This reminded me of A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE and CARAVAL's second/third books mixed with a few popular romance hits of this year. This was so much fun, I loved the fantasy and tarot card aspect, and I can't wait to read more from this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars!

He's a ruthless, battle-scarred warrior with a dark past, and she's stuck pretending to be his wife to save a fantasy kingdom.

I've been dying to read this author for a while, so when I came across this book, I couldn't resist diving in.

When we first meet up with Hannah, she's having the worst day of her life. Anything and everything that could go wrong has. Just when Hannah thinks things couldn't possibly get worse, she finds herself transported to a fantastical world and cruel world. Her only hope of returning home lies with the mysterious Kane...

Overall, I thought this book was wholly unique and entertaining. I love when authors write about the Tarot deck and I could tell that Kristin Cast definitely did her research prior to writing this story. I liked the premise of the world of Towerfall and looked forward to experiencing more of it.

As far as characters go, I thought Hannah and Kane were really great. I found Hannah was easy to relate to and felt bad that so many terrible things had happened to her. That being said, Hannah was not without her faults and did present as immature at times. Despite those moments of immaturity, I couldn't help but root for things to turn a corner for her. I personally think that meeting Kane was one of the best things to happen to her. At first glance, Kane is mysterious and leaves you wondering if he's got the best intentions. However, I quickly discovered that he had a possessive and protective side and I really enjoyed watching his relationship with Hannah grow.

Speaking of Hannah and Kane's relationship, the sparks definitely flew when it came to those two. I enjoyed watching their chemistry build and thoroughly enjoyed all of the will they/won't they moments.

All in all, I thought this book was an enjoyable read. Yes, it wasn't without its faults or quirks, but for an author's first stab at a more mature age grouping, I thought she did really well. I can't wait to check out more from this author in the future.

This was a really cool, unique concept. I enjoyed it, but would have loved to have more development of the characters and the relationship. It felt too fast to be believable to me.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

I was given an advanced copy in exchange for my review, this is my honest opinion I am given voluntarily. I went into this book completely blind. I knew the premise of kingdoms being based off a tarot deck and that’s all I knew. Going into it blind I feel really helped me get into the book more, since I had no expectations for it. Personally to me the FMC came off as someone with no confidence in the modern world. She is unhappy and stuck in her life she just didn’t want to admit it. Going on this adventure forces her to face hard choices and a much more cruel world than she was used to and it made her panic into some decisions. In this I felt she was very relatable, also her humor was relatable. Making jokes to change the topic? Everyone does it and they don’t even realize. The slow burn killed me, obviously there was insta lust (because hello, a dark mysterious man who flirts constantly? Your lying to yourself if you said you wouldn’t be weak in the knees) there is obviously build up and world building so getting into it is slow, but the world building comes in small doses so it’s not overwhelming. I would highly recommend this and I’m excited to see where this goes in the rest of the series!

Sadly I had to DNF this book. The tone of this felt pretty juvenile and it’s got a few of my biggest pet peeves as a reader, the “quirky” FMC trope and references to pop culture which never age well.

I’m sure this will thrill some readers but it wasn’t for me.

"The Empress" by Kristin Cast is a fun read from start to finish! This book offers a blend of fantasy, romance, and suspense that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The premise is unique, with tarot-inspired elements woven into an enchanting world. I loved the chemistry between the main characters—Kane, the warrior with a mysterious past, and our heroine, Hannah, who’s suddenly thrust into a world she doesn't understand. Their fake marriage adds a fun twist that’s equal parts tension and swoon-worthy moments.

The world-building, while not overly detailed, is still immersive, and the plot is straightforward and easy to follow, making it a quick, enjoyable read.
However, despite the SPICE(!) that’s clearly aimed at an adult audience, Hannah often felt immature, with a YA vibe that left me a bit frustrated at times. Additionally, the pacing, particularly in the first 10 chapters, could be uneven, with a few slower parts that interrupted the otherwise steady flow of the story.

I also wish the tarot element had been explored more deeply!

Overall I really enjoyed this dive into the world of Towerfall!

I really wanted to like this book because I thought the premise was really interesting, but I just could not get into it. I do not feel as though the world was fully actualized, and I did not feel any chemistry between the main characters.

When I saw this book in my email I knew I had to grab it straight away. I have always been a fan of the HoN series and was excited to see something Kristin has done on her own. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this early.

The title and the aspect of Tarot drew me in from the start. It was just the right amount of descriptions where I could see things happening in my head. I knew what everything and everyone looked like. It was the right length for a what I assume is a standalone for now. No cliffhangers here, thank goodness. I hate when you get to the end of a book of what you think is a standalone and it ends on the biggest cliffhanger. I will be recommending this to my friends and bookclub.

I was immediately hooked from the first chapter. Hannah is just trying to survive out there when everything in her life is going wrong and she just feels stuck. Thankfully the Empress card knows just what see needs. Once things get started we end up seeing a fantasy romance with some historical things thrown in for fun. If you like bodice rippers with a dash of fantasy, you will probably like this one. It was a really fun, steamy read, and after Tuesday I think we all need a fun read. I will never look at pomegranates the same way again, if you know you know.

8/10 Plot
9/10 steam/spice
10/10 conclusion

I immediately stopped what I was doing when I got approved for this and started reading. I could not and would not put it down until I finished. I stayed up ALL night. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

I will always read anything Kristin and PC Cast write.

2.5 stars

The premise of this book sounded really interesting, but unfortunately the execution was lacking. I wasn’t a huge fan of the MC, I thought she was a little cringy and made a lot of poor decisions. The MMC had potential but the romance was super instalove and the author had him way overusing certain phrases. The synopsis also advertises a fake marriage but it didn’t really seem to have much relevance. There were some positives such as the tarot and magick aspects, as well as some likable side characters. All in all I don’t see myself continuing the series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5

I did not love this one. I liked the beginning with the references to tarot and I expected this story to go in a completely different direction. I was super intrigued by the premise, but the execution fell flat.

The romance was not satisfying for me & I felt strong disdain for our main character throughout the novel.

However, there were parts that did make laugh and I didn't totally hate it... but I felt like it was dragging and I didn't find the big reveals to redeem the story.

This might be your cup of tea though.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review - I would be open to giving Kristen Cast another chance in the future.

What an interesting twist on a fantasy tale!! This book follows Hannah as she finds “The Empress” tarot card. She gets throw into Towerfall where Kane (swoon) saves her life. Over and over again. But, Hannah needs to grow into herself before she can help the Kingdom of Pentacles and her new boy toy.

I really enjoyed this book! The humor, the tension, the excitement! And the cover is gorgeous too!

I tried with this book. I've read some of this author's work before and enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. The heroine was insipid and completely uninspiring, and the "hero" read like some terrible Fabio romance cover.

Thoughts: For me, the best part of this story was the Tarot connections. I liked the beginning with the Tower spread and instructions on how to use it. Unfortunately for me, that was my favorite part of the book. It’s written in first person/present tense - admittedly not my favorite POV. But the main character, Scarlett, seems more like a teen than an adult, which would be fine, but the “lust” scenes make this definitely in the adult not the YA realm, especially the first scene on the opening pages. The instant attraction between her and Kane just didn’t work well for me either. There was no getting to know each other, just instant lust.

Scarlett loses her job, her boyfriend, and is basically having a rotten day. She goes into a shop to have her future read by a seer. She gets hit by a magic card that pulls her into another realm. She’s branded a witch, injured, and running for her life when Kane grabs her. Not knowing who he is, she fights him, but is too weak to do much. He saves her life and the two enter into a quest to save the Pentacle Kingdom. Of course things don’t go smoothly, but, like most stories, they do overcome by the end.

I’m not sure if I recommend this or not. It’s a decent fantasy in some areas. Definitely not a good “romantasy” even though they end up in a HEA ending. Just be forewarned that there are some very hot scenes that are adult in nature. Caveat emptor.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book. All opinions are mine alone and are not solicited or influenced by anyone.

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.