Nice fast paced book which is easy to follow. Ideal book between long, complex fantasy books. Very well written and just can't wait to read next books from this series.

This is a new romantasy series from both these authors. Having read from Leia Stone before I had high hopes of enjoying this one.
The book is fast paced and l had a good plot to it whilst also being a short read too.
I did struggle a little with the characters and the fact it was so fast paced didn’t help.
I feel like it should have been longer and slighter slower in some places so that we the reader could catch a breath.
The romance I wanted a little more from
it and felt it just came to easy for them.
Id love to see more character development too.
Overall its a good read if your looking for a fast paced romantasy book. I’m hopeful the second book will be a little longer than the first.
Sorry for the delay in posting this review, I already thought I’d posted it!!

Thank you to the Publisher, Author and Netgalley for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up

If you’re looking for a short quick paced YA book. I would say give this book a try. It did feel a little rushed and could have been further developed.

To be honest some of the language was very immature and so some of the banger fell flat.

At first I was disappointed as I was excited for a female assassin trained since birth for her mission and we hadn’t seen it. However this was just me being impatient and we did see some more of this.

I found the cuffs a very interesting concept but then almost felt they were used too much. I enjoyed split into the dual pov.

I really couldn't wait to read Cold Hearted, everything about it appealed to me, it sounded amazing!!

While I did enjoy it I felt the main relationship let it down , the storyline was really good and the reason I kept reading I just wish the relationship wasn't so rushed and had more depth, it left me feeling......well.....nothing 😕.

But that ending gives me hope so I will be reading book 2!!

Would I recommend?.....absolutely because what one person doesn't like, others love 😊

Coldhearted left me conflicted. On one hand, the premise was intriguing but the execution fell short of my expectations. It could be a me thing, as I was expecting something EPIC considering the MFC was written to be an assassin (hello, Aelin!!) but the writing and character development didn't quite hit the mark. I didn't love where the story ended up and I found myself wanting more character development and emotional resonance. The relationships between characters, particularly the romantic dynamics, felt underdeveloped and lacked chemistry.

The plot had its moments of suspense, but the pacing was uneven, with some scenes dragging while others felt rushed. Overall, Coldhearted had the makings of a compelling dark fantasy, but I'm not sure it was for me.

I really enjoyed the world building and getting to know the characters. It was fast paced and fun but the chemistry between the characters needed more I think!

I love it! The story is interesting, I like the concept of the mirror world and the curse and I can't wait to learn more about it as we advance in the story. Dawn and Zander are good main characters, I like their banter it made me laugh out loud. This is a really good book and I'm looking forward to the next story in this universe!

‘Cold Hearted’ is the first a standalone book in the ‘Cursed Fae’ series collaborated by Leia Stone and Julie Hall. The story takes place in dual places—beginning with Faerie, with the majority of the story unfolding in Ethereum. From the world-building to the character dynamics, the book tells a story of fate, duty and the consequences of such.

The story revolves around Dawn—crown princess to the Summer Court in Faerie—she is tasked with the quest to go to Ethereum to kill and come back with the heart of an Ethereum Lord. However, Dawn’s journey doesn’t exactly go to plan when she finds herself being taken captive.

What I loved most was the intriguing plot and fleshed out characters. Dawn struggles to grapple with her responsibility to her kingdom, as well as her growing relationship with the Commander of the Noreum Army—Zander. Their dynamic is one of animosity which builds into a slow-burn romance. The perfect enemies-to-lovers.

Zander, though he’s the Commander of the Nereus Army, he is so much more than that. I loved how we got to discover more of his background with each chapter. The two of them have had great banter as well as chemistry and one of my favourite scenes involved the one bed trope. It was just wonderful to see them falling in love, they really were a beautiful couple to read about.

The authors have written a captivating world which combines the details of both kingdoms, from the differing courts to the curse. The descriptions are vivid, helping to transport the reader into a magical world of fantasy. Both Stone and Hall managed to create a narrative that eagerly kept me captivated unable to put the book down. It was so enjoyable in fact, I managed to read the book in two sittings—ultimately bringing me out of a slump.

Overall, ‘Cold Heated’ was oh so satisfying on so many levels as it offered a mixture of adventure, romance and intrigue that was set against a backdrop of beautifully captivating world. The only reason it was not a 5 star for me was because at times the story did feel rushed, especially toward the end. However, that did not take away from the experience for me. I can’t wait for the next book to find out how the rest of the story will unfold.

Fast paced with great character development . The first half of the story was really good but I’m not sure what happened with the second half. Seemed like the author gave up a bit.
The world building was really good just wish the end was done a bit better.
Would recommend though.

“Cold Hearted” is an amazing romantasy book and the first of the series Cursed Fae by Leia Stone and Julie Hall.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Plot: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Characters: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Suspense: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Romance: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

What you’ll find in this book:
⭐️Enemies to Lovers
⭐️Fated Lovers
⭐️He falls First
⭐️Only one bed/ one horse
⭐️Heroine that takes care of herself
⭐️Forbidden love

My Review:
A light-hearted read with lots of twists and sweet romance. It was super entertaining and I was reading at the same time as listening to the audiobook for the commuting time. Both of them are amazing. I loved the world that the authors built for this book but may I admit I hated how many times the main character referred to her mother’s reaction in case she knew what she was up to, get over it girl, she can’t see you! All the forced proximity was super sweet and I loved how he falls first. This book has fights, magic, fae and a curse, a truly amazing combination. I would definitely recommend it to romantasy, fantasy and fae lovers. Is a must-read.

Description:

To save my kingdom, someone must die…
Every hundred years, a curse descends on Faerie. For the last two millennia, the Summer Court princess has ended it. She has travelled to the mirror realm, found an Ethereum Lord, and returned with his magical heart.
Now it’s my turn.
I have trained to become the perfect assassin so I can retrieve my prize. But when I step through the portal, I’m immediately taken captive by Zander, a handsome royal guard.
To reach my target, I’m forced to play by his rules. Fail my task and everyone I’ve ever known and loved perishes. But Zander has secrets, and they call into question everything I have been taught my entire life…

Writing style:
The pace is fast and entertaining. Inner discussions are a delight 🥰. The plot has many twists and the chapters are well divided.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher (HQ of HarperCollins UK) and the authors for my early copy. All opinions are mine and sincere.

#ColdHearted #NetGalley
Buy your copy: https://amzn.to/3Vi689R

I’m honestly not sure what to make of this one? The premise was intriguing as was the world, I love a badass princess and the magic system was fun too! However, I ultimately finished this book feeling a little unsatisfied and yet I AM curious enough to pick up the sequel!

My main issue with this is the lack of depth both with the world and the characters which made it hard to get invested in it, and the pace felt overly fast and rushed. This is a relatively short book, and so much happens in a very short span of time and it kind of felt like you bounced from one event on the checklist to another with no chance to sink your teeth into the events or the emotions of it all before moving onto the next.

I genuinely felt this needed another 50-100 pages to flesh everything out tbh because I really struggled to connect with Dawn when her emotions felt glossed over like there was no time to sit with how she felt with this bad thing happening or that one before moving on to the next and the romance felt like insta-love which isn’t ordinarily my cup of tea.

I’m not sure if this is YA or not but even if it is, some parts (or at least some dialogue) still felt quite juvenile and some turns of phrase felt odd considering the setting. There were some cheesy moments which I don’t always mind while some twists were made glaringly obvious. Which again, isn’t always a bad thing but coupled with everything else it made the book feel lacklustre.

This wasn’t a perfect book, it felt a little unpolished tbh but I did enjoy parts of it and I’m intrigued by Aribella who seems like an interesting contrast to Dawn! Plus I’m curious about which Lord she’ll end up with!

Ultimately, this is a quick, easy and spice free read. It was enjoyable enough for the most part, I just wanted a little more depth and tension from it, especially when it comes to the world building & characters!

Tastes change as we grow older, as a kid I hated cooked carrots. I would avoid them at all costs and fantasy was my cooked carrot genre. Until I read Fourth Wing and now at the age of nearly old crone it seems to be one of my favourites.

For anyone considering trying the genre this is a great gateway book, not too many characters, easy to understand plot but enough to hook you in and keep you interested.

Dawn Ambrose, Princess of the summer court has been trained to be the perfect assassin to retrieve a Lord’s heart and save her kingdom. But what if everything she has been taught is wrong and what if she discovers another way around the curse?

I liked Dawn from the start, strong, capable and sassy. When she meets royal guard Zander their instant dislike was glaringly obvious as the perfect romantasy chemistry.

This has enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, magical creatures and plenty of action and trials along the way. I can’t wait for the next book in this interconnected series to see what more is in store for the mirror realm.

I LOVED this book. This was one of the best YA books I have read in a while. I thought the concept was fun, The world building was clear and I liked the idea of the mirrored worlds. I thought the FMC was really likeable and you really rooted for her throughout the book. I felt like she had real depth and her journey throughout the book was far from easy.

I loved the romance and I finished the book obsessed with Zander (and his handcuffs). If you know you know. I do feel like the ending rounded up quickly but I think this was just to clear up part 1 of the 4 part story ready for the next book.

I love how quickly these books are being released! I will be devouring the next when it comes out.

Dawn, the Summer Princess, has trained all her life for one task - to head through a portal and kill an Ethereum Lord, returning with his heart. Doing so will stop the curse ravaging her realm for another 100 years, her ancestors have have been doing this for centuries.

However, it all goes a bit awry when, instead of appearing in front of the Ethereum Lord she's meant to kill, she is instead captured by Zander, a handsome royal guard.

If Dawn is to complete her task, and save her realm, she must now play by Zander's rules. Yet, as Dawn embarks on this journey she learns that not everything is at is seems...

This was a fun super quick read - I read the whole thing in just under 3 hours (I think)

It's a fast-paced (and it really is fast-paced, things just keep happening), semi-standalone fantasy romance - I say semi-standalone as it's the first in a series of interconnected books (which will become clear why once you finish this book).

I liked the world building, the characters are really fun and interesting. It's overall just a good time. Definitely a good palate cleanser for in-between heavier/longer books.

If you are looking for a light-hearted, fun, easy book then this is definitely one to pick up. With how quick it took me to read, I'd actually be interested in reading the rest of the series!

I really enjoyed this and ended up flying through this one, finishing it in less than a day! This was addictive, fast-paced and such an easy story to follow. With amazing world-building and character development it was hard not to enjoy going on this journey with Dawn and Zander.

Our main characters are easy to love and root form Dawn is sent on a mission that no one in history has failed. She has the future of her world resting on her shoulders so when it starts off on a bad foot you desperately hope she can succeed. I loved the enemies to lovers relationship between the two and I really loved Zander's character and getting to know his story!

While somethings were quite predictable when it came to the story it didn't stop me from really enjoying myself this story and the whole premise of it all. I'm so intrigued to see what happens in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This sounded so good but for me it was a let down. It was one of those ones I wish I had stopped reading but something kept me going back but I'm really not sure what maybe it was just curiosity of how it would end. It was just all a bit too far fetched (yes i know its fiction) and everything fell into place too easily for me. Sadly it just wasn't for me but I'm sure others will love it

What could go wrong when a Fae Princess, a trained assassin, is sent on a quest to steal the heart of an evil magical Fae lord? Well she could stumble across a magical rebellion, realise that her mission is not quite as described and all for a grumpy, sarcastic Commander of the Army of the North!

Dawn's been told that her realm has been cursed and that she needs to protect her people. Once through a magical mirror portal Dawn soon finds herself in the clutches of an army commander, one who tantalises her and makes her almost wish that she wasn't there to commit magical murder!

Zander is a superb mix of sarcastic and witty. He knows how to half-lie, half-reveal his identity. I loved learning about the 4 Ethereum lords and their roots. The rebellion is an intriguing twist too.

Although a fantasy romance the world was easy to understand and there wasn't the need to learn a whole new language either! I did think it rushed a wee bit at the end but nothing that would put me off reading further books in the series!

I want to express my gratitude to NG and HQ for providing me with a copy of this book. The initial allure of the book stemmed from its intriguing blurb and captivating cover, which immediately drew me in as a devoted fantasy enthusiast. The concept of the curse realms and the mystical journey through a mirror into Ethereum fascinated me immensely.

Upon arriving in Ethereum, the protagonist is entrusted with the task of assassinating one of the powerful lords of the realm and extracting his heart to break a curse plaguing her world. The only means of returning home is through a portal that will open only after the deed is done. Despite Dawn's occasional absent-mindedness leading to a deviation from her intended path, her encounter with the witty and sarcastic Zander injects a delightful element of excitement into the narrative.

I observed a notable improvement in the writing style in the latter part of the book compared to the first half, piquing my curiosity to delve into the subsequent installments of the series to witness the unfolding of the plot. The anticipation of discovering how the story progresses and the characters evolve further fuels my eagerness to delve deeper into this enchanting world of curses and realms.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for this eCopy to review

Cold Hearted was a great Faerie fantasy novel, following princess Dawn of the Summer Kingdom as she travels to the mirror realm to get her black heart to protect her world from the encroaching darkness. However, once there she starts to learn secrets that shake her beliefs to the core. It will be interesting to see what happens with the curse in future books

The slow burn romance between Dawn and Zander was ok, but didn't feel realistic to go from enemies to lovers that quickly

This book was definitely a 5 star from me. It was the perfect combination of romance and fantasy. There was constant action, a gripping story line and sizzling romance. Basically it was *chefs kiss* in a 275 page book. I CANNOT wait for the next instalments; I need more from this world!