This looked cool. Upon reading the book however, I discovered it was a copy and paste of Killigan Wolf's Lost in Tarot land

Free copy provided by NetGalley.
There are many problems with this book. Despite being a fantasy novel, there are aspects of this story that are just downright unbelievable. The story suffers from a case of "insta-love" but there is no chemistry. You are simply told that the MCs have the hots for each other, not shown. Even for the "insta-love" trope, it is very rushed, and again, is hard to believe these characters have developed feelings this strongly in a matter of DAYS!
"Telling not showing" is another big issue I have with this book.

There are aspects where the FMC seems to get lost in the scenery and that is beautifully written. I really feel as if the palace was described very well through the eyes of the FMC.

Sentence structure isn't the best either, there are quite a bit of run on sentences that caused me to lose my focus on the story. There were also grammatical errors that took me out of the book as well.
The fact that I fear this book is rushed was proven by there being very recent current events referenced, such as the FMC making the comment, "this is why women chose the bear."

Hannah being "qUiRkY" is unreliable because she is the only POV.
I feel as if this story could have benefited from a dual POV with the MMC as well. The FMC could be seen through his eyes and I think she would have resonated better with me, as the audience.
This could work if some of the major plot issues were addressed.

Also I am 70% in and am unsure how Tarot relates to the story other than the means in which the FMC was transported between realms and inspiration for the names of some of the Kingdoms? Towns? Very confused by world building.

SPOILER
The big gotcha 🧐 you mean to tell me a man's best friend, his ex fiancé and the man who tries to have him killed, among various other members of nobility, don't recognize the MMC because he got a haircut and wore an patch?!
This was the final straw for me.
Considering DNF @70% but at this point I think I should see it though.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC.

I loved the Salem Sisters and House of Night series that Kristen Case was a co-author on so I was excited to read a book just she wrote. The premise sounded different than the usual fantasy romance books out there and I was excited to see where she went with it. Sadly, at least for me, the book just fell short of being a good read. While not a bad read it was decidedly average.

First the positives: I really enjoyed the premise of a world based on the tarot deck and I appreciate that the author either already knew or did the right research to actually speak correctly on it. The world building was slight but well done, and frequently in books that will be part of a series that is intentional so more of the world unraveled as you continue reading so you aren’t overwhelmed.

Now to the downsides: the writing was very young adult and the main characters troubles was more like a coming of age you would expect if they were around 16. This book is billed as a new adult book though and the characters are supposed to be mid 20s so this just doesn’t work well for me. The story also alternated between feeling rushed in parts to dragging in others which left me unable to really get into the flow of the book.

I would possibly read book two in this series (well I assume there will be a book two as this is Towerfall 1) just to see if maybe some of that is fixed because I was really interested in the premise but I can’t be sure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stayed Up ALL Night Reading!

Everyone wants their very own knight in shining armor, right? But no one expects to find him in an entirely different world, wielding an actual sword.

Read The Empress by Kristin Cast if you like…

🌹 spice
🌹 romance
🌹 medieval magic
🌹 fake relationships
🌹 struggles that are SO relatable


🩷HER🩷
Hannah’s had the worst day of her life, and now her world is falling apart. She’s feeling hopeless and helpless to stop it. Then things get worse.

💙HIM💙
Kane is a sexy banished knight who will do anything to save the kingdom he loves more than anything.

📖 THEIR STORY 📖
Everyone wants to kill Hannah. Literally. When she is unexpectedly swept into another world after having the most soul-crushing day of her life, Hannah realizes her life CAN get worse, and it just did. Struggling to blend in and stay alive in this brutal, medieval world until she can find her way back home is much harder than it looks. Luckily Hannah has help in the form of a drop dead gorgeous knight of the realm who insists she is here to save his kingdom. Together they must sneak back into the castle so Kane can free the king and Hannah can find her only way home. There’s only one problem. If Hannah can’t convince the court she is a noblewoman married to an ambassador from another kingdom, they’ll both be dead. It’s a hard sell, but Hannah doesn’t have another option. Can she pretend to love Kane and make it back home, or will she die trying?.

If you like swoon-worthy, magic-packed romance with the heat turned way up, you’re going to love The Empress.

I have been reading Reading from the Cast family for decades and Kristin writing alone by herself is just a fabulous as writing with her mother! I love this family of writers and their energy. Their books never disapoint!

I absolutely loved this book! It's was so good that I read it in just one day. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. It's a truly fascinating story. And I really enjoyed the way tarot was tied into the book. It was very cool to see it shown in such a unique way. Plus the romance and spice in this book did not disappoint. If you're a fan of fantasy romance this book is for you. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

I'm really torn on this title; it has some really great ideas, but feels like the execution doesn't quite reach the potential. Pros: it's a fast-paced quick spicy read where the main character learns to act in her own defense and in defense of others. Cons: the story feels a little flat, and some of the dialogue and events are a little overwrought, It seems like this is the first novel of a series, and for me to stay interested I think I'd want to see a story from the perspective of different characters, but we'll see what happens!

For sensitive readers this book contains depictions of cheating, bullying, violence, attempted sexual assault, misogyny, loss of autonomy, graphic sexuality with bondage, betrayal, and fantasy racism (magic users are described using historically racist terminology).

Hannah is trying, and failing, to succeed in her corporate and love lives, when she finds an occult shop and gets some strange life advise and a tarot card featuring The Empress. The tarot card transports Hannah to another realm and into the lap of the grumpy sunshine MMC, Kane. She starts a journey with him to find her way home as he tries to save his kingdom of Pentacles from bad magic. They have chemistry from the start and of course their attraction soon leads to more. Will Hannah stay to help Kane or will she leave for her world when she gets the chance?

I really really really waved to love this book for incorporating the tarot but it didn't embody the suits as much as I had hoped. Besides using the suits as different "kingdoms" and being heavy handed with using the symbols everywhere in them I didn't see the ideals of the cards really represented in the characters or situations.

Spoilers
For example, "Four" from the kingdom of Pentacles is the main protagonist. He is using the king as a puppet to drive the kingdom to chaos and war; however, the four of Pentacles in tarot represents the miser, a condition of being too attached to one's money or worldly possessions. He could be better represented by the Devil, which in tarot represents bondage to the crudest aspects of human nature, which more accurately describes his enslavement of the King and persecution of other magic-wielders.

Hannah, our main female character should have gotten the High Priestess card after visiting the occult shop, representing heightening of intuitive powers foretelling her journey from her realm, instead of The Empress, representing earthy phases of life such as child birth or marriage.

Definitely not my cup of tea. The idea was really interesting but the main character/narrator is so abrasive it takes me right out of the story. The story feels unpolished. If you're looking for a quick romantasy read, I'm sure this fits the bill.

DNF at 22%

The style and tone of this book did not at all match the publisher description. Instead of a romantasy with historical overtones, you get a straight-up fantasy rom-com. The characters and story are not as well developed as you might find in other books In this genre. Skipping to the end did not provide any compelling reason to continue reading. Recommended only for people who are already fans of the author's work. The cover is gorgeous, though.

The Empress is a steamy, high-stakes fantasy romance set in a world inspired by tarot cards. It starts as modern-day, and Hannah is dissatisfied with her life. She is overlooked at work, and her boyfriend just broke up with her. As she leaves his apartment, she slips on the ice and hits her head, only to wake up in the dangerous and mysterious realm of Towerfall. Hannah is thrown into peril, nearly killed by the kingdom's inhabitants. Kane steps in, saving her life and forming a dangerous alliance. As they pose as husband and wife, she searches the kingdom of Pentacles for the tarot cards she needs to get back home. As they work together to survive, it becomes clear that Towerfall harbors deep, deadly secrets that threaten the kingdom. If their ruse is discovered, they will both be executed.

I was surprised by how spicy this book turned out to be! The romance between Hannah and Kane heats up as the story progresses, and their attraction is undeniable. I enjoyed the tension created by their fake marriage and how the forced proximity led to some pretty intense scenes. The dynamic between them engages Kane's dark, protective nature, which contrasts nicely with Hannah's determination and outspoken nature. The book also stands out with its tarot-inspired world-building. I found the idea of the Arcana being real entities fascinating, and the use of the tarot theme added a unique layer to the fantasy setting.

Visually, the book's cover is stunning. It captures the magical, seductive nature of the story and immediately draws readers in with its beautiful design. It does not scream smut, which makes it easier to read in public.

It balances action, romance, and a rich, unique fantasy world. Although it was spicier than I expected, I enjoyed the intensity and intrigue that came with the character's relationship and the threats surrounding them. It was a splendid read.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks, Bloom Books

This book is just not for me. The premise was very intriguing and seemed like something I would love. I’m a huge romantasy fan and the concept of a magical world based on tarot sounded original and unlike anything I’ve read before. Unfortunately, the execution is poor.

My first issue is that this book is classified as adult, yet reads as *very* immature. The situations, cliches, and attempts to crack “relatable” and modern jokes did not come off as comical, but as cringeworthy at times. The female main character behaves more like a teenager than a grown adult.

The romance itself is super rushed. It is very much insta love/lust. There is zero build up to the attraction or sexual scenes. I sensed no chemistry between the two main characters and did not see any reason as to why they would like one another.

The female main character’s repeated act of running into dangerous situations without a second thought and ignoring every warning she is given was super frustrating to read about and I could not relate to her at all.

This is my second attempt at this author and I think after this it is safe to conclude that she is just not for me. Romantasy fans who just want to read something fun and mindless might like this—it wasn’t all a miss. There were a few instances where I thought the humor worked, and the concept of the magical world and magic system is intriguing. However, this was not enough to make me enjoy this.