Caffeinated Crystal's book reviews

Eve Holmes is incredible. The atmospheric slow burn vibes hit so hard every time. She has a way of spinning the story so you feel right there, and I am always invested. And while these are romances with happily ever afters, they always have me so sad while reading them. But the good kind of sad, the painful kind, where you see something beautiful and everything just resonates. If you ever asked if I would care about the goings on of a potato farm I would have side eyed you. But damn if I wasn't dragged right into the farming problem, and when he cut into that potato. I cried y'all. This is childhood best friends. I LOVE THIS TROPE. • childhood besties • farm life • small town • first time with a man (for both mmcs) • past trauma & abandonment • S L O W B U R N • light spice, but we earned it Like, the slowest of slow burns, and I mean that in the best way. It makes the first kiss feel like a gift. This was a 5⭐️ read for me. This entire series is a 5⭐️ read. The moodiness ...

Oh my 🫠🫠🫠 First of all: thank you @beckireadsromance  (on IG) for recommending this to me. When I say I was locked in this barbarian situation. CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY. This was such a great story. I loved Finn and Rath. Like, Rath, can I please come to your barbarian tent. Holy shit. • fantasy adjacent (I think?) • barbarian hunter/tribute • virgin mc • barbarian clan life (they're nomads!) • they speak different languages • nicknames • biggest softie at the campsite • first times CW: homophobia & internalized shame around queerness. Violence (not between the mcs) I don't want to give too much of this story away. Rath was a fur clad dreamboat. The author really put Finn through IT, but our guy persevered. This book wasn't super spicy, but the scenes were enjoyable and the storyline tugged me right along so I didn't even miss the smut!  4.5 ⭐️

If you are looking for a legit over the top delight, then HOW TO FLIRT WITH A HELLHOUND just might be the book for you. This story was FUNNY especially if you're comfortable with dark humor. • romance author/hellhound shifter • vigilante hellhounds (it's giving Necessary Evils) • forced proximity (they are neighbors!) • mutually downbad mmcs • both mcs have a found family group Dexter and Toby were both such disasters oh my god LOL. They are mutually pining and doing/saying the weirdest stuff. I was laughing so much while reading. This book (and looks like the series too) touches on some dark topics so make sure to check the warnings. But it's always the baddies getting their comeuppance, and our characters may go through it, but similar to other great vigilante series, it's worth it for the 🔪🔪🔪 Toby, the reclusive romance author, gets a stalker. It's all very terrible, mainly because Toby is such a sweet diaster, but mostly because stalkers IRL are bad news. Dex...

BRUISER was a damned delight. Trevor and Isaac are made for each other. Their chemistry is instant, and they are both so down bad for each other from the start. The cuckholding aspect of their relationship was interesting and it also seemed to work for them.  This book was hot from the beginning with all of Trevor's requests. And when the two of them were together? Perfection. The brattiness was perfect and Trevor always talking Isaac through it? H-O-T  Found family plays a big part of this story. Watching the pieces of Elite 8 fall into place was perfection. Bill! Jerome! I see you guys. I love that we get Bruiser's story at the end. Everything feels more Easter eggy, more like a gift. Trevor really was the most romantic. Isaac deserves the whole world. I absolutely loved these two!!!

Okay, the hype was real with this one, y'all. A Daddy for Cooper had a tremendous amount of heart, sweetness, and spice. • age gap • alpha/alpha • daddy dom/sub dynamics  • a heartbroken daddy • an earnest and sweetly perfect boy • fox shifters • grumpy/sunshine • lots of D/s talk, scenes, and dynamics  • a kink club • severe dyslexia  I was not prepared for how much I was going to love Cooper. NO ONE PREPARED ME. There were plenty of times I just wanted to grab Patrick by the shoulders and shake the shit out of him. When these two were on the same page they seemed made for each other. But when Patrick lashed out I was left heartbroken. Thank goodness for the HEA. If you're a fan of omegaverse, or kinky stories, this one may very well be for you. There is lots of ✨️Daddy✨️ Sir, asking for permission, rules, and sex toys. So... go off y'all. I loved book one of this series, the pining and the yearning were perfection. This story was a complete vibe shift and it was HOT. De...

One thing I didn't mention in my review of book 1, this series has some storylines and plot points that carry over into the next book. Like the ongoing fight between Hell's Ankhor & The Vipers. Book 2, Gunnar, is the romance between Raven (the son of Hell's Ankhor's founding fathers) and Gunnar (the sargent at arms) AND the mystery of who killed Ankh. • age gap • legacy member/Sgt at arms • hacker (programmer) • former Marine • PINING and unknown mutual pining • push/pull • secret softy Raven was downbad for Gunnar as a kid. The crush never went away, and when Raven comes home from college and then almost immediately after his father dies, Raven is thrust ass over teakettle into grief. One night pushes Gunnar even further away from Raven.  Gunnar isn't immune to the charms of Raven, but feels like he's too old and basically doesn't think he deserves Raven. Thinks that if he pushes Raven away that Raven will go find someone better. I loved Raven's int...

Here is one from the vault, y'all. BLADE is book one of the Hell's Ankhor series. I devoured this series years ago, and of course never reviewed them.  Hells Ankor is a motorcycle club & found family series. Each member gets their own HEA. • mc prez/nurse (& son of a rival mc's prez) • ✨️good boy✨️ • pushy do-gooders • found family • abusive & absent families • violence (not between mcs) • secrets • safety and falling in love Blade and Logan have a very understandable push and pull, but their chemistry wins out in the end. Setting up the series, introducing the villains (The Vipers), and giving the club president such a good "old man", really sets the stage for a great series. I really enjoyed coming back to this series and real talk, will probably start book 2 now. 4.25 ⭐️

Barbarian's Vow picks up right where book 2 ends. There's a lot more politics and secrets in this book as Jem tries to navigate forgiving Cador & also helping the people of Ergh. More betrayals lie in wait, but over time Cador's constancy and his groveling seems to push Jem over the edge into forgiveness. I love that we basically get to see Cador figure out that his husband is a bad ass and we get to see these two find their happily ever after. The setting in both books play wonderful side characters alongside all the other royals who may or may not have something sinister at hand. I was trusting no one but Cador! This duet is fantastic, especially if you're looking for a story more fantasy inclined. And real talk, I am usually pretty ANTI-forgiveness in stories... but I feel like Cador grew from his prejudice and became better in the end. These two were wonderful. 

Warning: this book absolutely ends on a cliffhanger. Be prepared to jump directly to book 2. Okay, with that being said: I LOVE THIS STORY. 5⭐️ for me. I was hanging on every word. Prince Jowan, Jem, is bartered into an arranged marriage to the Chieftain of Ergh's son Cador. The two men couldn't be more different. Where Jem is sweet and soft, Cador is a hunter... a barbarian. There were so many moments where Jem's innocence is heartbreaking & Cador's cruelty feels so extreme. There is a reason for all of it, but Jem breaks my heart. Perfect if you're looking for a book with stellar world-building and a game of thrones -esque vibe.  • age difference • size difference  • arranged marriage  • first times • world building • cliffhanger! • betrayal

Finally, we get the nitty gritty, all the details of Arlo and Jack. Talk about a love story that hits hard - featuring a demi awakening, "you're my person," bodyguard to best friend to soulmate love affair with so much pining. All the pining. your honor, they are both so dumb. We get the Caffeine Daydream crew. More Kevin (woof). More BODYGUARDS!!!! A random creeper. Mental illness rep. Found family vibes. And did I mention the PINING? Oh my god. And of course, multiple Lark-verse cameos. I simply adored Jack and Arlo. The chemistry. The intensity. The obsession. The perfection. The pining. The support. Everything. All of it. These two were tragically clueless, but the live was THERE. reread 04/06/26 The representation in this story was great on multiple levels. This series is so good, and really, who doesn't love a bodyguard romance? • age gap • rockstar/bodyguard • depression rep • demi realization • found family (the band) • lots of first times • pining

😭💕😭💕😭 I LOVED THIS BOOK. *sigh* This book was so good. Honestly, I cried so much. If you like: a slow burn, childhood best friends to lovers, bi-awakening, PINING as an Olympic sport, size difference *winky face*, an oblivious main character, poor communication & miscommunication, found family and a sweet hea that will make you emotional as hell ... then this is for you. Have you ever read something, and your heart just aches for a character? That's Kai for me. That man. The looks and the pining - THE PINING. Kai has been in love with his straight best friend and band mate Silas since they met at 13. After one moment on stage shakes up EVERYTHING, will our two dummies ever realize they are made for each other?! Seriously, I only read HEAs, so you know they do. But getting there, Lark takes us on a JOURNEY. I know she will always break my heart, but then she puts it back together. This book had a couple of BIG moments, and I love a big moment. And there was an airport scene...

Original review, 2023 🎉 this story was great and a great kickoff to what looks to be a great series.  Imagine: You are literally having the shitiest day you can remember, all on the day of your big interview. Not only do you see something that completely shakes up your life, and you might even lose your home... you end up trapped in an elevator with a rock star. Like Harry Styles, popularity level musican. Listen, in my mind, Luca is Harry Styles. Let me have this.  You're in the elevator, and things HAPPEN.  Five months go by, and things are going surprisingly well. Then, all of a sudden, you're forced on a six week assignment - with the band that Harry Styles, sorry, I meant LUCA, is the lead singer for. You're back seeing him every day and coming to terms with what changed in YOU after the elevator situation.  Poor Ollie 😂😂😂😂 the man just wants to live, and now he's having to have all these feelings. Not only is he having feelings, but Luca is hot, and that'...

Violent Devotion is the debut story from @authorlnorell and y'all, I ate this up! This wasn't a sweeping romance, this was a weapon turned obsessed. This was think about touching him and die. This was a mafia love story, and with that comes violence. I enjoyed the hell out of Alexei and Kelly. I enjoyed how very ✨️loverboy✨️ Alexei was. I loved the look into the inner workings of the mafia, and I loved Kelly's backstory. If you prefer your mcs to be walking red flags, Alexei is your boy. He's a sweetie, but only for one person. • mafia enforcer/veterinarian • first time with a man • history of domestic violence • touch him and die • cute Russian nickname There is a lot of plot in this one, and a LOT of stalking/obsession. I was thoroughly entertained. 4.75⭐️ and I seriously can't wait for the chaos and angst that's gonna be delivered in book 2. VIOLENT DEVOTION will be out 04/24, so jot that date down. *side note* I DID picture a hot tatted up Connor Storrie wi...