in the words themselves. Took me a bit in the beginning of the story to ignore that and focus just on the story, but since I did enjoy the storyline and characters so much it was easy to ignore after the first few chapters. I was expecting the ending to be better, and not because it was a cliff hanger, but I expected more from the FMC, it was a bit too much of the basic romance book misunderstanding trope for me. However, I’m still going to get the second book, though I am going to read it instead of waiting for the audio.

**Listened on Audio** the Narrator nailed the tone of the story. It is so good. I was so lost in the story that I found myself frozen on the spot just listening to what was going to happen next. What a great start to this series!!! So many eclectic characters! I'm not sure how I feel about Rave and a few others right now, it's so hard to predict what might happen. I am loving this story!!! Bring on the next one!

2.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audiobook ARC of this book.
So I almost DNF this book at about 30% but I persevered and continued to the end. The beginning was an interesting start but characters felt very flat. Astrid seemed kind of immature for 25 and she became more rounded by the end but still I wasn’t blown away. Rave and Astrid’s relationship was meh. Seemed really rushed and not realistic all because of the “mating bond” making them feel so much. The world building and characters improved slightly throughout the book but I still wasn’t impressed.
If you took a shot every time Rave told Astrid to not go anywhere by herself and she did anyway; you would be under the table. All this man does is try to control her but at the same time is never available for her to go out and about with?? Like I’d be bored to death too trapped in a castle full of strangers. The protective shadow daddy act was so played out, it got annoying.
I kind of liked the direction the plot going until the super abrupt ending that felt unfinished.
As far as the narration, I didn’t love it. It sounded robotic at times with how much annunciation was put into the words rather than conversational dialogue.

This book is fast paced and keeps your attention from start to finish. The narrator does a great job bringing life to There are a number of twists, always keeping you guessing. I’ll be reeling from that ending until book 2 comes out.