edgybutfemme's reviews
130 reviews

This is excellent! I hope that more of Tang Jiu Qing's works get liscensed and that she has more absolutely unhinged love interests for me because this and ballad of sword and wine are some of my current top danmei series. Cangji and Jinglin are both feral little guys and I am so compelled by them. The whole vibe is "i'll devour you so we are together forever" and "not if I devour you first". They are constantly flirting and bickering as they run around investigating the most tragic and horrific cases, each one linked to one of the eight worldly sufferings (and it seems like eventually they all tie together). Both main characters have a lot of mystery surrounding them and I can't wait to see their dynamic continue to grow more complex as more is revealed. Definitely mind the trigger warnings, but this is a deeply compelling wild ride that I am excited to read the rest of as the official english translations release!

I'm absolutely obsessed with everything about this book and the main couple's dynamic. This first volume is going to probably be my new favorite comfort reread because despite bad things happening to them, they are just so SOLID as a couple immediately. They are like an old married couple and are so strongly devoted to each other. The back third of the book is basically a farming arc where you get to see them just enjoy each other and scheme to get things done. I cannot wait to buy the next one and I am SO sad I missed the preorder.

This was an excellent conclusion that wraps this series up nicely! 

Most of this last volume is extras and I always love getting to see what happens further down the road. I'm really glad I stuck with the extras because I almost stalled out in the middle of the first one, which is a very long flashback retelling of their early relationship through Duan Mingyang's POV. While the insight into his character was wonderful and I was glad to have it, jumping from the happy ending back into the Bad First Time Around where everything goes wrong was just not what I initially wanted. However, the est of the extras more than make up for it. They wrap up any lingering questions about what their future will look like, provide several more extremely good spicy scenes, and give several lighthearted moments of post canon relationship bliss as well. All in all, a very satisfying conclusion to a wonderful story that brings two deply wounded people back together to give them their happily ever after.

I hope more of Ice's work gets officially translated because I am definitely interested to see what else they have written!

This is...not good. This starts with a huge infodump and complicated relationship dynamics and worldbuild. I was like "cool, I'm going to read till I hit the smut" and the first smut scene was, like, fine? But then we are adding another complicated person and dynamic to this mix and it feels the need to walk you through this pack's whole history and this vampire having stalked them and I just so aggressively do not care. I may have stuck with it if it was just the pack, but this is trying to do way too much in a novella that really could have just cold opened on the erotica because that is so clearly what all this is actually barely there to justify in the most hand wave fashion. Also, why luna and not omega? Werewolves have Established Lore any smutty reader knows, which you could lean on in a novella so you don't have as much to explain. I am so sad this wasn't good because I love paranormal romance as well as why choose / polyamory content and I totally would have been here for some brain off monsterfucker smut but I guess I can't have nice things.

I was absolutely delighted by this little novella. I am so glad I ended up with this in the probably smut special edition novella box because it will definitely end up being one of my favorites of the 12 novellas. Even better, it let me try another book by Adriana Herrera and I will definitely be reading more after this! I think the only other book I read by her (Hellmouth Guardian's Lover) just wasn't the right dynamic for me to get into her writing. Any small issues I had with that novella were not at all an issue here.

The banter and dynamic between Arlo and Marena was absolutely delightful. I was also pleasantly surprised by how grounded and well researched the historical setting was (only surprised because unfortunately the probably smut cover artist did not do a great job conveying the historical setting. I was truly shocked when I opened the first page and saw 1879 London because the clothing and furniture on the cover look unmistakably contemporary). 

This novella really hit every note I wanted it to! The relationship felt like it grew organically, they struggled with very realistic obstacles, and both their romantic moments and their smutty scenes were fun and well written! Best of all when looking at a novella, it felt like it had good pacing and left me satisfied at the end even though I would have gladly read more about these two. I am really looking forward to looking into the rest of Adriana Herrera's work!

This just did not compel me, which is a shame because it should have had several elements that grabed me like the fmc being a witch. I was just...bored. also this author apparently ONLY writes small town romance and i think that just really isn't my vibe.

I was just...bored. Sports romances aren't really my thing and the dynamic wasn't fun enough to finish something I felt meh about.

This was a solid read! Eden is quite fiesty and her troublemaking was enjoyable to read, even if I found myself frustrated with her at times. This is a book where I would have appreciated the love interest's perspective, especially since it takes Darien so long to be on page and interacting with Eden regularly in a fairly short book. Even once he is there, the man is a mysterious vault who never gives much away. Still, I enjoy their banter and dynamic, so I will likely come back to read the sequel. This author certainly excels in writing a humorous and sarcastic main character, and I found the love interest appealing.

The only other thing that bothered me was the several references to 50 shades of gray in a positive context since that's always a red flag for me as a BDSM practitioner. If I had read the blurb (which calls this 50 shades meets the truman show) instead of getting this in a book box, I probably would never have given it a chance. At several points it did feel like the novel and Pleasure Academy set up payed lipservice to consent without any actual check ins or real desire to walk that walk (which, for the record, I think could have really enhanced the worldbuild and story). I kind of just had to turn my Responsible Dom brain off to enjoy this one, but that probably would bother other people less. Honestly, I think the book would have benefited if it had leaned more in either direction: explicitly having non-con elements or actually doubling down on showing a safety net and check ins (especially considering the main character is a mouthy brat of a sub who does not like another master on the island who regularly punishes her).

I was kind of hoping this couple would wrap things up in one book because, while Eden is funny, there are plenty of side characters I would love read a romance about. Still, the concept of the universe is very fun, the smut is enjoyable, and it was a quick read so I'll probably read the sequel to see where it goes from here!

This was just...fine. My copy was literally only 67 pages long so I read the whole thing just to see what would happen and because it was literally only like an hour of my time. I could have done better things with that hour. The characters are fairly underdeveloped and the spice is mediocre. It's not devestatingly bad, but it isn't good either. It's just...unremarkable.

I don't think I've literally ever DNFed a book so quickly. I don't at all have a problem with stalker romances and quite like billionaire romances, so when I got this in my probably smut novella bundle I really thought it'd be my speed. I absolutely cannot go any further, even just 16 pages I had to drag myself through because it's quite... cringe-y? This is what people think I mean when I say I like smutty books and that is so upsetting. I am totally down for instant chemistry and wanting to fuck immediately, but I cannot handle the writing style. This one is not for me!