The shortest month of the year, and so far the month I’ve read the most books! Okay, low bar, I only had to finish one more book than last month.

February, the month of love, was filled with lots of dark reads. It wasn’t intentional, no matter what Freud says. But cozy, cutesy novels aren’t really my go-to. I’ve read a few, and they’ve been hit or miss. I really have to be in the mood to read them. It’s just that when I feel cozy, I would rather read a thriller or something dark.

Not sure what that says about me…

Any great recommendations from your February reads?

It had all the components to be great. Underdog odds, heartbreak, unsuspected allies, blood, lava, arrogant antagonists, more blood, and a few tears on the reader’s part. The battle portion happened so quickly that it seemed like a small obstacle we had to deal with to get to the real meat. The concept was not disappointing; I was just hoping to be placed in the heart of the battle a bit more.

The relationship between Vivian and Sin is even more fabulous and tumultuous. Vivian is still living as a human in her head. That, along with her martyr complex, things get dicey. I absolutely hate it when the FMC has this ‘I can sacrifice everything, even my life to save others, but absolutely no one else can’ attitude. Just a personal pet peeve. Vivian has this in spades.

One thing I do love is the gathering of allies. Every step they take to prepare to take on Need and all their growing problems, everyone around them gets caught up in their wake. Then there are all the side characters. Rosie, Arianna, Morgana, Damien, Magnus, Varian, and Vivian’s mortal friends. Every single one of them has their own great personality, adding the finishing touch to an already great story.

Even with the few grievances I have with this, it is still a five-star because this story and characters completely sucked me in and left me feeling a bit empty once it was over. I missed reading their story and having them a part of my day.

Clearly, Melody is setting up for her next great novel, Cimmerous, set in the same universe, and I am here for it!

There are things I appreciate about the book more than the movie. Obviously, getting to read the words and having the language floating around in my head is always a plus. Having better insight into just how abandoned Coraline feels.  Her parents prioritize other things, assuming she’s old enough to just take care of herself. While that may be true, she remains a child in need of her parents’ approval and love. Nowhere is that more evident than at the end.

Gaiman does a wonderful job of painting a picture of what’s happening inside her head without too much fluff. Read this alongside my tween daughter, and she loved it as well. Very down-the-rabbit-hole for modern times. Two generations; one book.

Sanos is the crowned prince of an abusive father/king. He, like most other kingdoms, doesn’t understand Amarran ways and thinks them cruel and primitive. Until Olerra mistakenly kidnaps Sanos, believing he was someone else, with the intent to marry him and make him a kept man. He gets to witness all the inner workings of Amarra. Realizing it’s not just about exerting dominance over men.

There are those, of course, who abuse their position of power by belittling and controlling others. Then there are those like Olerraa who truly have their eyes wide open. It’s a constant slew of hypocritical thinking. It made me angry and uncomfortable. This is truly a book that you will either love or hate. I chose to hate it so much I love it.

There are romantic elements, all age-appropriate but nonetheless swoonworthy. 

The characters’ personalities and backgrounds are all diverse enough to keep things interesting. Can’t wait to continue the series.

I also love that Hunny and Tank (from Hunny and the Bear) play a big role in this as well. Keeping the clan together and prominent makes everything feel more comfortable and engaging as a reader.

The thing that kept this from being a 5-star for me is harder to explain. The story is excellent, and so are the characters. The writing flows, but there’s that little extra that is missing for me. I’m pretty sure this is totally a personal preference; the writing style is a bit too simple, a bit too novice. I don’t mean this as a negative at all. I have enjoyed many of M.L.’s books, including this. As I said, personal preference, and I prefer a more complex writing style.

Highly recommend this. It does help to read Hunny and the Bear first, but M.L. does a great job at bringing newbies into this world with no prior experience needed.

Her step-uncle calls to tell her that her parents left her to him in their will. That’s right, STEP uncle. No one is related by blood. That might not make a difference to some, but, hey, to each their own.

Jake, her father’s stepbrother, whom she has never met a day in her life, and vice versa, has two sons in their early twenties. They live in a tiny town in Colorado, up on a mountain where they get stuck 6 months out of the year due to harsh winter conditions.

So far, we clearly are going to have forced proximity, age gap, and familial bonds. This was not what I was expecting at all.  When I pick up a book like this, you expect taboo spice with a plot thrown in to round it all out. To me, this book is very different. The innuendos and slow churning thoughts are there, but very vague. It’s more of a journey for all the characters.

Tiernan had a broken childhood. Her cousins, Noah and Kaleb, also have their issues. Her Uncle Jake is no exception.

Small tangent: the only other thing I have read from this author is Birthday Girl. I really did not enjoy it. Age gap tropes don’t bother me. It’s when you have a young, teenage adult who throws a tantrum and spends her time bitching about everything, shouting at the top of her lungs that she’s an adult like some three-year-old that bothers me. It also bothers me when the man, over twice her age, treats her like a small child and gets off on it.

Anyway, in Credence, it seems many had a problem with all the toxicity. What did they expect from learning about these people’s backgrounds?  They are all emotionally stunted and have no idea how to act when their routine is thrown out of whack. Toss in a slew of big emotions and hormones, and things are bound to go haywire.

There’s emotional and sexual manipulation and dubious consent galore. The latter is a little less since we are privy to Tiernan’s thought process. Jake does treat her like a child a few times when lines are blurred, but that comes across more like a dominant daddy thing than anything.

This story is emotionally raw. Each character is going through the process of growing and healing. Was it handled in the best way? Of course not! The story isn’t dealing with surface-level emotions. Tiernan was raised, inadvertently, to believe she is nothing and not worth anything by the people whose sole responsibility it was to do the exact opposite.

Kaleb is mute due to his childhood trauma. Noah is stuck in the middle of it all, resenting his life. Jake has been isolated for so long from anything resembling a healthy relation with another human being. All four of them are simply trying to survive long enough to take their next breath without realizing they are all on the brink of drowning.  

The taboo of it plays a small role. It’s more about found family, healing, forgiveness, and letting go of the past. It just happens to be spicy as hell at times.

In my opinion, for what that’s worth, most of the lower-star reviews seem to be missing the point. It’s supposed to make you uncomfortable and borderline disgusted. None of these people are emotionally stable and are working through it in their own way. Obtusely reading this book, you miss the small points that tie it together. The minute actions and expressions from Kaleb where his empathy and concern show through. The moments leading up to Noah finally finding a place for Tiernan in his life and heart. Jake’s journey was not done as well. The relationship between him and Tiernan gets awkward and could have been handled better.

This book is definitely not for everyone. But I was pleasantly surprised by it.

There are a lot of leaps where Damien and, honestly, the plot are concerned. But the bigger picture, it all comes together.

Character growth and dynamics are all there. Pretty solid world-building. I wish there were a bit more side character engagement in the second half of the book. The deeper the story goes they seem to drop off.

I also hate that I have to wait 4 months for the next book, but that’s neither here nor there.

The steamy bits aren’t the best. It’s a forced slow burn since Ava is supposed to remain a virgin until a certain point. Regardless, you get the gist of what the author is going for, but it’s the drama that kept me engaged.

The big ending reveal is underwhelming. All the signs and Easter eggs are there from the beginning. Even though there was no shock and awe moment, I think it is still well executed. The whole book is well written, and I can’t wait for the next.

Derek is extremely cautious and closed off because of it. Grayson just wants to respect his friend’s boundaries and let things lie. Emma refuses to be passive as she sees the buried love they have for each other. The three are close as it is, of course, Emma develops feelings, other than lust, toward Derek. It’s sweet and hot with a HEA.

For such a short palate cleanser, everything is done as well as could be expected. We get to know the characters outside of the steam and glimpse enough of their lives to get attached. The epilogue is a little rushed and underwhelming. This book delivers exactly what you would expect.

As the ending begins to set up the next couple of books in the series, I see this as a lather, rinse, repeat situation. It’s like a B-style movie that you love because it’s bad. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is not bad. It’s the execution that’s not stellar.

I have read plenty of series where there is that same element of an immortal hunk finding his mate, and one of them is reluctant (Dark Kings and Black Dagger Brotherhood, for example). The thing is to have some uniqueness to each. In this series, it’s a cookie-cutter situation so far. Each male is desperate. Each female is a bullheaded, narrow-minded pain in the ass, incapable of taking one moment to consider their addled way of thinking might not be the only way. It’s infuriating. I was excited about getting to Lexi and Zach’s story, but it seems that she’s so much more indoctrinated than Helen and Andra.