3 ⭐️

I really liked the concept of this book and was excited to see how the author made it work.

I really struggled at the start with getting into it. I think about halfway thru the plot finally grabbed me and I was invested. The ending left me with more questions than answers and I’m still confused.

Not much world building, I’ve would’ve liked to read more about the Quarters / the human town. Also interested to learn more about the magic system.

All in all, I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. Just meh.

**I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity!**

This review contains spoilers.

I am rating this book 3.5 stars. I actually am struggling with the rating to be honest. There are things about this book I did not enjoy at all. Yet, I picked it up because of the description. Intriguing - a mortal woman running in the dead of night in a Fae area where mortals are not allowed. A prince in hiding, mourning the death of his fiancee (who'd died 50 years before). The woman has no memories of her previous life, nor why she was running or from whom she was running from. She must marry the Fae who saved her or face death. He vows to help her but not demand anything from her or their marriage. So - yes, sign me up. Mystery, intrigue, betrayals, love (maybe).

Maybe I should have read more into the content warning "One of the main characters is a sex worker and one side character does take issue with this.

And that is where my hang up is. The woman quickly recovers her memories of her "profession" - which is call-girl to the Fae Lords, a very well paid prostitute who enjoys her job greatly. I mean, I guess my old-fashioned sentiment comes into play here. I would think she'd have some loyalty to the man she is with. Maybe, some distaste for prostitution and maybe wanting to change her life. This is actually the first book that I have read where given a chance to leave that lifestyle the person chose to stay in it. I would even say that this book paints prostitution as any other job with several of her clients telling her that she provides valuable services, that her job is important. Even a memory from her father saying something along the lines that prostitution is the oldest form of work (much like my own grandmother's sentiment of bartending). I just had an ick feeling, it made me uncomfortable. Though I am not one to judge people, I have walked along side people of all sorts of jobs, picked a girl up out of a prostitution ring, and myself been a victim of SA in the form of "loaned out to people". Maybe because this is her choice it is something that confounds me, makes me deeply uncomfortable, and just gives me an overall sick feeling. And worse yet was when her husband cleans up an entire wing for her to use for her clients in his house! That was just it for me. Then he hires guards to walk her to the clients houses who don't want to come to her. And the person who takes an issue with this just so happens to be a gaurd - who is promptly shamed and fired for his conviction that her behaviour would negatively impact her husband and that she should be loyal to her husband or in the very least practice discretion for her affairs.. He was fired. Fired because he believed in fidelity and loyalty. Fired because he opposed prostitution.

This may be unfair to some. May be a tangent not worth discussing. But this bothered me so deeply that finishing the book was difficult - but I did. I finished it. And in the end - well, I am not even sure I understood the ending. Was Cara actually Lyenna? Or was Lyenna needing Cara to become immortal? It sounds like Lyenna took over Cara's body. I was so confused on the last two chapters and the epilogue I don't even know. And now I am wondering is there more to this I seriously read the last two chapters and epilogue THREE times trying to figure out what really happened. I am lost, and deeply disturbed and unsettled.

Scenes:
This book contains on page scenes with each of the four major clients of the MC. These are scattered throughout book. Because they are clients, scheduled it is not an unfolding scene that you stumble on - it is obvious, and therefore it is easy to flip the page and skip.

Things I absolutely do not agree with: The glorification of sex trade work. This work comes with a sacrifice of self. Unpopular as that opinion is that is the truth of what I have seen as a counselor. As a survivor of SA I can say that while you learn to compartmentalize, to disassociate, or to pretend there is always a part of you that detests it. I was very glad when I was able to escape. That being said I realize that some women make tons of money willingly involved in this type of work - I still believe that even those women long for the fidelity of a relationship that is mutual and secure. Maybe not. But I don't think that for YA this type of work should be glorified. And I find it disturbing that a husband would set up an entire are of the house for his wife's "work". But then I knew of open marraiges while I was growing up.

So - in the end I loved the premise of the book, just not how it was carried out. The writing was good. The characters are okay.

I was so excited for the premise of this book and I was looking forward to reading about an MC who suffered post trauma amnesia.
Although the book read rather easily and you're thrown into the action right at the start I did feel there wasn’t very much world building. In saying that I did enjoy the relationship between the characters. I feel the author did a good job at setting up the ending and I can’t wait to have the second book in my hands and find out more about the world!!

The premise of this book was so interesting and i knew imminently that i needed to get my hands on a copy so i could find out what happened! I don't think i have ever heard of a story surrounding the fae that has this interesting of a concept. It was really refreshing and unique, and held a lot of tropes that i really enjoy in my fantasy romance books. We're talking; a marriage of convenience, amnesia, fae (duh), humans being where they shouldn't be, and a morally grey mmc. With all of this happening i really thought that i would love this book and enjoy every moment of it, but it did fall a little flat in some areas unfortunately. It didn't impact my overall enjoyment of the book, but it did make things a little harder to follow and overall felt a little rushed.

Again, the plot was so unique sounding that i had to give this book a go! Initially i thought that the mmc might have been the villain/bad guy of this book, because who in their right mind declares that they are married to someone they don't know? I thought that there might have been ulterior motives, or that he actually knew something about her/her past that he just wasn't letting her in on, but the further i got into the book the more i really enjoyed his character.

While i did enjoy this book, and can really see the potential in it, there were things that left me confused. Firstly, the fmc has amnesia right? Yet she immediately dives back into her work instead of trying to uncover her lost memories. Doesn't actually sound too bad until you learn that she is a sex worker... I have nothing against that in and of itself, and thought that it was an INTERESTING direction for the book to take, but i had trouble rationalizing her character as being the kind of person who would jump into that type of work without having her memories back first. Surely there were so many decisions and sacrifices she made before she took up that work in the first place that would be crucial for her to know??? Just seems kinda weird to me, especially the fact that she made the choice to go back into it without any prompting really.

There was also a lot of plot hole and moments that just didn't add up entirely. Maybe i just didn't connect the dots properly, but it really did seem like the author was trying to throw too many things into the mix without properly connecting them all together.
There was just a lot of things that i think need tightening up and tweaking to make the story flow a lot easier, and to take away that confusing quality that it currently has.

Again, overall a good book with an interesting premise and a unique way of story telling, but, it did fall a little flat. If you just read it without doing any critical thinking and take it entirely at face value then it is really quite enjoyable!

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the chance to read an arc of this book <3

“Mortal Memories,” by F. A. Eden

I really liked this book. It had a unique plot with the Fae and human marriage pact because she forgot her memories. The plot was so unique because he allowed her prostitution career even though they were married so as to not control her. The silk spider part was very sweet and was my favorite part. It is on the slow side and felt a lot like a slice of life. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Fae
-Amnesia
-Marriage Pact/ Marriage of Convenience
-Prostitution

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Mortal Memories is such a fun and entertaining read! The slow-burn romance between Carra and Straid had me hooked, and the mix of mystery and fae magic was also fun!!

The premise for this story sounded so good, but the whole book was a mess of plotholes, mixed up names and more. The story and plot would do so well with a massive overhaul.

Not only did the FMC and MMC have zero chemistry, but most of the actual plot, the missing people/missing memories thing, happened off-page. Most of the scenes with Anna/Carra and Straid included them working in silence...

But the biggest turn-off for me was Carra. I am completely supportive of SW, so that wasn't the issue. But the fact that this amnesiac woman just through herself back into work was weird and icky. Even one of her clients initially commented how he couldn't see her until she got her memories back because it just felt like he was taking advantage of her. The only memories she seemed to care about recovering were those of her clients, and finding her family, which she initially said was so important to her, is never brought up again.

75% of the book was spent with Carra either meeting with clients (and only about 1.5 of those sessions resulted in an inkling of information about the plot) or fixing up a room with Straid.

There are so many plot holes throughout the story as well. And even though this is set up to be a series, the plotholes really tank the flow of the story in general because too many things are left open to make you care.

The premise of this book immediately caught my attention. Amnesia. Fae. Marriage Arrangement. Sign me up! This book is great for people who love face-paced books. There isn’t a ton of world building, but I did enjoy the plot (even with the plot holes). There were definitely grammatical errors, which as an ARC reader is expected, but I found myself confused more often than not. I think it needs a bit of editing and some world building and the book could be great!

At first I was unsure if I would enjoy this book, but towards the end I couldn't put it down! There were times that I was really frustrated with the FMC, but I really enjoyed her directness. There were also some small typos and some sentences that didn't really make sense in my head, but perhaps I didn't read them correctly. Honestly, in order to enjoy this book, you have to have a very open mind when it comes to the relationship dynamics. I had to remind myself constantly that both main characters were happy with their relationship and the FMC's line of work. I was also hoping for more spice between the main characters so hopefully that ends up in the sequel. I am looking forward to the next book already!

What a interesting and unassuming little romantasy. While it wasn't perfectly written it had a plot that kept me hooked and I truly enjoyed watching the relationship between Carra and Straid. It was the perfect amount of slowburn for me, where the tension and the draw was there but didn't feel rushed. Plus the respect that Straid showed Carra was refreshing for a male fantasy lead.

I do think the story could be fleshed out a little bit more. The first half of the book didn't really focus on much and I was unsure how much time had passed but then all of sudden the second half all the storyline was happening and time was flying by. There were parts where it wasn't clear who was speaking or there was a scene jump that didn't make sense. I think if the author and editor go through it and give a little bit more meat to some of the scenes and work on the pacing of others before it publishes next month they'll be set for a great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.50

Discovered alone in the fae Quarter, where trespassing is punishable by death, Carra faces a choice: marry her rescuer or flee. With no memory of who she is or why she was there, she agrees to the marriage, determined to uncover her past.

Mortal Memories by F.A. Eden is an enjoyable read, though not without its flaws. The limited world-building left some fae rules—like the prohibition against thanking a fae—confusing, with the focus primarily on character interactions. While I appreciated the genuine slow burn, there weren't enough moments to build a deeper connection between Carra and Straid beyond a few conversations. The sex scenes were well-written, but lacked context, with some elements left unexplained. The pacing felt rushed, with noticeable plot holes and missing punctuation. Still, I found the story enjoyable, and with some revisions, it could be even better. I would recommend giving it a read if you enjoy a quick read with a good slow burn that leaves you anticipating for more. Thank you so much to BooksGoSocial & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more from F.A Eden!

Prepare yourself for a sizzling, slow-burn adventure where fae and humans mix like oil and water—unless, of course, there's a forced marriage and a sprinkle of amnesia involved. Carra wakes up with a headache bigger than her memory loss, and her options are limited: either marry a brooding fae lord, Straid, or risk becoming a fae snack. Spoiler: she chooses door number one, and the awkward, tension-filled journey to discover her identity and why she was found in the forbidden fae Quarter begins.

Now, let's talk about the twisty plot. It’s like peeling an onion—each layer reveals something you didn’t see coming, and yes, there might be some tears involved (especially from our hero Straid, who hasn’t dealt with emotions since... ever?). But don't worry, the romance, though slow to ignite, definitely brings the heat, promising readers a few blush-worthy moments.

There were a few grammar quirks, but since it’s an ARC, I’ll overlook them—after all, it's not the final edit!

ARC but my opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you in advance for providing the ARC copy of this book!

This book is starting out promising with the description and several chapters at the beginning, it's quite page-turning book with a well development bond of both the main characters. For the building world, I think fae world is already used in many fantasy stories, but the author nailed it with a touch of dark secrets and the personality of the main characters themselves making it's intriguing to keep going.

I like the slow-burning romance between the main characters, as the story itself pays attention a lot to the development of the main characters, so it's very delightful to read. Although, there are some grammatical missing and inappropriate diction choices, this book still enjoyable or at least I can understand what the author means.

I wish I have the chance to read the continuation of this book!

Thank you netgalley for the arc of this book for my honest opinions and feedback and here we go… I really did want to enjoy this one but it just fell flat for me. There didn’t seem to be much worldbuilding and the story line moved way too fast and just didn’t add up. The characters were subpar and I wouldn’t read again.

Mortal Memories follows a human with stolen memories trying to regain what she has lost whilst getting used to new life with a handsome fae. Right off the bat the reader is thrust into action, and with quite a bit of suspense most questions are left hanging until the last quarter of the novel, some of which were a tad predictable.

I enjoyed reading this book, it was a short read and in my opinion the perfect length. There is good connection between characters however I felt that there could have been more emotion provoking interaction between the main characters and sub-characters.

Overall this book is for those who enjoy an arranged marriage trope with plenty of slow burn romance.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review :)

Mortal Memories by F. A. Eden is a romantasy novel centered on Carra, a human who wakes up in the fae Quarter with no memory of her past, and Straid, a fae lord who is haunted by his long-lost fiancée.

I really wanted to love this book as it has many of the tropes that I enjoy. However the first chapter feels like you’ve been dropped in the middle of the chapter instead of the beginning, which was a bit off putting. The main female character Carra just in general seems immature or perhaps her character development was just lacking? I found some major loopholes in the plot to be irksome. Small loopholes can definitely be ignored for the sake of a good story but I felt like this one had some large glaring ones. I also found there was a lack of world building for this book that made the book even harder to get through as it made it lack depth.

I won’t say this was a bad book as I did finish it, it was just not for me.

I wanted to enjoy this one but it just didn’t work for me. I really like the premise of this novel but it just didn’t meet my expectations. There didn’t seem to be much worldbuilding and I felt like I had to just guess what some things meant because they weren’t properly explained. I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly interesting to me and at times they didn’t seem to make much sense.

“She had never believed that women should give up their lives for marriage” This was 20% in, she couldn’t even remember her name but apparently she knows her lifelong beliefs??

The way fmc got her memories felt rushed and anticlimactic considering I had thought this was meant to be a significant part of the story. I did think though that the pacing felt off and rushed, particularly at the end. There seemed to be a lot of time spent on parts that didn’t really matter to the plot and the plot was all very rushed at the end. Clearly, this is meant to be a series (which I didn’t realise going into this) but I still felt like the ending could have been fleshed out more.

2 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc if this book for review.
This book made me feel a bit eek. The plot started off fine enough, with lots of potential, but then took a turn. The female lead does not seem to have much idea about what she is doing, and the male lead - I think the author wanted him to give off a strong Rhysand vibe, but he just felt off.
Everything progressed too quickly or too slowly, certain scenes were really unnecessary and did nit contribute to the plot.
The female lead just seemed really shallow to me, and her investigative skills and thought process were not exactly screaming “I’m intelligent!’
The fact that this book deals with someone who willingly sold their body, and the details surrounding that, including the arrangement with the husband, really triggered me.

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
Review:
This romance novel set in a fantasy setting is great if the world building of fantasy books confuses you. This book
is on the lighter side and is more of a romance book with a sprinkle of fantasy. The plot is easy to digest but with a kick of spice, beware. I wouldn’t say this is a must read but if you’re looking for a quick spicy romantasy novel then this one is for you.

F.A. Eden's *Mortal Memories* is a captivating blend of mystery, romance, and fantasy that grips you from the start. The story centers on Carra, who wakes up in the fae Quarter with no memory of her past, and Straid, a fae lord who is haunted by his long-lost fiancée. As Carra’s life becomes intertwined with Straid’s, their evolving relationship is both touching and compelling. Eden crafts a magical and treacherous world that is immersive despite the minimal external world-building. The dynamic between Carra and Straid adds depth, though some readers might find their initial romantic connection lacking. The narrative keeps you guessing with its intriguing plot twists and the mystery of Carra’s past, although a few plot holes and a somewhat predictable ending might detract from the experience for some. Overall, *Mortal Memories* is an engaging read that fans of fae lore and slow-burn romance will enjoy, leaving them eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.