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.

Where do I even start?! This book hooked me in from the very start!
The sense of mystery and air of suspicion that is around the story line really did a great job of keeping me guessing the whole time. Straid is my favourite character by far, and I love seeing his journey to opening up romantically after 5 decades of grief and recluse. It was so beautiful to see.
I love that this is going to be a series as I can’t wait to read more about this world.
As for the world building, there was little external world building which surprisingly I didn’t mind. I feel like the story line was very centred in the here and now and what was happening in the here and now felt intriguing enough to keep me interested and guessing what would happen next.
None of it felt predictable, and I truly didn’t know where the plot was going to go which was actually quite refreshing for me!

I can’t wait to read the next book, and thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Summarized:
A human woman stumbles in the fae quarters that are off limits to all mortals. Before a disaster occurs, she’s rescued by a fae lord that claims her as his wife in order for nothing bad to fall upon her. However, she doesn’t know who she is, nor how she stumbled into the quarters. How can she marry someone if she doesn’t even know her own name? Mortal Memories is a spicy fae romantasy that follows Carra, a mortal who’s cursed by memory loss. And her temporary husband Straid, who does everything to help her get her memories back before the person that stole them finds her again.

Thoughts:
Cliffhangerrrrrrr, WE END THE BOOK ON A FREAKING CLIFFHANGER!! It took forever for me to get into reading this book at first. I can’t tell if it just seemed super slow in the beginning or if my current reading slump is just messing up my head. But the second this book comes out this needs to be at the top of your tbr. Like I actually need the sequel to this right now. Tomorrow, in a few hours actually because that cliffhanger is insane. I’m not going to spoil a thing about this book but I strongly recommend you read this asap.

This book was just……. Not it.
It moved so fast with no world building, and no explanation. The beginning felt like it started mid chapter and never stopped. Writing was a bit juvenile. And the fact that the main character turned out to be a prostitute and wanted to go right back to it, kind of made no sense to me at all. I DNF’d it.

Very mysterious fantasy book and different kind of story to others I’ve read. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and was really into the story when it abruptly ended. It ended on a plot twister but it was almost like the author had to stop writing right NOW! I’m assuming this is to make you want to read the next book but it was a ridiculously abrupt ending and I really fell out with the book because of it - feels like a money making exercise to make you but the next book. Not sure if I will bother now.

This book captured my attention through the description - it has many tropes that I like. It started off fast and immediately hooked your attention. But to me, it failed to follow that fast start up with world building that would have pulled it together. I found the story rough. Perhaps with a lot of editing, I would like it more.

This book was confusing and hard to really vibe with. I struggled to really stay engaged with the story although I was interested the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity!

This book had an intriguing premise and I was really looking forward to reading about Carras post trauma amnesia. This book is an easy read BUT there really wasn't any world building and there were some plot holes in the story line. I also did not understand how Carra would want to get back to her job as a prostitute right away? She did not remember who she was but remembered that and wanted to continue with that life? I also just did not feel like Carra and Straid had a very romantic relationship to begin with, I felt like they did not work well together. The ending felt a bit too predictable but left me with too many unanswered questions.

I like to go in blind, so I barely read the description. I love fantasy, but the book felt like a contemporary romance with fantasy elements. It did not keep my attention, and I felt lost and confused, just like the MFC.

Unfortunately, this was not for me.

*“Mortal Memories”* by F.A. Eden is an enthralling tale that effortlessly weaves together the threads of mystery, romance, and fantasy. The story follows Carra, a mortal woman who wakes up in the fae Quarter with no memory of her past, and Straid, a fae lord haunted by the loss of his fiancée decades ago. When Carra’s life is put in jeopardy, Straid’s impulsive decision to marry her sets them on a path of self-discovery and danger.

Eden does a fantastic job of building a world that feels both magical and treacherous, making it easy to get lost in the fae Quarter's intrigue. Carra’s journey to uncover her past is compelling, and her gradual adaptation to a life she never expected is portrayed with depth and nuance. Straid, though initially distant, evolves into a character you can’t help but root for as he grapples with his own ghosts and growing feelings for Carra.

The dynamic between Carra and Straid is one of the highlights of the book. Their relationship feels organic, with tensions and misunderstandings that add layers to their connection. The romance develops naturally, allowing readers to savor each moment as the bond between them deepens.

While the story unfolds at a measured pace, this deliberate build-up adds to the suspense and keeps you eagerly turning the pages, eager to discover what happens next. The mystery surrounding the disappearances and Carra’s lost memories is revealed in a way that enhances the tension, making the ultimate payoff even more satisfying.

*“Mortal Memories”* is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of fae lore, slow-burn romances, and mysteries with a supernatural twist. Eden’s skillful storytelling and the emotional depth of her characters make this a journey worth taking.
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