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The Stars That Guide You Home
The Stars That Guide You Home
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wow.
Just…wow.

Now I make no secret of the fact that I am a crier. Christmas TV ads, airport arrivals halls, old men crying, anything has the ability to set me off blubbing! So I am never entirely surprised when I start crying at a book, even my husband doesn’t mock me anymore. But this book? THIS BOOK had me crying the entire way through and just when you thought life for the characters couldn’t get any worse…Jemma Robinson says hold my coat!

Sophia and Tom live in a quaint little farmhouse in the town of Lowshore. Their life is a simple one but their happy marriage practically radiates from the page. However, Sophia never told her husband about her past and that past is about to catch up with her!

Whilst Tom is at work, Sophia is kidnapped from her happy home and forced to live the life that she tried so desperately to escape. Beaten, abused and powerless, Sophia manages to find two people worthy of her trust but will she ever escape? Can she ever regain the life that she used to have with Tom?

The beauty of this book is that it revolves around its characters. There is very little world building here but, honestly, it isn’t needed. Nothing matters to Tom and Sophia except one-another and that is reflected in Jemma Robinson’s writing style.

The characters themselves stay with you long after the final page: Sophia wears her heart on her sleeve, Tom is steadfast and passionately protective, James and Annalise are, in contrast, calm and collected individuals but Edmund is nothing short of a psychopath!

Edmund is no fairytale villain, despite the Lord Farquaad vibes I was getting from him. Robinson’s antagonist wouldn’t be out of place in Game of Thrones: he is truly revolting, controlling and revels in his absolute power over everything and everyone in his kingdom.

The Stars That Guide You Home is marketed as historical romance, not a fairytale, and with its medicine, photographs and labour camps then it does seem too modern to be considered a fairytale. However, I would argue that castles, arranged marriages, medieval torture and absence of any morally grey characters could push this into the category of dark fairytale.

There are a number of trigger warnings within this novel that I want to highlight. This is by no means a YA book – it is definitely Adult Fiction or New Adult at a push. These trigger warnings include rape, physical and mental abuse, animal cruelty, torture (in detail), kidnap, burns, suicide, miscarriage and general violence.

Dark fairytale still doesn’t seem enough… Sinister fairytale might just do it!


The Stars That Guide You Home is simultaneously beautiful, horrifying and inspiring. This book will break your heart over and over again and keep you coming back for more. Thank you to The Book Network for the opportunity to review this amazing novel, and thank you to Jemma, even though you did make me cry for 486 pages!
  
Y
Yellow
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
🔞 Full on Trigger warnings for everything!! 🔞

WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.


195 of 235
Kindle
Yellow
By Aron Beauregard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THEY TOOK EVERYTHING?


Oliver Fitch has a troubling issue; he lives in a state of constant terror. After purchasing a convenience store in a once civil society, the streets around him have rapidly devolved into utter lawlessness. They're now festering with sinister gutter scum that only live to harass and intimidate him. His pathetic profits are gouged under the threat of violence and there isn't a damn thing he can do about it. Because in a city with no rules, where the sun never shines, the authorities are no help. In fact, they're an equal part of the problem.


The relentless fear of confrontation is so obvious that even Oliver's wife Lydia has grown to resent his spineless existence. The absence of bravado opens the door to a horrific home invasion that leaves the miserable pair savagely maimed. From there, things only get worse until the criminal leeches have taken everything. Until there's nothing left inside but hate and the gnawing hunger for revenge. Until a switch finally flips and Oliver realizes that they all have to die.

First of all this comes with massive triggers in fact the whole book is one fat trigger warning so I don’t recommend if you have a sensitive nature.
This is my first venture into this genre and wow it hit hard!
I just couldn’t stop reading and I’m not sure how when it was bloody brutal.
After 2 men break into his home and brutally attack him and his wife Oliver goes on a vengeful killing spree taking out those corrupt and down right evil. These people terrorise the neighbourhood and it’s not just criminals. This is not for the faint hearted. It’s gore, graphic, horrific and just brutal (yes I’ve used that word a few times as I can’t think of any other way to describe it).

WARNING: This book contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
  
Envy (Seven Princes of Sin #5)
Envy (Seven Princes of Sin #5)
S.N. Hunt | 2023 | Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Please read the TWs!
ENVY is the fifth book in the Seven Princes of Sin series and, in my opinion, you really need to have read the others to receive the full benefit of this one. Also, and it's a biggie, you really need to read the Trigger Warnings for this series. It is hella dark and disturbing in places. Now, moving on…

Aedin is the Prince of Envy. And Becca is Aedin's soul mate. Becca is… troubled, to say the least, and it's not surprising at all when you consider her past. I know all of the soul mates were to be reincarnated into pain and sorrow each time but, oh man, this one was a doozy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, dark as it was, and loved the snippets of information we got about Wrath and Luci. I honestly can't wait for their books! The overall story arc is moving along with each book, and the previous pairs show up in each new one, so it really does help to read them in order.

A fantastic addition to the series and definitely recommended by me. Just, again, please read the TWs!

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 31, 2023
  
D(
Dishonour ( The Hallowed Crows 2)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
20 of 220
Kindle
Dishonour (The Hallowed Crows MC 2)
By G.N. Wright
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Death. Distraction. Destruction.

That’s all my life consists of now.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this, but everything went wrong. I knew the game, the rules, the consequences, yet still I chose to play. And now he's dead. He killed him. I killed him, and nothing will ever be the same again.

I thought I could survive, that I could beat him, that I could turn to my best friend and everything would be okay, but I was wrong. Now I have blood on my hands and death in my heart.

I thought I had to fight before, that I had to watch my back, but that is nothing compared to now. Any chance of ever getting them on my side again faded the moment that bullet was fired.

My saviors

My tormentors

My salvation.

Now nothing but my enemies. I had their love, then their hate, now I have nothing but their rage.

It’s said that Crows won’t attack unless you give them a reason.

Guess I gave them one.

This is exactly as the author describes and has plenty of potential trigger warnings. It was a quick read and I did like it. Like the first it was a bit repetitive in parts and it’s the only thing that annoyed me. But make sure you read her warning’s first this is a dark reverse harem romance.