Week 51 Review: Antigoddess

From Goodreads:
Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn't involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn't even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don't just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

My first review of Antigoddess
My Review:

Oh man, this book! I knew where the story was going to go, and watching the build up was just so fantastic! I just love this world of the modern gods in out world, and how they're now dying-and how everybody else is getting dragged into it.

This time I listened to it as an audiobook, and I loved the flow, back and forth between Athena and Cassandra. We got to see what was going on with everybody, and I really enjoyed the back and forth narrative. Especially with Cassandra's visions of the future, they almost were never about her, but of Athena and her group.  

One thing that I really hope to learn in the next two books, is the story of what happened to Olympus. It was mentioned in this book, and that it was gone, but not how or why, and I'm really hoping that it's going to play a part in what's happening now! 

I did read the ending of Ungodly because I'm crazy so spoilers for that one. And somehow, I was expecting that they would've brought back Aiden. But I'm really coming to realize, Kendare Blake writes books that end with parts that still hurt, even if they're healing. 

Loved reading this book, and I need to continue and finish the series now! 

Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Goddess War #1
First Read: December 17th, 2020

Read: December 23rd, 2021
Source: Library
Reason Why: Rereading, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book!
Publisher: Tor Teen
Published: September 10th 2013

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Gilded

From Goodreads:

In Gilded, #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer returns to the fairytale world with this haunting tale.

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this book! This world was interesting, with Serilda a result of her dad helping a god-but that was a god of lies, and that shapes basically all aspects of her life. I really enjoyed her as a character, dealing with all that suspicion that surrounds her, as she's very creative with the truth!

This is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling. That Serilda is cursed by the god of lies, that all her stories are true but everyone thinks she's lying, it's a horrible situation. But that this boy comes to help her...I loved this take on the tale! 

This book just kept me wanting more! I loved being in this world and with these characters, and the situation that Serilda is in is not good. I had to know what was going to happen next, and this story kept delivering and it was so good!

Gah, that ending! It's definitely setting up for a fantastic sequel, I can't wait to see where it goes from here! I'm rooting for Serilda and Gild! After everything that they've been through, they deserve a happy ending,and I hope they get it!  

This was a fantastic read, and I can't wait for the sequel! 

Author: Marissa Meyer 
Series: Gilded #1
Read: December 22nd, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Feiwel Friends
Published: November 2nd 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Lore Olympus: Volume 1

From Goodreads:

Experience the propulsive love story of two Greek gods—Hades and Persephone—brought to life with lavish artwork and an irresistible contemporary voice.

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology's most well-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe. Featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story, Smythe's original Eisner-nominated web-comic Lore Olympus brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age with this sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 1-25 of the #1 WEBTOON comic, Lore Olympus.

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this volume! I've fallen in love with Lore Olympus this year, and to have a physical volume is pretty great! And the fact that there's a bonus episode, one that was cut, was so fantastic!

I've now read the first episodes of Lore Olympus 3 times. I just love this webcomic so much, and this is the start of something great, and I enjoyed this time of getting to know these characters and this world again, knowing what's to come and I'm so excited for more!

There's so much that we don't know, about her past, and life has not been easy on either one of them. And then of course this ends on that episode, and I feel bad for those who have to wait until the next bind up is published, because yeah, episode 25 is pretty hard to read!

I loved that cut episode, of when Hades gives Hera that coat-or tries to. And we find out why she rejected it, which was for a darned great reason! I love that Hera couldn't see who it was, but we could, we knew who it was! 

This was a fantastic volume and I can't wait for the next-and what bonus content that one will have! 

Author: Rachel Smythe 
Series: Lore Olympus Volumes #1
Read: December 19th, 2021
Source: Library
Reason Why: Love the Webtoon, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book! 
Publisher: Del Rey Boos 
Published: November 2nd 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 50 Review: Little Thieves

From Goodreads:

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, kind princess who was betrothed to the prince of a faraway kingdom. When she set off for her new home, her mother gave her a maid for a companion on the journey.

But instead of serving the princess, the wicked maid stole her place.

For a year the true princess toiled away like a common goose girl, while the wicked maid lived high in the palace, fooling the kingdom. But the truth came out. The princess took back her name, her crown, and her husband, and the imposter died for her crimes.

Then one day, the wicked maid...

...told her own story. 

My Review:
Yes, wow, this book was so fantastic! If you enjoyed El from The Scholomance series, then you'll love Vanya! Her narration and view of the world is pretty grim, and gloomy and so very sarcastic, and it's just so easy to read! Loved her character so much! 

This book really wasn't what I expected. I thought that the real princess would take back her name and her life, forcing the maid out, and this would probably be the story of after. But it's not, Vayna had to persuade the princess to take back her name, and then there's so much else going on with this book, given that it's 500 pages long!

Everything about this book was just a little more complex, from the world, the characters, the magic, and the plot, and we really got a chance to explore of of them, but I'm really glad that this is a series, even if I don't know what the sequel is going to do, because it's just so great to read about! 

That ending was just fantastic! I loved how they used little tidbits from throughout the book-like that suit, and using Vayna's skills as a thief to really pull it off. There were some really ingenious moments, and I loved how it ended! It was fantastic to read!  

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to see where the sequel goes because this one wrapped up things pretty nicely! 

Author: Margret Owen
Series: Little Thieves #1
Read: December 15th, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Published: October 19th 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 48 Review: Conceal, Don't Feel

From Goodreads:

What if Anna and Elsa never knew each other?

When a magical accident erases Anna and Elsa's memories not only of magic, but of each other the sisters are separated for protection. But when Elsa unexpectedly finds herself as a young queen mysterious magic begins to happen and questions of her past start to form. Will the sisters ever be reunited? 

My Review:
This was a really fun read! This is the first of the Twisted Tales that tackles a more modern Disney tale, the one that has a lot of attention on it. I'm really glad that we did get to get Anna and Elsa's story, with a twist of course! 

My main question throughout this book was why they didn't remember each other. And that reason had a few different consequences then the movie, but similar story beats, like Elsa creating her ice palace on the mountain, Hans confronting her there. There were some changes, but the story was paced in a similar way to the movie.

I really enjoyed seeing what it was like for them to grow up without one another, their sisterly bond drives almost everything for this story, talking priority over the love interests, which was a really great addition when the movie first came out, and I loved to see how its absence played out in this book!

Really enjoyed how it ended, it was just so satisfying, with love and Hans ending up in the ocean. And the book had let us get to know a few more characters, like those at the castle, which made it all the more satisfying for Elsa and Anna's victory! 

This was a really great read, I had a great time reading it! 

Author: Jen Calonita
Series: Twisted Tales #8
Read: December 2nd, 2021
Source: Library
Reason Why: Love this series and her writing, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book!
Publisher: Disney 
Published: October 1st 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 47 Review: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

From Goodreads:
Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.

Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.

But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness. 

My Review:
This book was so excellent  and so easy to read, and of course very dark! I've never read the original because I'm not one for classics, but it's spawned some pretty amazing retellings, and this one just joined the group for me! I loved reading it!

I loved the different parts of this book, of going to Victor's college town, to being back home, to the part where the truth is revealed, and action is taken! It was such a wild ride, but it made sense with each and every step!

I felt so badly for Elizbeth. She was in a horrible position, to be attached to this family, but not a part of it, with no money, no prospects, and dependent on being needed in Victor's life to continue as she is. But oh, if she only knew!

Things just keep getting worse and worse for her, she keeps having to cover for Victor-and he's doing some pretty awful things. But when she found out of all that he'd done, I loved how she took action, and how that ending went was just thrilling to read and it worked out very well, given the circumstances! 

This was a fantastic read, and I love that it exists! 

Author: Kiersten White
Read: November 24th, 2021
Source: Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Historical Fiction 2021 Book, SAC 2021 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Published: September 25th 2018

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 45 Review: Reckless Girls

From Goodreads:

From Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

ONE ISLAND

Beautiful, wild, and strange—Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything... except the truth.

SIX VISITORS

Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey—one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.

COUNTLESS SECRETS

When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise—and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, Reckless Girls will wreck you.

My Review:
This book, oh man, this book! I haven't read any Agatha Christie, but I've seen some tv and film adaptations of some of her books, and maybe some other books that are retelling hers but this is the first that I know is an reimagining, and it was so great!

We know that there's something funky going on about this. It starts off with someone in the water, bleeding. Plus the synopsis. And I loved the way that it was told, we saw them at the time when they were coming to the island, and then interspersed where scenes from tantalizing moments of these characters lives before the island, and I loved how we saw these characters and their secrets build, it was so great! Especially since we were only ever in the girls' heads.

Sometimes I wanted to shake these characters. It is called reckless girls, and there are some questionable decisions made. But sometimes some risky choices have to be made, because the world doesn't treat them as well as it does the guys, who seem to just have everything handed to them, including Nico and Jake. 

Oh, and the reveals, as they came! I read this book so quickly, that I didn't take the time to think about how the pieces could come together, and even though I had them, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have put them together until things were more clearly stated. So watching that ending unfold was fantastic!

I loved reading this book, and I need to read more of Rachel Hawkin's books! 

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Read: November 6th, 2021
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, SAC 2021 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Expected Publication: January 4th 2022 

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 44 Review: Pride, Prejudice, and Peril

From Goodreads:

Jane Austen meets reality TV and murder in the first installment of this quirky new cozy mystery series.

Phaedra Brighton is perfectly content with her life of lecturing college students, gossiping with her best friends, and dreaming of Mr. Darcy. As a young, respected (if somewhat peculiar) English professor, her expertise lies in all things Jane Austen--but she knows that the closest she'll ever get to being a real-life Elizabeth Bennet is in her dreams.

When Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy, a new reality TV show, starts filming at her best friend Charlene's estate, Phaedra is intrigued. And when the producer asks her to lend her Austenian knowledge as a consultant on the show, she's over the moon. But on the first day of filming, when Charlene's new husband is found electrocuted and Charlene herself is accused of the crime, Phaedra comes crashing back to reality.

With murder on the syllabus and her best friend in dire straits, there's no Mr. Darcy around to help Phaedra--she'll have to get to the bottom of this mystery herself.

My Review:
This was a fantastic read! I love that this draws a lot of elements from Pride and Prejudice, but Phaedra isn't the Elizabeth character. Or maybe not the only once, since Phaedra's love interests aren't the main Darcy character. So that had some pretty interesting dynamics! 

This is all set around this show of Pride and Prejudice meets the Bachelor, which quickly goes wrong when the owner of the home that is hosting this show, is killed. Phaedra is a part of the investigation twofold, because she was the consultant of the show for her historical expertise, and because her best friend is the wife of the murder victim.

There was a lot going on in this book, between the mystery, which was intriguing because he had a lot of enemies, and everything going on in Phaedra's life. Between the show, her job, and the festival she's trying to continue, she has a lot of her plate. And then there's the two new guys in her life, Professor Mark, and Detective Morelli. They were both really interesting to read about, and it'll be interesting to see if she'll fall for one of them! 

I do think that a few things were just a little bit too easy. This is a murder mystery story, but Phaedra isn't really one that has the most useful investigative skills, though she gives a good go at it, with her Tea Society group! I don't know why this bugs me when it normally doesn't, but I did find it a little too convenient. But I did enjoy how things came together! 

I had a great time reading this book, and I can't wait for the sequel! 

Author: Katie Oliver
Series: Austen Expert Mystery #1
Read: November 4th, 2021
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: It sounded really great, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley Books
Expected Publication: December 7th 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 40 Review: Neon Gods

From Goodreads:

He was supposed to be a myth.

But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell…

…he was, quite simply, mine.

Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that's ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city's dark facade.

With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil's bargain with a man she once believed a myth...a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed.

Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he's spent years craving, it's all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he'll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…

A modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that's as sinful as it is sweet.

My Review:
Oh, it was really great to read this book! Like the Wicked Villains series, there's a ton of BDSM, but unlike those, this book is longer, and has more time to develop the plot outside of the bedroom. And that added some great depth to this book! 

What I most wanted to know about this book, was if it was connected to the Wicked Villain's series. And then there were little things, like mentions of Zeus having a public incident, where the lady left, which could be the lady that Hercules tried to help. But then why would there be 2 Hades? And then there was the stuff about the barrier around the city? I was so confused. And while it's never confirmed, I'm 95% certain it is connected. That they are, well, that means neither Hades knows the other survived. So we haven't as of yet seen them find out, see them react. And I hope we do in the future! 

This world of Olympus, of a town with a power structure based on the Greek Gods was pretty interesting. I would've liked more about the foundations of the town, why it's set up the way that it is. But this is the first book in the series, so there's a chance we'll get that in the future!

We have 2 main stories about Hades, the one where he's the villain for Hercules, which we've had a story about. And we have the one with Persephone. I loved seeing this story, seeing this side of these characters, where they're not just one thing, a bad guy and an innocent girl, and I loved their romance, and how she teased him in more ways then one!

I had a great time reading this book, and I can't wait to see other couples in this city find happiness! 

Author: Katee Robert
Series: Dark Olympus #1
Read: September 5th, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Published: June 1st 2021

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 38 Review: Unequal Affections

From Goodreads:

When Elizabeth Bennet first knew Mr. Darcy, she despised him and was sure he felt the same. Angered by his pride and reserve, influenced by the lies of the charming Mr. Wickham, she never troubled herself to believe he was anything other than the worst of men—until, one day, he unexpectedly proposed.

Mr. Darcy's passionate avowal of love causes Elizabeth to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about him. What she knows is that he is rich, handsome, clever, and very much in love with her. She, on the other hand, is poor, and can expect a future of increasing poverty if she does not marry. The incentives for her to accept him are strong, but she is honest enough to tell him that she does not return his affections. He says he can accept that—but will either of them ever be truly happy in a relationship of unequal affection?

Diverging from Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, this story explores the kind of man Darcy is, even before his "proper humbling," and how such a man, so full of pride, so much in love, might have behaved had Elizabeth chosen to accept his original proposal in the Huntsford parsonage. 

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this book! It totally wasn't what I expected-I though it would mainly be after they married, but no, this book takes place during the same time as the original, of in this timeline, the engagement, leading up to their marriage. I do wish we could've been a bit more of them post-marriage, not just a snippet of their honeymoon, but I guess in the original, we didn't really get much either. Bah!

This whole what if idea is so very fascinating! Because it does have a lot of the same story beats, like him helping Lydia, but it happens in a different way, because she doesn't go with the militia, doesn't marry Wickham. It got to the same point that the original did, but it took it's own path, and it was so great! 

It was so wonderful to see what their relationship looked like, with him madly in love, and her having loathed him. They both are so different, but they do fit together so very well, once a few bumps were passed by!

On his side, he was worried about her falling in love with him. At first he was confident that it would happen before they got married, but as his flaws where shown to him, he started to despair. On her side, she was disagreeable with how he was treating her family and the members of her town, while also known that she had made bad judgment calls in the time before she actually knew him. But they are flawed, but again, they fit together so well! 

I wasn't meaning to read this book, at least not now, but I did, and it was a really great read, and I'm thrilled that it exists and that I did read it! 

Author: Lara S. Ormison
Read: September 21st, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge, Historical Fiction 2021 Book and a SAC 2021 Book!
Publisher: Skyhorse
Published: January 7th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 38 Reviews: Desperate Measures, Learn My Lesson, A Worthy Opponent, The Beast, The Sea Witch, Queen Takes Rose, Wicked Villains Shorts

From Goodreads:

My Savior… Or My Ruin?

One night, and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar. As my world burned down around me, he offered me a choice. Walk away with nothing but my freedom… Or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.

I bargained.

I lost.

Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against his rules, my body loves the punishments he deals out when I break them.

But a gilded cage is still a prison, I'll do anything to obtain my freedom.

Even betray the man I’m falling for. 

From Goodreads:

A single night with Meg and I'm willing to do anything to save her from Hades, the man holding her captive, victim to his every whim.

A bargain with the devil himself seems a small price to pay in order for Meg to go free… Until I learn that she's exactly where she wants to be.

She's Queen to Hades's King.

And I’m the fool that walked right into their trap.

The same fool who desires them both as much as I hate them. I can't resist Meg's touch—or stop from being drawn to Hades's dark desires. By the time I realize just how deep a game he's playing, it may be too late…

For all of us. 

From Goodreads:

Once upon a time I was a girl who believed in love and happily ever afters.

Now the only thing I believe in is revenge.

Unfortunately for me, there's only one man willing to help me. Hook. I should have known it wouldn't be out of the goodness of his heart. He doesn't have one. No, Hook wants his ring on my finger and me on my knees before him—and he won't take no for an answer.

I'm willing to pay any price in order to bring Pan down…even if it means I lose my soul in the bargain.

From Goodreads:

Once upon a time, I fell in love with two men. Their feelings for me were matched only by their hatred for each other.

Gaeton, with his brash charm and casual cruelty.

Beast, his lust equal to his penchant for violence.

Being with them was sinful and perfect in different ways. In the end, I couldn't choose, and I lost them both.

Now, my sisters have tasked me with securing our power base, no matter the cost. I will do anything for my family—even if it means agreeing to the terms set by Gaeton and Beast.

The three of us. Together. But only for as long as it takes me to choose one of them once and for all.

When playing games of power, happily ever after isn't a priority. Not even for me.

Especially not for me. 

From Goodreads:

Once upon a time, I fell in love with two men. Their feelings for me were matched only by their hatred for each other.

Gaeton, with his brash charm and casual cruelty.

Beast, his lust equal to his penchant for violence.

Being with them was sinful and perfect in different ways. In the end, I couldn't choose, and I lost them both.

Now, my sisters have tasked me with securing our power base, no matter the cost. I will do anything for my family—even if it means agreeing to the terms set by Gaeton and Beast.

The three of us. Together. But only for as long as it takes me to choose one of them once and for all.

When playing games of power, happily ever after isn't a priority. Not even for me.

Especially not for me. 

From Goodreads:

Once upon a time, I met a man who stole my heart.

In my desperation to reunite with him, I have nowhere to turn but the Sea Witch. Ursa is as beautiful as she is dangerous, and the one person my father warned me never to let close. But she's all crimson lips and pretty lies, and I'm convinced despite my fear.

It's a simple enough plan, if not for the faint of heart. An auction to sell the one thing I possess of any value—myself. The money will free Alaric and then we can finally be together.

Except nothing is simple at all.

Ursa is playing at games I can only begin to comprehend. And Alaric? The man I thought I loved might be just as much a villain as the woman I can't help but be drawn to.

When playing in the darkest depths of love and lust, it will be everything I can do not to drown.

From Goodreads: 

Once upon a time I made a deal with the devil. It turns out I like playing in the dark. Over the years, I've become someone I'm proud of, someone dangerous.

I'll never be as dangerous as Malone, though. She's one of the most feared leaders in Carver City, and her reputation is more than earned. Years ago, we had a single night together and she's ignored me ever since.

Imagine my surprise to discover she's scheduled me for the final two weeks of my contract. Maybe I should be afraid. Everyone else fears Malone. Instead, all I feel is anticipation. It's time to balance the scales, once and for all.

The villains aren't the only ones in Carver City a person should be wary of crossing.

Sometimes the prettiest flower hides the deadliest poison…

From Goodreads:

Return to the world of Carver City a series of check-ins with your favorite characters as they navigate their hard-earned happily-ever-afters and enjoy their lives together.

Join Jasmine for her first winter solstice with Jafar. Attend the public scene that announces Hades and Meg's relationship with Hercules. Play Seven Minutes in Heaven with Isabelle, her men…and Aurora.

This book contains sixteen check-ins with various characters, previously available only to either newsletter subscribers or Patreon subscribers. 

My Review:
I binge read this series, and it was such a fantastic feeling! Which is why I'm making some changes, but that's another topic that you'll see the day after this posts. But I had such a great time diving into this smutty world, and I can't wait to explore it further!

I've been seeing this series, most often Desperate Measures, and I have enjoyed Katee Robert's earlier works (not that I can find them on her website anymore though Goodreads tells me she is the same author for both series!) And the idea of retelling the Disney tales, but with the villains as the love interest, or in some case, one of the love interests, was pretty fascinating!

I found the throuples books more interesting to read, because there were more relationship plots. If I had to rank the full length books from most to least favourite, it would have to be Learn My Lesson, The Beast, The Sea Witch, Queen Takes Rose, A Worthy Opponent, Desperate Measures. 

Some of these stories, I thoroughly enjoyed, like Learn My Lesson was really excellent. But I didn't really enjoy Desperate Measures that much. Jafar had basically no backstory, why he wanted this power. Or even their history together, we just knew that they fantasized about each other. 

But all in all, this was a pretty fantastic series and I can't wait to read the spin off one (with Beast's former lover as the star in book 3 that is yet to come out, as well as the family that Alaric sent money to, I'm pretty sure, which is why they can beat the challenges or whatever happens, that causes Malone's brother and niece to become handfasted to those various brothers! And to see if Neon Gods is set in the same world...

Author: Katee Robert
Series: Wicked Villains #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 
Read: September 19th, 19th, 19th, 19th, 19th, 19th, 19th, 2021
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and they're 2021 Retelling Reading Challenge Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2021 Books, and Queen Takes Rose is a End of Series 2021 Book!
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC
Published: May 28th 2019, October 29th 2019, February 23rd 2020, May 10th 2020, September 7th 2020, November 10th 2020, December 1st 2020

Desperate Measures: 

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Learn My Lesson :

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

A Worthy Opponent:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

 

The Beast:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The Sea Witch:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Queen Takes Rose:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Wicked Villains Shorts:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars