Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Mortal Memories by F.A. Eden follows an amnesiac human woman and a fae lord that saves her from a terrible fate. This book is full of tropes that I, personally, adore:

Amnesia; a courtesan and the one lover she wants but can't have; arranged marriage; and a decent, engaging plot to split up the erotic scenes. Many people tend to think that erotica is just fine without plot, but I find that every story is spicier with a little bit of drama and intrigue, which Eden captures perfectly. There were admittedly a few errors within the text, but as it's still early in ARC, I didn't feel like that needed to be taken into account at this time.

I ate this right up. I'm a little upset that I have to wait so much longer for the second book now! It ends on a cliffhanger, which I thought was perfect. Eden doesn't show her entire hand while committing to her storytelling, and between our two narrators, we don't get the full picture of what's going on behind the mystery.

It's also a DELICIOUS slow burn. Yes, there's smut, as the main character is a courtesan, and her profession is respected entirely throughout. However, the main couple don't immediately fall for each other, or fall into bed together. For me, this was a beautifully frustrating slow burn, something I didn't realize I'd been craving in media for a while.

Is it perfect? Nope! But I loved it, and I'm so excited to read more.

Actual rating more like a 4.5, rounded up! :)

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!
I'm sorry to say that I didn't really enjoy this book, which is a shame because the blurb really interested me. I found the world and character building a bit lacking, and I found the dynamic between Straid and Carra a bit bizarre. I know the book was left on a cliffhanger but I won't be reading the next one

Mortal Memories has an interesting premise, with a human girl being caught alone in fae territory and entering into a marriage of convenience to save herself.

It is very fast paced, which - in my opinion - hurt the story. There’s a lot that could be expanded on, a lot of missing backstory (maybe it’ll come into play in the next book?), and the characterization/character development feels…off.

(SPOILERS)

Carra can’t remember her life at all, suddenly remembers her…spicy profession…and is full on dedicated to it. Straid at the beginning doesn’t match Straid at the end at all, really. Character development and all but this was a big jump.

(END SPOILER)

Overall, if you want a fast paced, spicy romantasy with marriage of convenience and forced proximity, this book is for you. Do note that the spice is purely based in professional manners and not between a couple.

**Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration**
Rounded up from 3.5 stars on account of the ending alone.

This read like 2 different books. The first half reminded me of a mash-up of ACOTAR and (more vanilla) Kushiel's Dart. Spoilers beware - if you aren't ready to read spicy scenes with <spoiler> anything resembling a monster romance, there is a scene in this that definitely qualifies </spoiler>. But the back half actually saved the book, with the threads of a mystery and the well-laid plot of a slow-burn romance twisting together into a truly shocking cliffhanger ending. When the second volume comes out, I will read it.

This book did a slow-burn romance very well, and the tropes - forced proximity/marriage - were well executed once they had been laid out. The real shining star of this book, though, is the mystery element - and you would not necessarily know this going into it, which is somewhat of a shame.

Things I did not enjoy: The *spice* in this was not really to my taste - and not just because the <spoiler> MC is a sex worker who has sex with characters who are not her husband.</spoiler>. Having the MC be a <spoiler>SW </spoiler> was actually very interesting and treated very respectfully, which I appreciated. I don't think the spice necessarily added much to the plot, and the scene <spoiler> with the ~humanoid~ client felt like it came out of left field, which I didn't exactly appreciate, but my yuck may not be yours!</spoiler>

Other things that didn't quite make sense have been mentioned - the setup of the forced marriage/proximity didn't quite make sense to me given Straid's later characterization. But overall, this was an interesting read and I'll be back for round two, whenever the author writes it!

Thanks to NetGalley, I got an early read of this book before its October 10th, 2024 release. The ending was a standout—creative and shocking, leaving a cliffhanger that promises something wild. However in truth, it took me a while to get into the story.

The growing relationship between Carra and Straid was a highlight. I enjoyed seeing their connections develop and appreciated the normalcy of their interactions. While the world-building was minimal and I would have liked more, Straid's family and history added depth.

Carra's character left me wanting more. She is portrayed as a human prostitute who lost her memory. One moment she doesn’t know who she is, and the next, she’s eager to return to her work despite her amnesia. This felt inconsistent and hard to believe. Her profession played a significant role in the story, often feeling as if the plot would unnecessarily centre around it. Almost all spicy scenes focused on her work rather than her relationship with Straid, which pulled my rating down from 3 stars to 2.5.

The book, still in its final stages, sometimes lacked the ability to keep the reader interested and felt as if it needed further background development and maybe even character and world building. Despite these issues, the book had a decent flow and an exciting ending. I'm curious to see how this will be adapted and really believe it has potential for a thrilling series, especially after the amazing cliffhanger.

Please be warned that there is sexually explicit content and wording present.

I am enjoying this book so much! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

I rated this one a 4 but really it's a 3.5 for me. Not my style with this level of spice I can't skip if I don't feel like it, so I'm rounding up. Amnesia, Fae, Secrets, and a man who has a lot of love to give if he was any more in touch with his feelings. An unexpected twist and an immediate reread to figure out what I missed the first time through. The first book isn't out yet and I can't wait to read the next one in the (I'm assuming) series.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read this book before it releases on October 10th, 2024. The ending was so good, but it took me a while to enjoy this book. The ending was a twist I’ve never read in any book before. Truly creative and a cliffhanger for something very crazy and shocking.

I enjoyed the growing relationship between Carra and Straid. They started to have real connections, and I liked the normalcy they grew together. There’s not much world building, but I liked diving in to Straid’s family and his history. Honestly, Straid often felt like more of the main character, as I became much more attached to him and his experiences. He was gentle, committed, and kind—but also had secrets and histories that started to reveal themselves with shocking truths.

Although there was a good amount of development for Straid, and I felt like we understood him well, I did not feel the same about Carra. She is basically just a human prostitute who lost her memory. One night she doesn’t even know who she is—The next, her “work” is so important to her and she immediately wants to start working despite having no memories… It didn’t make sense that she would so readily hop back into her job when she remembers nothing… I wasn’t super on board with her being a prostitute, although it did end up helping her to sort of spy and get information. There were a few chapters or pages I fully skipped over since they got pretty spicy. PSA all of the spice was just her being a prostitute, not with her husband. Because of the prostitution and it being a big part of the story, it pulled my rating down from 3 stars to 2.5...

As this book is still being finalized, there were many typos throughout. There is also a lot of dialogue that doesn’t say who is speaking, and it can get a bit confusing on who is talking. This book was pretty short, and I felt like there could have been more background development—either about Carra or the world they live in—but overall it had a decent flow and an exciting ending. I’m curious to see how this will be adapted, and think it could create for a very thrilling series (especially after the amazing cliffhanger).

This was an interesting read! I believe fans of Bridgerton and Jane Austen would enjoy this because it's around the same era but also has a modern enough feel to it that it's not like reading a classic, it just has the nostalgic feeling to it. It also has magic and Fae in it with a cool political intrigue in power classes of human and fae relations. Overalls this was an interesting read! There's a lot of mystery and twists and some spice!
Thanks netgalley for the arc!

This was a difficult one for me. I enjoyed the plot, however the writing style just wasn’t one I could get into. Sometimes a repetition works, but when used intentionally and sparingly. There was a lot of repetition to this book that felt like it happened at least once per paragraph. I think this book has a lot of potential, but could do with a little more editing to tighten the writing.

The ending was so unexpected. Wow. Waiting for the next two books is going to be a huge struggle! The romance in this book was simply amazing. There was a slow-burn that didn't feel forced at all, and the characters were so well developed without the need to info dump at any point. I highly recommend this book to anybody who loves romantasy, because this was so much fun to read.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and F.A. Eden for a copy of this book! I loved it and cannot wait for the rest.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for a copy of this book.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. The way the main FMC talks and acts toward the MMC is degrading at times. I really don't understand their dynamic.

World building is lacking.

Also I don't understand the impulsive decisions the FMC makes at times

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book!

The cover art is what snagged my attention first it's gorgeous and I am always a sucker for Fae stories, and forced marriage tropes.

There is some great stuff here but a few pitfalls.

Our FMC is found with no memories and is saved by our MMC who is fae, we are off to a great start. We get some excellent world building, I love some of the descriptive language used in this story but I just could not get over the fact that Carra is suffering from ameneisa, finds out she was a successful and talented sex worker (no issue with that) but then still missing her memories jumps right back into the work? She's just been forced into a marriage, is bound to a vow to not leave Fae lands and is like well ok then I'll jump back in with the old roster then no worries?!?! That blew my mind. I would be so focused on finding myself I would not be in a place to jump back into any kind of work! Even if it was empowering.

And Straid, I love that he is sex positive but it seemed inconguous to be a brooding Fae lord who says sure I'm totally ok with this perhaps there wasn't enough character development that warranted that. Maybe that's why I couldn't buy it 100%.

I'd read the next book, I'm curious and intrigued even with my misgivings!

3.5 stars out of 5

A lovely story. Waiting eagerly for the next story. I became totally immersed in the story. A great build of the characters and families. A delightful twist for the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this eARC. Mortal Memories is the story of a young woman who has lost her memories and suddenly found herself engaged to a fae by the name of Straid in order to avoid being put to death for breaking fae law. With no memories of who she is or where she came from "Anna/Carra" finds herself entangled in the mysterious disappearances of several women. With the help of her new husband, "Anna" must find out how she and her missing memories tie into these strange occurrences.

The concept of the story was rather interesting but somehow it fell flat. While the characters seem to share physical attraction, their chemistry wasn't really believable until about 80% in, though this isn't what I would consider a slow burn novel. Both characters were rather one dimensional.
If you like steamy scenes, there are several throughout this book. "Anna" is also somewhat of a strong FMC. She doesn't shy away or give into fae customers despite being human. The story would benefit from more world building as well as more meaningful interactions between the main characters. The epilogue was rather unexpected and while I'm curious of how the story will progress, the lack of organization throughout this book prevents me from wanting to pick up the next one.

If you're into slow-burn romance with spice and a touch of fae magic, this book is worth checking out. At points, the stakes feel pretty low, almost giving off a cozy fantasy vibe. But don't be fooled—it ramps up and gets more tense before you know it.

I loved the two main characters. Carra, especially, is a breath of fresh air. She’s not your typical romantasy heroine, and it’s awesome to see a woman of color in the spotlight. Her dynamic with Straid is just perfect—her assertiveness balances his stoic charm really well. Plus, the book has a really positive representation of sex workers, which is rare and handled with respect.

My main issue with the book is that it’s too short. The author created such a compelling storyline and such interesting characters, but only gives us a taste of it all. The world-building is intriguing but could use more detail, and I would have loved more time and interaction building up the main romance. I was left wanting more from all of it. And some plot points felt a bit flimsy, like the forced marriage situation—it felt like a quick fix to get the story moving, even though it did lead to some interesting dynamics.

The ending left me hanging and wanting to throw my Kindle, though! It's a cliffhanger that sets up for a sequel, which is exciting but also frustrating because I wanted more right now! Despite these minor gripes, it's an enjoyable read that will appeal to romantasy fans and anyone who loves character-driven stories with a bit of smut. If you like slow-burn romance, intriguing characters, and a mix of fantasy elements, you'll likely find a lot to enjoy. Just be ready for a bit of a cliffhanger and a craving for more depth. Fans of Sarah J. Maas and similar authors will definitely feel at home here.

Likes & Tropes 🌹

- World and themes very similar to the beginning of ACOTAR

- It’s giving early Feyre and Tamlin vibes in the beginning

- Dual POV

- He falls first

- She advances first

- Forced relationship

- Mysterious missing people

- Their timing is off

- LOTS of spice

- The ending you will never see coming

Rating - 4/5 🌟

I really enjoyed this story. It wasn’t like anything I’ve read before. The beginning had some similarities to ACOTAR but the story itself and its contents were drastically different. I do wish there was more background description around the magic and the magic system and the rules and why things are the way they are in this world, at times it felt like rules were in place with no context and we were forced to just accept them. But overall, the story is beautifully written and I felt immersed in the plot. I wanted to know more about why she had lost her memory and there are still questions regarding that and some other things but it sets things up nicely for a sequel which I love. I find I’m often not motivated to read sequels when the original book is tied up nicely at the end with a bow. I think if there was just a little more world building this would be 5 stars for me. The characters themselves were easy to love and root for. There was plenty backstory for them. I was surprised that in that short of a story (216 pages) I was able to get to know the characters so intimately. A sequel is desperately needed as the story seemed to end right as their story was just about to take off! It definitely left me at the edge of my seat and wanting more so I look forward to reading the next one! ❤️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and F. A. Eden for giving me the chance to review this book! I look forward to seeing what’s to come for these characters in the future 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book!

I wish I could give this book a better review, as the blurb initially intrigued me. Unfortunately, the actual book didn't live up to that. If anything, if you've read the blurb, then you've read about 75% of this book already!

Our main character, Carra, has lost all her memories and is found in the Fae Quarters - a fate punishable by death. She's saved by Straid, a Fae Lord who announces they will be wed in the morning. Given Fae are bound by their oaths and promises, they do just that. As a result, she can't go to the mortal lands for a year afterwards and must return one night a month forever after.

That's my first issue - all this happens within like...the first 5% of the book. I'm aware I'm reading a book about Fae, so I have to suspend my disbelief, but I found it VERY hard to do that when they're getting married so soon, especially when she can't even remember. It seems so stupid that someone as reserved and stoic as Straid would just...do something spontaneous like that. He gives a half-hearted excuse later in the book, but it's not believable. It just reads as dumb - she can't even remember her own name. And yeah, the other option is death but...come on.

The other fact is that she's a prostitute - I've got no issues with this as a career, and Carra is actually very proud of her job and her talents. She's got a loyal client list who are very good to her, which is good to see. My issue is that she has no memory of anything and immediately starts doing it again? There's nothing more vulnerable than sex, and she just throws herself back into it even though any of her clients could've been the reason for her memory loss. Straid also just...goes along with this and lets it happen in his house? This would be fine, as Fae have different standards, but it's made very clear to us that Straid isn't just a normal Fae Lord. It just felt like a weird choice.

This also fed into the fact that for most of this book, nothing happens. There's some underlying plot that only takes off later in the plot, but otherwise...it's just reading Carra renovating a room and seeing her clients? That's most of the spice - her with other men. It's boring, and whilst it's easy to read, I found myself wondering what the actual point of this story is.

On top of that, there's no world-building. All I know is that there's the Fae Quarters and the mortal world...a town with iron around it. That's it. Nothing else. The Fae are bound by oaths and promises; don't say please and thank you and have some powers. That's all you learn. Nothing about the world they inhabit. 80% of this book takes place in the house, and most of the rest is just in...other clients' houses. There's no depth to the characters, either. Straid is mourning his fiancée, but do we get to know what he loved about her or what she enjoyed? Not really. There are a few throwaway comments, but that's it. We don't get to know much about Straid either. He's just a stereotype of a brooding, introverted and grieving man.

Carra can't remember her past, so obviously, there's minimal character development there.

Overall, it was very lacklustre, and I didn't really enjoy it.

Loved this book so much. I gave it 4 stars and loved everything about this book and story. Everything is super well explained in the plot so you don't need to worry about the plot being shallow. It's amazing.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

This book wasn't at all what I expected (a marriage of convenience between an amnesiac human and a fae) instead we got them married but nothing romance whatsoever and to make matters far worse she was continuing her job she shortly remembers; as a prostitute and was fing other guys in the house and outside of the house?!? Wtf is was that about seriously and that went on for more than half of book then final 40 pages or so it took a total turn and it's like a different book also it was the most painful slowest of slow burns honestly ridiculous. This was a mess all around sadly and wasn't what I wanted or expected when I requested this book to read. And what was that ending?!?! I didn't a- realize this was a series and b-I'm mad at the ending.