Book Review: The Fever Series, 1-5

Title: The Fever Series (Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, Dreamfever, Shadowfever)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Version: Hardback
Page Count: 309, 303, 327, 386, 608
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Synopsis: GoodReads
Notable Notables: In-depth world building in a modern setting, morally gray characters
Recommended Readers: Ages 16+, fans of urban, fae-heavy fantasy with a dash of mystery and romance
Rating: ★★★★☆ (Average of all five books)

So, I was going to review all of these books individually, but I ended up devouring them before I could even think about penning a review. As a result, I’m going to try something a little different, reviewing them somewhat individually but mostly as a series all at once. Haaaaaa, let’s see how this goes.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I’ve been pining for an engaging, Fae-centered fantasy series after how disappointing Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series ended up being. I took a risk on Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, and I’m glad I did because it healed me in ways I didn’t know I needed and provided me with content I’d been dying for.

Book Review: Luca

Title: Luca
Author: Sarah Castille
Genre: Romance
Version: Paperback
Page Count: 362
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Synopsis: GoodReads
Notable Notables: Mafia love interest, steamy sex scenes
Recommended Readers: Fans of contemporary romance and mobsters
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Listen, I won’t lie. I picked this up because I have a thing for Italian men and the mafia, and dammit, good gangster smut is so hard to find these days!

Luca is the second book of Sarah Castille’s Ruin & Revenge series, the first of which being Nico, which I have not read (yet). While the books follow members of the same crime family and their associates, it’s not necessary to have read Nico to understand what’s going on in Luca. In typical romance series fashion, each book follows a different character and introduces a new relationship.

In this one, we meet Luca Rizzoli, a capo in Nico Toscani’s crime family. After protecting Nico from getting shot, Luca winds up in the hospital and meets Gabrielle Fawkes, also there because of a gunshot wound. The attraction between them is instant, but what Luca doesn’t know is that Gabrielle is a police detective. And she only knows him as the owner of an Italian restaurant, not a mobster. Cue the forbidden romance!