Karen Hunter's Reviews

This is a little step away from my usual reads, but I enjoyed the change. He is the sports star on campus, intense and has a past that is whispered about in the halls. She sees the good in everyone, academic and kind. When they come together, the passion is intense.

It's not just a dark love story, though; there is an underlying mystery, believable red flags and reasons for ignoring them, and that really made the story worth it for me.

Would I want him as a boyfriend, no, but was it a good read, yes.
A great read for anyone who likes dark academia with a little sport thrown in.

Wildwood Secrets is a brilliant second instalment in the Wildwood Meadows series. Hattie, a true crime podcaster dedicated to bringing forgotten missing women back into public consciousness, clashes wonderfully with Kip Holt, a forest-loving game warden who believes civilians have no business in investigations. The tension between them is electric, and their opposing worldviews make for a compelling and convincing romance alongside a genuinely gripping mystery.

The true crime investigation kept me on the edge of my seat, particularly towards the end when I simply could not put it down. The family WhatsApp group — gloriously named Dysfunction Junction — is an inspired touch that adds humour and heart at exactly the right moments. Every family member feels distinct and real, and I'm already looking forward to getting to know them better in future books.

A perfect blend of suspense and romance. If you enjoyed book one, this absolutely delivers.

This is the second book in the series, but I haven't read the first and followed it well. You might get more from the friends' characters if you had read the first, but I would say it's not a necessity.

I thought the characters were really well developed, and you could really step into the world they are living in and feel immersed. The story itself is twisty and gritty, and I really felt for Harper as the story progressed. That being said, it was a little slow in places for me. If you enjoy a slower burn and building tension, then this one is definitely for you.

The final 3rd of the book really had me gripped, with the story being more fast-paced and all of the story lines coming together with a satisfying end.

I really enjoyed the world-building in this book and liked the twist to where the magic came from; it's one I haven't seen before. The characters are well thought out and have their own personalities and backstories that affect how the story develops. We start with Ellie going off to the academy, and I expected a 'learning my power' sort of story, but wow, it is so much more. She meets Caeo, an alluring guy who is just trying to build a better future, and her world shifts. The twists keep you guessing and reading way past when you planned to do 'life stuff'. Looking forward to the next book in the duology.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. An action-adventure reality show, assumptions about who the contestants are and their normal lives, all come together in a must-read.

I love the challenges the author comes up with for the game show, and, not being someone who usually watches these types of shows, I think I would watch this one.

Amity and Cooper are the leads, and I love how their relationship has twists and turns along the way. They argue and disagree on how to do the challenges and hate each other at first. Secrets and reasons for doing the show come to light, and I really hoped they would get together in the end.

I was even happier when I found out there are 2 more books in this series. Off to read book 2 now.

This is a great first book in the series. The world that we enter is hard and dangerous, and the pacing hooked me from the beginning.

The idea of dragon shifter/fae is a new one to me, and I have read a lot of them. Naevyn is strong and has taken on a lot of responsibility. Her growth through the book is believable and inspiring. Cairos is dark and grumpy but sexy as hell and has her thinking things she never thought she would. It is slow burn to perfection. By the end, you are just as satisfied as Naevyn.

If you like romantasy with a dark edge this one is for you.

This was an enjoyable read. It sets up the story well and leaves us on a definite cliffhanger. Set in a world where shifters live hidden in the Wilds, a human with healing abilities lives with, but is not embraced by, the wolf pack. She has no memory of her life before being taken in by the wolves. This book gives hints about this history, and I hope future books delve into this more. I wish the end had a bit more of a wrapping up of a thread of the story, but that is my own preference. The love triangle has some serious heat potential that I'm looking forward to reading more of.

If it had realised it had such an open ending, I might have waited to read all the books together.

I really enjoyed this book and the promise of a new series has me dying for more.

The characters are well developed and the world we are in is gritty and dark, but there is warmth and real emotion under the tattoos and MC cut.

In this book we follow King (Frost) and Stevie (Rebel). They come together in their own unique way and I loved the twists and turns along the way. Well worth a read.

This is book 2 in The Race for Riches or Romance series. I loved the first one, so I had high hopes for this one. The idea of another competition set on a tropical island really had me hooked. Hannah (Cooper from book 1's sister) signs up, hoping to find love and get over the one who still holds her heart years after they broke up. She is due to go with her best friend, but a bout of flu means she needs a replacement. Enter the ex and Super Bowl-winning stud.

There is more focus on their relationship than the game show in this book, and I did miss it a little, but it was still a great read with intense emotions and high stakes. When we follow the reality show, it has a different twist, and the contestants have obviously watched the first one and think they know how to play the game, but they don't.

It's a forced proximity, second-chance romance, superstar/regular person. If this had been the first book I read in the series, I think I would be a little confused and maybe wouldn't read more but with book 1 as a foundation, I will give the 3rd book a read.

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed, and then others that confused or seemed slow to me.

Let me start with what I enjoyed. I loved the set-up. The shy girl who needs a nudge to interact with people. The idea that people will fill a gap with the name of someone they knew rather than say 'I'm sorry, who are you?' I also thought the focus on therapy and self-reflection was great.

What confused me. I spent quite a few chapters thinking 'why does he still think this?' she told him. So much so that I went back and reread the chapter, still confused. When they went over things again, I was with the MFC, she told him. I get that it was a plot twist, but I just felt confused and a bit annoyed.

The pacing for me felt slow, but if you like slow burn finding trust, then this story is great for you. I found the 'issues' that Evan has a bit repetitive, and it didn't make me want to carry on reading. I made it to the end, and it has a nice story arc, but it just ended up being a book I wanted to finish rather than savour.