This review first appeared on One Curvy Blogger.

THE WRITING

I was so damn relieved when I made it to the end of Ruby Ink. Have you ever read a book that was so amazing you couldn’t put it down, even though you were sure the book was giving you an ulcer? Not because it was terrible because it was sogood. The writing was so well done and complex that I really couldn’t guess what was going to happen next, even though I had suspicions about certain characters.

Ruby Ink is a train wreck that you can’t stop watching until the end. Every time I peeled back one layer of the plot another appeared to confuse the hell out of me yet enthrall me. I recommend this book to anybody who loves suspenseful romance, regardless of whether you like erotic romance. It doesn’t even read as an erotic romance, in my opinion. Ruby Ink was a wickedly intense read that should not be read until you have the time and energy and enough stomach lining to tolerate such a crazy adventure!

THE STORY

I can’t begin to explain how surprised I was by this novel. I’ve been a reader of romance for years and as big a fan I am, I am the first to admit that most romance novels are pretty predictable. For example: Heroine and hero meet, pretend they don’t have feelings for each other, grow closer, fall in love … but then out of nowhere, something happens and someone gets hurt. Hero eventually realizes how much he loves heroine and professes his undying love and pleads with heroine to forgive him. Hero and heroine fall madly in love and live happily ever after.

I can name dozens of romances that pretty much go in that direction in some shape or form and I’m completely okay with it most of the time. Ruby Ink, on the surface, has a similar plot and when I read the first couple of chapters that I had the book figured out … boy was I wrong. This book is so completely different from any other romance, any other book I’ve ever read that it blew my mind. The plot is far more complex than I realized. I’m so glad this book didn’t turn out as run of the mill because now I am so looking forward to reading more of L.J. Wilson!

The smart (and slightly disappointing) about this erotic romance is that, somehow, Wilson turned this kinky-ish book into something that mainstream readers wouldn’t be irked by. And no, I don’t mean that it falls into the “mommy porn” category (please erase this phrase from your dictionary. Sooo insulting), I just mean that it is sensual enough to be mega steamy but mysterious enough to work for people who don’t enjoy those in detailed sex scenes that I enjoy. I can’t tell if this is something I liked about Ruby Ink or disliked. Maybe a mixture of both, because I was able to enjoy the romance regardless of the sex.

THE CHARACTERS

Goodreads labels this book as New Adult Contemporary Romance. P an innocent college student and an older, experienced older man fell slowly, but completely in love with each other and how the relationship was so easily shattered in the course of one night. But the book (except the first 2 chapters) take place seven years later, so if you are like me and NA is not your cuppa, don’t worry.

❝Who got matching tattoos before having sex? They did. The exotic symbols stood for love, happiness, and peace. Somewhat skeptical, Aaron had agreed to earn the ink with her, one tattoo at a time. ❞

As much as I loved this book, it wasn’t an easy story to read. I felt so much for both Ruby and Aaron, but it was hard to watch absolutely nothing go right for them, even when they thought it was. I wanted to hate them at times, but it was impossible to hold on to my anger. Both make stupid mistakes, but they both are made to pay the price for them in ways they don’t deserve. What makes me so angry with them sometimes is they couldn’t see how each of them were manipulated by a man orchestrating all of their pain and sorry for seven torturous years, but I couldn’t blame them because I didn’t see the convoluted scheming until it all came out at the end.

If the plot was complicated, the characters were even more so. Especially the antagonists … Honestly, there was only one antagonist I could properly label as “villainous” from the moment we were introduced, and even then he had moments of surprising humanity I didn’t see coming. Each person dropped into this book was well-developed, whether they were the bad guys or not, they all had moments of humanity that I didn’t see coming… even the one I labeled Satan. The characters of Ruby Ink were some of the best well-rounded characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

THE END

I’m hoping this rambling review made some sort of sense to you. It is so hard to explain the depth Wilson gave to the plot, the characters, the writing … I’m convinced she is some sort of mystical fiction magician with the mindf*ck Ruby Ink gave me. I’ll be surprised if I can read another romance without comparing it to this book. If I could ever convince you to read one book this year, Ruby Ink would be it!

I received this book for free from Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This review first appeared on One Curvy Blogger.

THE WRITING

It was so hard for me to rate Wolf Bride. On one hand, I loved the mixture of Tudor royalty and semi-accurate (this is historical romance after all) history. Moss excellently introduced historical royalty into this book, it was the only thing I actually loved about this book. I am such a fan of historical romances that introduce real historical figures and it felt like the author did a swell job of researching the time period.

On the other hand, I barely made it through the book. In fact, I was determined to DNF this book until I got bored with watching TV and just decided to finish the book. It felt as if there was a huge chasm between the emotion Moss was trying to portray and the writing. I could read the emotion she tried to express but I couldn’t feel it. This was a major problem for me and ultimately wound up making it difficult for me to feel anything for the characters but frustration.

THE STORY

My family and friends will tell you that I am a huge fan of history though I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a history buff. I always enjoy learning about it, but I like a fictional spin on history so I’m always delighted to read a historical romance that introduces real historical royalty and nobles. If it weren’t for the big parts that King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn played in the plot, I probably would have DNFed it before it got to the best part – Queen Anne’s beheading.

While I wasn’t such a big fan of the characters in Wolf Bride, I love how embroiled they were in King Henry’s hunt for “the truth” of his wife’s treachery and ultimate demise. My favorite scene in the entire book took place on the day of Anne’s beheading. It was the only part of the book that drew any real emotion from me.

THE CHARACTERS

As I’ve said, the main characters were a major source of disappointment for me. I found Lord Wolf petty, manipulative and a downright jerk for the most part. He spent most of the book punishing Eloise for crimes his former fiancé committed which made me so annoyed. At least blame her for the stupid mistakes that Eloise herself made – and she made plenty. He seems to prescribe to the theory that all women share the same mind and the same motives…which in turn pissed me off.

Eloise wasn’t much better. She was flighty, naïve to the point of stupidity and just as petty as Lord Wolf. They did not make a healthy couple and by the end of the book I found myself glad to be through with them.

THE END

This book was both a source of both frustration and fascination for me. It wasn’t an easy adventure, but at the same time, I’m pretty proud that I managed to finish it – though that probably had more to do with boredom on my part and not so much curiosity. I don’t regret reading Wolf Bride, but I honestly don’t think I can recommend a book that I didn’t like. I hope y’all will still give it a try for yourselves if it sounds like something you would enjoy and let us know how you liked it for yourself. I might one day try another book by Elizabeth Moss, but I doubt it will be anytime soon. If nothing else, Wolf Bride expressed how much women were seen as nothing more than broad mares for nobles to spawn heirs.

I cannot begin to tell you guys what supernatural force caused this romance junkie to pick up a non-fiction book on food science. Sure, I love to read weird and interesting news articles that explore what mysterious ingredients are in everyday household items, but I rarely feel the urge to pick up a 200+ book about them. I read books for pleasure, not for information but something about This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth just called to me. So here I am, composing a review about it.

Dear Readers,

Recently, I took a trip to the library for the first time in ages, and kind sorta went nuts in the manga section . . . I just never figured our public library would have such expensive books, but boy was I wrong! They have a huge selection, especially in the adult section. At first I was confused why they had teen books in the adult section, but by the time I finished this one, I totally knew why.

Fifteen-year-old Misao Harada has been able to see demons since she was a child. After her sixteenth birthday the demons whom usually aren’t any more pesky than a playful poltergeist have turned downright deadly and want to consume her for her powers, or force her hand in marriage. Meanwhile, her childhood friend and first love Kyo, has returned to town and has promised to save her from the demons, provided she sleeps with him and agrees to become his bride. It doesn’t help that she didn’t remember much about him from her childhood, such as he’s a tengu demon and leader of his clan.

There is just something so cute and addicting about the characters of Black Bird. I have a huge crush on Kyo and Misao and Kyo’s six-year-old Tengu servant, Taro. If you’ve never seen a baby manga character, you must google them! They are sooooocute! (lol)

Anyways, I really had a blast with this one, guys. I also checked out the second volume, so I’m super excited to start reading it as well! If you are a fan of manga or not, you should definitely check out Black Bird. You will not be disappointed!

Your friendly book addict,

♥ One Curvy Blogger

The Darkest Night is one of my favorite books to re-read. It combines a mythological world that is unique to the growing genre, sizzling sex that never ever gets old, and characters that continue to delight. Maddox and Ashlyn make a dynamite couple! Showalter was smart to start this series with such a compelling story line. If you’re a fan of paranormal romance and you haven’t given The Lords of the Underworld a shot, what are you waiting for?!