After reading the first book, I was pretty keen to read the second in this series. I quite liked the Ashley in the first book but there wasn't much of her so it was nice to get a book focused on her!

I found that the storyline in this book was much more formulaic than the first book. I found that I was able to predict quite a lot of the major plot points.

I found that I actually enjoyed the relationship in this book a lot more though. There was more time spent actually getting them to bond.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It definitely wasn't as intersting as the first one but because I enjoyed the relationship more, I rated it the same. I love Cat's character so I'd love to read the next one!

Once again thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the read the continuation of Curse & Craving, which I absolutely loved. And this one... Made me love this story even more.
Lochlan and Rebecca were still these giving that extra bit of good to the book. But definitely Ashley and Casek had my heart. Apart from being the amazing friend she is, Ashley proved to be as fearless as Rebecca. And what to say about Casek... I don't know I love his dark, brooding and seductive side or his sweet sad he only shows to Ash!
What a pair, what a powerful and exciting combination. In love with it all.
Congrats Jill for the amazing story. Can't wait for the 3rd!

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the first line and I found it difficult to put it down when I actually had things I needed to get done. The relationship between the two main characters is fiery and fabulous and I enjoyed how it was written. Jill Ramsower writes beautifully and even though I haven't read the first book I got enough information peppered throughout for that not to be an issue. I WILL be going back and reading book 1 and I can't wait for the rest of the series!

Welp, it’s safe to say I didn’t see that happening. Goodness. This Author sure does know what she’s doing when writing her story and her world.

For someone who was excited about Fae in book one she sure does seem to be having a go with it in this book! Then the end…. I kind of saw one thing coming, but the other thing…. I cannot wait for book 3 to come out! Luckily we do not have to wait long!

Okay, so that was me trying to show you much I loved this book without giving out what happened! I would hate to spoil it for you! What I will tell you is that Venom & Vice had a lot more spice than book one, Curse & Craving - and I was totally here for it. Yes, I said I like working up to it best, but I am always up for spice when it's not completely detailed. I didn't have to clutch my pearls or anything haha.

As we learn in book one, Ashley has been given a second chance at life thanks to Merlin, who is in fact a Fae. But with that comes powers and a danger that is lingering in their town. Her love/hate or love to hate interest, Casek, may be coming in between her and her powers though thinking it would protect her. Was he wrong? Read to find out!

I definitely suggest this book, but PLEASE read Curse & Craving first. While they can somewhat be standalone, I tried to read this first from the ARC that I received and it was a bit difficult to catch on.

***Note - The link provided will not be live until May 1***

I read this in order to write a review for NetGalley. I also went and read book 1 aswell to get a better understanding for Venom & Vice.
This paranormal/fantasy Romance centered on Irish lore and myths. I found Book 1 explored these in a lot more detail whereas this one concentrated on fae and tropes normally included in these novels.
The sexual chemistry between Ashley and Casek was fun to read, and we saw some of Ashley's journey in book 1 so I enjoyed seeing her progress and POV here.
I found I struggled in parts of this book. It felt rushed and did not delve into the relationship fully therefore the balance between plot and romance was off slightly.
I found the novel lacked the Irish imagery that was teased in book 1. We read two American women taking a huge leap and moving to Belfast, Ireland and although Becca's journey through this was discussed previously, Ashley's was completely bypassed.
There's no better description apart from me needing more substance from this novel. Book 1 covered a large storyline and it was enjoyable, but I found the plot in Venom & Vice was clutching at straws in order to find plot lines to fill the book.

Loved it! The fiery tempers and the chemistry between Ashley and Casek were amazing. Would highly recommend reading the first book in the series before reading Venom and Vice as this book does start off not long after the end of the first book. WIthout spoiling anything, I would say that this book would be perfect for fans of Karen Lynch and Hannah Parker.

Ashley was thrown into the world of magic and supernatural beings when her best friend Becca took a job in Belfast. Born a human, upon her death, the Fae magician known as Merlin gave her a second chance at life as a Fae. Ash must learn how to use and control her new magical abilities. She is excited to see what her new life has in store for her. That is where Casek enters in to the situation.

Casek is a broody Fae and member of the Hunt. For many, many, many years it has been one of his responsibilities to monitor Fae activity on Earth and ensure the safety of the human population. His boss, Lochlan, has assigned Cas the task of mentoring Ashley as well as protecting her. Can the two of them work together without killing each other or will the chemistry that has been brewing between the couple lead to something more.

I completely enjoyed the first installment of this series but, if it's possible, I think I loved Ashley and Casek's story even more. I entered Venom and Vice with a complete understanding of the backstory and got to focus on the relationship that was developing between Casek and Ashley. At times Casek's archaic ways were a bit overwhelming but as the story developed so did he as a person. Ashley's headstrong personality is a perfect match for Cas; throughout the story she was able to go toe to toe with him both mentally and physically. And the chemistry between the couple was off the charts steamy. This series is unique in its mythology. I love the way Ramsower has taken Arthurian legend and weaved in to it a supernatural story with beings that are already familiar. I look forward to the next installment.

4.5 stars 🌟
A wild ride full of action, mystery and spice! I enjoyed the dynamic between Ashley and Casek. If you're a fan of morally grey heros, this book is for you! I did not read the first book of the series but had no trouble following the references in this book. Great pacing- finished the book in one sitting!

This is the second in the Of Myth and Man series by Jill Ramsower. I didn't realise until I’d started reading this that it wasn't a standalone novel. There was a great deal that I liked about the book but also felt it was lacking substance in a few areas.

Firstly the chemistry between the main characters Ashley and Casek feels forced and they don't seem to make much sense as a couple. They fight and have sex but beyond revealing a few things about their pasts they don't really have many conversations. The side characters in this novel were the main characters in the previous one so I can only assume that they were introduced properly in the first book. It would have been nice to have more of a recap of the dynamic between the other characters and some more detail on the setting and how the Faery realm and Earth are separated.

The actual writing is a little too American for the Northern Ireland setting. There are words and phrases used which wouldn’t be used in British English and to keep with the setting would be better changed to more Irish phrasing. The story had a good pace but it was difficult to keep up with where the characters were and who knew what about what was being planned. Having to reread passages did hinder my progress slightly but overall I liked what I read.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.
*NOTE: This is book 2 in a series. I did not realize and nowhere in the summary page here does it say that it's a sequel. If I had known that, I wouldn't have requested this book.*

This is an urban faery romance book set in Belfast and is centered around Ashley, a human who was recently turned fae, and Casek, an old fae dude. I'm going to be honest, I really did not enjoy this book. All of the characters feel flimsy and unreal. There's nothing grounding this story and its characters in any kind of reality. This book is told through the POV of Ashley and Casek and my god, there is no chemistry between them on top of them having no unique qualities as people. Even for this being an urban fantasy, nothing felt believable OR magical. I think Ramsower does a good job creating her version of the fae but that said, I just could not find myself caring about anything that was happening. Ashley was annoying and one dimensional and Casek was creepy and controlling and all of the side characters were just as boring and forgettable.

I think if you haven't read much urban fantasy and/or are 18-23 (I should note that I'm 29 and grew up reading urban fantasy), this book may hold some enjoyment but for me, I was bored, annoyed, and couldn't care less about any of the murders and "tension".

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Venom & Vice by Jill Ramsower. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for providing an ARC to review.


I really wanted to enjoy this book since fae and romance are some of my favorite tropes. That said, I was very disappointed. The characters were so blunt and in your face, with minimal layers to their personalities. I felt we got a bit of character growth with Casek but not enough to make me cheer for this couple. I won't be continuing with the series.

Story - 4 stars, 1.5 chili peppers

Venom & Vice is the 2nd book in the Of Myth and Man series. In it we find Ashley finally coming into her powers after being given a second chance at life as a fae. She is assigned the grumpy and emotionally constipated Casek as a teacher. Because Ashley's magical abilities are rare and powerful, putting a dangerous target on her back by the rest of the fae, Casek must also serve as Ashley's bodyguard. Meanwhile, a dangerous Unseelie, called a Fear Gorda, is on the loose in Belfast, murdering humans who have eerie connections to Casek and Ashley. Though the two have never gotten along and butt heads at every turn, Ashley and
Casek must work together to not only keep Ashley safe but to also stop the Fear Gorda.

Pros
The most engrossing part of Venom & Vice is the world that Jill Ramsower creates. It's a fascinating setting combining urban fantasty, fae, and the legend of King Arthur. The story is well written and the overall vibe is a unique blend or gritty crime and fantastical fae magic. The story is interesting, and, thankfully, did not rely on drawn out melodrama or miscommunication tropes to keep the plot moving along. In fact, most problems were solved with a conversation within a few pages. Both characters are strong, but emotionally damaged. Ashley is spunky and takes no sh!t, while Caz is a lone wolf who follows his own moral code. He comes off a little as Alphahole at the beginning, but eventually he sees the errors of his ways and repents. In the end they do make a very sweet couple.

Cons
While the story was interesting, it was also a bit predictable. It was also definitely lighter on the romance/spice than anticipated. The whole story takes place in the span of a couple weeks and we really don't get to see Ash progress with her magic at all. The book is mostly plot driven, which did not leave much room for Ashley and Casek's relationship to develop in much detail. It felt more like enemies-to-instalove instead of journey from enemies to lovers.

Conclusion
Overall, I would recommend Venom & Vice, but I would definitely recommend reading Curse & Craving first, as it is the first book of the series. Despite it being about a different couple, I felt I would have had more details and clarity about the huntsman, the Seelie Court, and the characters in general. Venom & Vice can stand on
it's own two feet though. If you like the idea of a bit of crime mixed in with your magical, Irish Fae romances, definitely check it out!

*I received Venom & Vice as an ARC for review on Goodreads

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of Venom and Vice ebook from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in Jill Ramsower’s Of Myth and Man series. I was given the opportunity to read the first book as well and this one was just as great as the first one. I really enjoyed Ashley and Casek’s story.

Ashley was introduced in the first book as the main character’s best friend. In this book we get to see more of Ashley’s personality and passion. After being turned Fae by Merlin in an effort to avoid certain death, Ashley had trouble calling up her magic and learning her powers.

Casek a member of the Wild Huntsman and second in command to the leader has a murky past and a surly attitude. Casek has been alone for hundreds of years and is not looking to change that anytime soon. Now he’s been assigned to protect Ashley and can’t seem to get her from under his skin.

Jill Ramsower has delivered Another great story weaving Fae magic, demons, Ireland, friendship and heated romance! A solid 4/5 stars! Looking forward to the next instalment of the series.

#20thbookof2022 #Venomandvice #Jillramsower #netgalley

This book tells the story of Ashley, a human turned Fae and Cazek, a Fae warrior under Erlking Lochlan. When we begin the story, Ashley has not yet been able to manifest her newfound Fae powers. When Merlin, the Fae who brought her and her best friend, Becca, back to life and thus turning them Fae, seeks Ashley out and unlocks her power, events begin to unfold which put the characters in danger once again.

Honestly, I struggled with this book. There were points at which I found the plot compelling but I struggled to connect to the world or the characters. I felt that the characters and relationships were underdeveloped and superficial and the world felt very one dimensional despite everything moving forward at a clipped pace. Ashley and Cazek's romance feels like a relationship of convenience rather than a romance and there were moments where I felt a bit itchy at some of the blurry consent lines.

The plot does move quickly which helped me to finish this out. But I don't think I'll be continuing the series.

This book will hook you from the first page. Casek is a hard and brooding man who would love nothing more than to get away from Ashley. Casek had lived a long time and lost a loved one so many years ago. It was almost his undoing and her never wants to feel like that again. He has kept his distance for all women to protect his heart from feeling again. One night he ended up carrying Ashley to a hospital. She did Ed but ended up being turned into an Unseelie to let her live. She has waited for months to finally get her magical powers but nothing has happened until Merlin helps her powers come to the surface. She is now showing signs of being one of the most powerful of their kind and Casek has been tasked to keep her safe. Now being around her all the time he can’t keep his feelings in check anymore. There are people turning up dead by being terrified to death and he has to catch and kill this person before he takes away the one person in his life who he would die for. Will Ashley be able to survive all of the changes happening in her life and get Casek to finally show his feelings toward her? I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This is the sequel to Curse & Craving and follows Ashley as she learns more about her powers and adapts to being Fae. It’s a dual POV between her and Casek, the broody Huntsman who gets assigned to protect her when women start getting murdered.

First off, I love a dual POV and seeing both sides of a developing relationship. Casek is definitely on the morally grey side and it helps to know what’s going through his head. He does some questionable things but his heart is in the right place. This book was much shorter than the first one and I liked how fast paced it was, I was able to finish it in a day. There were some heartbreaking moments and I love how strong Ashley remained in spite of it all. I was not shocked by the twist but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

3.5🌟
Spice level : 2🔥🔥
Plot : a bit more coasting then the first story. Hidden truth from Heroin trope.
Firstly, thanks to NetGalley for this ARC - release date 2nd May.

This is Ashley and Casek’s story.. we saw some glimpses of it in book 1.

Ashley is a human turned into a Fae while she was on deaths door. She now needs to learn how to protect herself but also how to use her magic.

She is in danger from the queen and she is also being targeted by a formidable shadow Fae.
The queen wants to know everything about her due to the maner in which she was turned into Fae,

As her powers are unlocked, she will start to show signs of them, the issue is that her an casek have history when he is appointed to teach her everything she needs to know to be able to protect herself.

Casek has his own personal issues and therefore has a need to protect everyone he cares about. He doesn’t want to care about Ashley but he does. The manner in which he thinks is best to protect her backfires but there is no miscommunication trope.

Although I really did like the book in general, I thought it was coasting a lot.

There were bits that seemed a bit underdeveloped, e.g. her being targeted by the queen. We didn’t learn much about her powers either.

There were some bits where you would laugh out loud.

The spice was noting to write home about, but did fit perfectly within the relationship they had.

I also will say that when I had the feeling of now we’re getting somewhere it was already 70% of book.

Again good book just not fantastic.

This review has been posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! I was so excited to get an ARC for this book because I really enjoyed the first book of this series and loved Ashley’s character. I did not, however, expect to fall in love with this book so much!!

The first chapter already had me hooked 😮‍💨🥵 Yes I finished this book in less than 24 hours because I could not put it down and I have no regrets.

First of all, I AM IN LOVE WITH CASEK. I would let that man do anything to me😩 Within the first chapter, I was already so down bad for him. I love his cold and brooding personality and I slowly started falling for him more as he got so much sweeter 🥺 He is everything anyone can want in a man.

I loved Ashley’s character development. I think Ashley’s character is what made me enjoy this book much more than book one. She was very relatable and such a bad bitch. Her relationship with her dad and relationship with herself and watching them both develop was so nice to see.

The plot was high stake enough to keep me interested but did not drag on forever which I loved! In comparison to book one, the plot was much more fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. The balance of the plot and romance was just *chef’s kiss*.

I do, however, have some critiques. I WAS SO FRUSTRATED WITH THE AMOUNT OF FADE TO BLACKS NEAR THE END! “Casek did not disappoint” TELL ME HOW! HOW DID HE NOT DISAPPOINT? DETAILS PLEASE YOU CANT LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THAT!!😩 Also, I felt like there was such a great opportunity to give Casek a chance to grovel over Ashley and their issue was resolved way too easily that the chance was missed. It would have been amazing to see that switch in Casek to go from broody and cold to a grovelling man who has fallen for Ashley.

Overall, I was OBSESSED with this book. I cannot wait to read book 3!

––Thank you to NetGalley and Jill Ramoswer LLC for providing me with an ebook ARC of this release.––

Venom and Vice tells the story of Ashley, a human turned Fae after a near-death incident. Since that incident nearly six months ago, Ashley has been adapting to her new lifestyle and trying to harness her magical powers. When she reconnects with Merlin, the Fae who brought her and her best friend, Becca, back to life, Merlin teaches Ashley how to feel and unleash her power. However, days later, her power once again goes dark, unable to be accessed.

Unbeknownst to Ashley, Cazek, the right-hand-man of Erlking Lochlan, has used blood magic to bind Ashley's power and prevent her from using it. He has done this to protect her but quickly realizes that he went about things in the wrong way. As all of this is happening, a mysterious creature lurks through Belfast preying on young women. Cazek, Lochlan, and the rest of the huntsman must band together and fight the local enemy. However, the creature continues to evade them, and they quickly realize that the creature's attacks are personal.

Going into this book, I was fairly blind and mostly led by the short synopsis provided by the publisher and the attractive book cover. As a result, I was expecting primarily a romance. The book immediately starts with an electric scene between Ashley and Cazek, but their following counters don't match the chemistry portrayed in their first interaction.

Although this book is largely a romance with fantasy elements, the romance isn't overly spicy or descriptive. I felt that the romance between Ashley and Cazek was largely circumstantial; I didn't feel the connection between the two characters. I could definitely see them becoming friends with benefits, but they quickly fell in love for reasons I didn't understand. At the beginning of the book, Cazek is reserved, brooding, and quiet, but opens up almost immediately to Ashley without any hesitation. I found similar instances throughout the book and finally realized because it lacked subtext.

The plot is elementary at best, but the characters spell everything out for the reader, leaving nothing to be questioned. The characters clearly portray their emotions and the creature descriptively explains its motives. All of this left me feeling unsatisfied with this book.

The plot moved quickly which helped me keep moving through this book, but I'm not sure if I'll be picking up the next book in the series.




This review was published on Goodreads on April 22, 2022. Check it out here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4681601492

I must admit that almost until the end I did not think it was a memorable novel from the point of view of the plot, very much along the lines of the previous one, then, suddenly, the plot twist that you do not expect and everything definitely improves.

Devo ammettere che quasi fino alla fine non mi era sembrato un romanzo ricordabile dal punto della vista della trama, molto sulla falsariga del precedente, poi, improvvisamente, il plot twist che non ti aspetti e tutto migliora decisamente.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.