Hannah is Not Like Other Girls. She is so not like other girls; she’s clumsy, she’s not blonde, she’s got brown hair! She’s not a bitch, she’s just … really a bitter misogynist. She whimpers the first time she sees a handsome man cross his arms. Every man wants to fuck her, every woman thinks she’s beneath them. She’s shallow, two dimensional, and I found both she and her story boring and predictable.

This book might work better for a younger audience, or someone looking for a simple, old-school romance with love at first sight, constant (tiring) innuendos, straightforward plotting and black and white morality. The sex scenes are brief, as are the mentions of violence. All in all, its worst crime is being bland. It offers nothing new, but at least its messaging isn’t harmful.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

unfortunately, I did not enjoy this as much as I'd hoped.

I was disappointed to find the tarot cards played no part beyond the setting, not even with regard to the power of the empress card. as someone who has dabbled for quite a few years, I was hoping for more "lore" or intention behind the use of pentacles and cups.

I was also really frustrated by Hannah. I know the author probably meant for her to seem relatable, but I found her pathetic and kind of clueless. I guess it should've been a clue when she didn't put pressure on her own stab wound... her inability to curb her self-righteous behavior should've gotten her killed or ended their ruse several times, and each time she "got away with it," I found myself a little more reticent to continue. I also don't shy away from smut in books, but the whole "good girl" thing was really lost on me; Hannah already had very little autonomy, so having her submit to Cain like that just felt like too much, you know? and don't even get me started on the whole maxing out her credit card thing. if you've been harping the whole book that the FMC is poor, it's so out of left field to have her defrost her credit card and max it out in the name of a makeover, even if she is going to disappear to another realm. it just felt so inauthentic to her character...

lastly, the ending was a bit ridiculous. I firmly believe that no member of royalty, let alone two, would allow such a transfer of power to occur, regardless of the fact that Cain and Hannah saved the whole kingdom. I also doubt the kingdom of cups would have sent such a message; if my envoys were murdered on the side of the road, I'd be preparing for war, not willing to continue trade negotiations... when I say everything was wrapped up in a far too convenient, happy bow, I mean it. I did consider DNFing several times, and the other readers that did, I salute you. this was not for me and unfortunately, I do not think I would willingly recommend it without a million disclaimers first.

I had high hopes for this, but in the end, it wasn't for me. I loved the concept of a girl being pulled into a fantasy world, but I had a hard time getting into the book. The first chapter didn’t pull me in, and I didn’t like the main character—she was a little too 'pick me,' but I could look past that. It became clear to me that the author's humor and writing style just weren't for me, like the scene where the main character walks in on two people having sex.

I'll start my review with a big thank you to the author, Kristin Cast, the publisher, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for the privilege of being able to read The Empress. I will share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble as well.

The Empress is a tarot-focused romantasy with time travel and some modern vibes. There's some portal dynamics involved, some political intrigue, and a steamy romance worked into a faced-paced 400 or so pages. This was an overall entertaining read. The story follows Hannah, a woman in the present who finds herself mysteriously transported to the magical world of Towerfall after finding a mysterious tarot card. In Towerfall, she meets Kane. As is pretty common with his character type, he's a brooding, morally-gray warrior with a dark past. The two are forced into a fake marriage as political schemery, and Hannah must decide whether she wants to return to her old life at the same time as she's navigating the dangerous new world she's traveled to. Her presence may be the key to saving Towerfall.

I think the tarot idea is an interesting premise and base for worldbuilding that felt pretty fresh and new. The portal fantasy genre is pretty broad, but this one layers in some political intrigue and romance to add some depth to the characters and their world. The Arcana really added some more complication to the story, which was a needed layer. The romance between the main characters, Kane and Hannah, is pretty obvious from the start, and their banter is pretty fun. I liked their dynamic even though it was pretty predictable. Sometimes things are good for a reason. Their banter and Hannah's more modern sensibilities and humor are appealing, but make it definitely feel more YA and playful than more serious romantasy. I enjoyed the elements of political scheming and context, and I think the book set up for more complicated things to come in future installments. I could see Hannah getting into trouble in Towerfall again soon.

While there were many things I liked about this novel, I thought there were some moments where I wanted more character development and less fast-paced plot, but I cannot deny that it was a thrill ride. I needed more info on what the characters were feeling/thinking, and that could've been in discussing more about their expressions and body language. The first few chapters felt a little rushed in getting into the story and I felt they could've been drawn out a bit to give me more emotional connection to Hannah. I needed more backstory and information on her other than her being quirky and anxious. I also would like to know more about Kane's backstory. I think the book set up for another installment, and I'm interested to see what happens next. You might like the Empress if you liked A Court of Thorns and Roses, Outlander, The Bridge Kingdom, The Night Circus, Jennifer Armentrout Series. The book definitely delivered in entertainment value, but it didn't stand out to me as something I'd read again and again.

3.7 stars, rounding up!

Major Tropes and Themes:
- fake marriage/forced proximity
- chosen one
- morally gray hot MMC
- tarot/magic
- time travel
- political scheming

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for an e-ARC!

Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. While the premise and plot was unique and exciting, the storyline fell short. There were various holes in the world building that made it seem incomplete. While I did enjoy the banter between characters and the sprinkle of spice, the overall story lacked depth.

While I may consider picking up the second book to see where the story goes, I hesitate to recommend this book to anyone at the moment.

My first experience with this author! The premise for this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and that was so exciting.

A broody mmc
A fake marriage
Transported in a new world

Great for romantasy readers

I was very close to DNF after the first chapter. I do read books with spice in them but usually there’s a build up and not just a girl walking in on an intimate moment that didn’t need detail. I did read the whole book and I really feel like a lot of the novel was thrown together.

Hannah is not likable from the start. I thought maybe the reader wasn’t meant to like her and while she does have some growth she stays unlikeable the whole time. We never get a good understanding of Towerfall- its rules, its magic or why Hannah was picked to go there. A good portion of the book is just Kane and Hannah flirting.

I usually try to go with it’s the author’s world we’re just reading it but that only goes so far.

Overall, I enjoyed *The Empress*, and it’s exactly the kind of fantasy I was looking for—a refreshing change from the “for fans of ACOTAR” type of books that seem to dominate the genre. Hannah’s character hooked me right away, and I loved her humor, especially the bit about her not even having a sourdough starter yet because, come on, that was hilarious 😂. Honestly, it’s moments like that that made me really connect with her right off the bat.

The story doesn’t just dump info on you, but rather weaves in important details naturally. I was especially intrigued by the political dynamics in the Kingdom of Pentacles—it adds so much depth and makes me care about the world beyond just the romance between Hannah and Kane.

Speaking of Kane, *hot*… the scene where he instructs the maid on how to dress Hannah? Seriously steamy. I also liked the mirror-selves concept—it gave me *Wizard of Oz* vibes, but in a good way. There’s a lot going on with the characters, and the political intrigue kept me hooked too. I want to know more about the Highgates, and the kingdom’s corruption and dissent seem like they’re going to play a big role down the line. Hopefully, more of that comes up in future books.

Hannah’s anxieties really hit home for me. She’s been through a lot in her past relationships, so it makes total sense that she’s got her guard up. Watching her try to figure out how to balance vulnerability with self-protection is both frustrating (because I *get* why she’s panicking) and well-written, but at times the way she acted based on her anxieties went past frustrating into being more annoying and childish.

That said, I do have some mixed feelings. It was clear that the whole thing with Kane and Ivy is definitely building up to some classic miscommunication, which I’m not a huge fan of. and it did lead to the predictable drama that I was expecting.

The ending felt a bit rushed. It’s like the author had so much she wanted to tie up that it all came together too quickly, and the epilogue didn’t do much to satisfy. I’m still hooked enough to want to see where the next book goes, though. Hopefully, we get more details on the kingdom’s political unrest and the characters’ development—especially with the corruption in the castle.

Overall, I’m really enjoying this series and am excited for what’s to come, but the pacing and the rushed ending did leave me wanting a bit more. Looking forward to the next installment!

The Empress by Kristin Cast is a book that dives into a world of magic, power struggles, and unexpected twists. We follow Hannah as she navigates complex relationships and battles with her inner strength. Struggling with work and personal relationship she’s feels as though she is always at the bottom. That is until she ends up falling into another world via a tarot card. The world building was decent but sometimes felt that the pacing was off. Characters felt some what relatable, but pretty predictable. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read for fans of young adult fantasy looking for an intriguing story.

I had very high hopes for this book. I love the cover. I loved the description. I loved the world that was built. This book had so much potential, but it just wasn’t executed very well. The magic system was not well thought out. The use of the tarot cards seemed to just be a gimmick and wasn’t used very well. There were tons of plot holes. Nothing about the plot made any sense. The book was both fast paced and slow. The relationship needed to be more fleshed out. The relationship felt very rushed.

The writing itself is good. More time just needed to be spent on thinking out the plot, the relationships, and on character development.

I initially requested this book because I grew up reading P.C. Cast’s books. But this book fell very flat for me when it came to the story. I wanted a lot more in terms of romance and depth. It all felt very very rushed and was honestly immature. I’m not sure if I will continue the series.

The Empress by Kristin Cast is a fun romantasy based on the tarot. Hannah is sent back in time after facing issues with her job and relationship in the present day. There she meets Kane, the warrior who protects her, as she is the one fated to save their world. In a fake marriage, they go stay at the castle while Hannah tries to figure out how to get home and also save Towerfall. However, as she begins to fall for Kane, will she actually want to leave?

I thought this was a fun story with an interesting premise. I felt the characters could have been developed a bit more, but it was a creative story that kept me engaged until the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this book, and it was an overall enjoyable story. I did have a good time.

The romance sadly did feel rather rushed and very heavy on the smut, which I usually don't mind but it just felt a little too forced and out of place for me. I enjoy when there is some build up to it and this felt rather rushed.

I gave it 3.5 overall because I did enjoy the book, but could have done without the sped up and unrealistic romance plot.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

3/5 stars

I SUPER enjoyed this book. I thought it was well researched and a lot of fun. I am quite interested in the tarot but can’t say that I know tons about it so those of you who know a lot may not love it quite as much.

Heavy on the spice and SUPER heavy on dirty talk.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for this ARC

Kristen Cast is a sweetheart when I had the privledge to meet her in person. She gave the pitch for the book and i immediately wanted to read it. She described as outlander but with tarot cards for magic. All of this rang true.

I loved the main male character. He was both broody and snarky. And even though the attraction was a bit rushed I still enjoyed his back and forth with the FMC.

I think where it may have fallen flat me was in the pacing of the book and how the female protagonist did not seem her age. I think she was just trying to describe her as quirky but the character seemed more immature than anything.

The pacing was a little odd in that it jumped into the story almost a little too soon. I had no idea who this woman was or what she necessarily really wanted. The world building was a little slow too. I wasn’t sure what was going on for quite sometime.

Overall, this was an OK read and I enjoyed parts of it and would recommend it to the right reader

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishing company for the opportunity to read this arc!
Things I really enjoyed in this book was the arranged marriage trope, the banter and the relationships. I also really liked the world and the Tarot aspects that were thrown in, it made it a unique part of the story.

Things I thought were a little weaker were the overall plot, when there was action it was good but it really dragged at certain parts. It didn't flow as well as I wanted it to. I also felt like there was not a lot of character development for Hannah, she kept making the dumbest decisions and it got really irritating. Although this is an adult book, it definitely reads more YA with the FMC.

I loved the premise of this book and the Tarot card aspect but I think it overall fell a little flat and was not executed as well as it could have been.

Don’t waste your time with this one. The FMC is whiny, one dimensional, and I couldn’t stand her. The MMC was also flat, and your typical “tall, dark and handsome” but it didn’t work with this one. Their romance was not believable AT ALL. I can tell the writer TRIED to make this enemies to lovers but….no. This wasn’t enemies to lovers. It had a promising start and a fart of a finish. If you want a “Outlander” type story…just read Outlander

The Empress had a lot of potential. It felt like it was multiple little parts that were just strong together quickly. The romance felt a little too fast and just in there to make the “smut” fandom happy. They had only known each other for three days before Hannah was in love and thinking of leaving her life for him. During the read, I felt like i was getting pieces and parts of the book, but definitely was some plot holes.

This is another book that I am not in agreement with the GoodReads review on. I am not sure why this is getting such low reviews! I first requested this book because 1. That cover is GORGEOUS 2. Kristin Cast's House of Night series was my pre-ACOTAR fantasy integration 3. Um, this plot sounded super cool! The book didn't let me down! Overall, this was a really cool premise and world I really enjoyed her modern beliefs being dropped into a renaissance era-esque time and seeing how that played out. The beginning was a bit slow given the world building but once the book picked up I couldn't put it down.

I'm so glad I took a chance and requested this from NetGalley based on the beautiful cover!

I originally requested this book because when I read the description I was immediately intrigued. I love the Fantasy Romance genre and have been reading it for years, While I have read books that I believe would fall into the paranormal fantasy genre that involve more "witchy" vibes like tarot, I haven't read one where it seems as though tarot is a major plot device. Based on the description I just thought it had so much potential. That being said, this story is unfortunately not for me. I felt as though it was somewhat a bit rushed rushed and the lack of world building or setting the stage for the story made it difficult for the book to keep my attention. That coupled with me personally finding the overall personality of the Female main character frustrating I ultimately, I did not finish the book. I believe that this decision to not continue with the book is because of my own personal preferences and expectations. Because I did not finish this book I will not be sharing an overall review on reader sites in effort to not turn other readers who may truly enjoy this book. Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!