I love to read (and write) books about badass heroines who do the saving. They’re not passive. They’re not dragged along by the alpha a-hole, swooning over his muscles and domineering personality. They take charge. They wield the sword, or the gun, or their fists and rescue the dude in distress, who may act the monster but is really just a secret cinnamon roll who wants to be loved. These heroines are the real role models, the women I want to be like. Their stories are the ones I get lost in and remember long after I’ve put the book down.
I stayed up so late reading this book. Way later than I should have. Mostly due to the demon and eventual love interest, Zylas (though I had to wait until at least book three for anything romantic to happen).
I’ll be honest: the nerdy clumsiness of the female MC, Robin, can be a bit much, but I loved the scenes where she breaks the rules to interact with Zylas when he’s a captive in the summoning circle. She has a backbone, even if it takes her a while to show it. And she tames her demon eventually.
I loved the whole series and have read it three times already. The first time I finished it, I was actually sad that it was over.
Rule one: Don't look at the demon.When I arrived at my uncle's house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don't practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.Rule two: Don't listen to the demon.My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I'm supposed to act like I don't know how illegal and dangerous it is.Rule three: Don't talk to the demon.All I had to do was keep my nose out of…
Mephistopheles is one of my favorite male love interests. I loved that he’s a demon, but he’s a secret cinnamon roll. Even when he turns into a monster that feeds on fear and sucks the life from people. I literally felt his pain in the scene where Iris breaks his heart. It gripped me by the throat. I was so invested in his emotional awakening. I just wanted to give him a big hug.
A hot-headed witch and a lovable bad-boy demon add up to a scorching enemies-to-lovers tale, in the latest spicy paranormal romance from instant New York Times bestselling author Aurora Ascher.
They can run from their demons . . .
The jokester of the demon brothers, Meph wears his grin like armor and uses humor as a mask. But lately, his composure has been slipping, especially around her. Iris. The blue-haired witch with a vicious temperament. Something about her soothes the darkness within him . . . but he’s not looking for a savior. There’s no such thing for someone like…
I adored the imagery and descriptions in this book (the entire trilogy, really), and I loved the fresh take on angels and demons, who really aren’t angels and demons. Not in a religious sense, anyway.
I usually like my books with more spice, but the author has woven a masterful story across different worlds. It also includes enemies to lovers, which is my all-time favorite trope, so I can forgive the lack of steam.
I loved the teeth, the chimera, and the sparks in the angel's wings. It’s one of those stories I wished I could have written, but no way would I have done it justice. It's a truly epic book.
The 10th anniversary edition of the first in Laini Taylor's breathtaking fantasy trilogy
'Remarkable and beautifully written . . . The opening volume of a truly original trilogy.' GUARDIAN
Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.
The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.
When Brimstone called, she always came.
In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a…
I have never come across a writing style quite like this. The author has a truly unique voice that some may detest at the first sentence, but I adored it. The prose in this book is a wild ride, but I was along for it.
I loved the monstrous fae male character. He appeared cruel on the outside but was just broken and lonely on the inside and wanted someone to love him. All my favorite things in a male love interest.
This book is still one of the best enemies-to-lovers books I've read. Cardan may not be a literal monster, but he has a monstrous soul. I don’t usually like books where the male love interest is an a-hole, but I love when we get to see behind Cardan’s cruel exterior to the vulnerability and suffering beneath. And when Jude ties him to a chair? *Chef’s kiss.
I found the whole series to be brilliant and well worth a read. I loved the beautiful imagery the author creates.
"Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book . . . intoxicating" - Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows
Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three…
In an apocalyptic Edinburgh, Maia struggles to survive a global purge and dreams of fighting back. When she clashes swords with Hunter, an act of mercy grants her wish. But it also leads to a wounded Hunter on the floor of her refuge… Does she have what it takes to tame him?
If you like enemies to lovers, a brooding hero, and the apocalypse, you’ll love my book. Read the first novella in the steamy paranormal romance series The Warrior Angels and discover how far this angel has fallen.
I’m an OB/GYN, passionate about adventuring beyond what’s expected. This has led me to pivot multiple times in my career, now focusing on writing. I’ve written a play, The Post-Roe Monologues, to elevate women’s stories. I cherish the curiosity that drives outer and inner exploration, and I love memoirs that skillfully weave the two. The books on this list feature extraordinary women who took risks, left comfort and safety, and battled vulnerability to step into the unknown. These authors moved beyond the stories they’d believed about themselves–or that others told about them. They invite you to think about living fuller and bigger lives.
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
The team attempts a new route up the East Face without the use of supplemental oxygen, Sherpa support, or chance for rescue. When three climbers disappear during their summit attempt, Zieman reaches the knife edge of her limits and digs deeply to fight for the climbers’ lives and to find her voice.
The plan was outrageous: A small team of four climbers would attempt a new route on the East Face of Mt. Everest, considered the most remote and dangerous side of the mountain, which had only been successfully climbed once before. Unlike the first large team, Mimi Zieman and her team would climb without using supplemental oxygen or porter support. While the unpredictable weather and high altitude of 29,035 feet make climbing Everest perilous in any condition, attempting a new route, with no idea of what obstacles lay ahead, was especially audacious. Team members were expected to push themselves to their…
