What could be worse than being falsely imprisoned for a crime you didn't commit? How about being relentlessly pursued by a seven-foot-tall demonic bounty hunter determined to drag you back to jail?
As a magicless human in an otherwise magical world, Celeste enjoyed her relatively ordinary life as a bartender, struggling to make ends meet and still coming up short every time. If life wasn't hard enough for a 27 year old living alone in the big city, her creepy stalker finally crossed the line, framing her for a crime she didn't commit. Forced to escape to a secret town where magic is unusable, Celeste has a new goal to leave her old life behind and never look back.
Unfortunately, fate had other ideas, coming in the form of a sexy as hell bounty hunter, who turns out to be not only the lost prince but her fated mate as well. With their destinies entwined, Celeste and Ominous's bond comes with unforeseen complications threatening the fate of the entire world.
(Content warnings can be found on the author's website.)
J. A. Keeton is a monster romance author who revels in all things dark, twisted, and deliciously monstrous. From brooding demon princes to hopelessly devoted orcs, her stories are packed with tropes like enemies to lovers, fated mates, and the ever loveable alpha-holes.
Though her stories have dark elements, J. A. Keeton always guarantees two things: a thorough list of trigger warnings and a hard earned happily ever after.
Her works include: The Spellbroken King, The False Witch, and Tentacles & Trust Issues.
I was given a copy of the book to ARC read, my review is my own and unbiased.
I enjoyed the idea of this book. A giant, possessive, demon bounty hunter? Sign me up rn. Take all my money. Gimme.
However, the pacing was off for me. The bounty hunter aspect lasted for maybe 8-10% of the book with it starting off with her already running and him pursuing and stating that he had been visiting her in her dreams and there was no build on that or dream scenes, and it bounced from conflict to conflict so quickly with little to no down time to fully learn and enjoy the characters outside of that. I felt this could have easily been broken down into a duology and been fantastic.
The book also focused on details and thoughts more than actual dialogue and conversations between characters. I’m not one who enjoys reading that someone is tying their shoes, I want banter and growth and to see two people interacting genuinely. Not details about leaves and trees. This didn’t happen much and it was off putting seeing so little true dialogue between the characters. While there were a lot of details offered, a lot of the same descriptors were used in the same paragraphs. Instead of using old twice, drop in weathered or worn, etc.
There was also no true definitive personalities from the characters. Celeste more often than not just screeched and cursed and demanded answers in a show of “strength” and Om just disregarded most of what she said in favor of his own desires. If he would have listened to her when she first asked for freedom he could have prevented her from running, and while the conflict had to happen, it was an irritation point.
There was also the matter of her reading a magic book and then all of the sudden just knowing how her powers worked with no true explanation. It was just her “chanting” with no back story or words to follow, or really anything. It was also uncomfortable when they realized they fell in love with each other while only have 3-4 scenes of actual dialogue in the middle of them almost dying. It felt cliche and the plot twist was easy to feel coming.
All in all I liked the basis of the book and the characters, I just feel it needed to be expanded on and added to. There was too much going on and forced into a set amount of pages with no real depth or explanations other than the characters errant thoughts.
I think a lot of people will enjoy the book regardless and I am curious to see how the author learns and grows as well as other ideas from her, as I truly did enjoy the plot and the premise of the characters and world. I hope the next will be even better🖤
"The Spellbroken King" written by the author J.A. Keeton is an intriguing read. The main character of the story is a twenty-seven-years old magicless human named Celeste. She was chased by a demon named Shadow. When he visited her in the dreams, she didn't feel fear. Instead, she felt lust and desire. Shadow was Governor Markus' demon.
A powerful witch named Gretta was at Celeste's side. Gretta told Celeste to escape to Sapphire Falls after leaving the hellhole of a jail. She was caught by a bounty hunter Shadow. Even though he was a demon, she felt different around him. Both of them felt sexually attracted to each other. Shadow realized that she is his fated mate. He isn't ready for a human mate and he doesn't want to tie himself to one person for the rest of his life.
Shadow is actually Ominous, the late king's son. His family and the king were murdered two years ago. Ominous was given the task to catch Celeste and take her to Markus' estate.
Read this story to find out what will happen next. The storyline is interesting. The cover photo of the book is attractive. The pace of the story is fine and I wasn't bored anytime while reading it. The characters are written well by the author. This story will stay in my mind for a long time. Go ahead with it without any second thoughts.
I recieved an advanced copy and this is my hoenst review.
I loved everything about this. Nice a short but still so much plot to keep it interesting. Spice was amazing and the fated mate element awesome. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend giving this a go. Was a first for me from this author but will not be the last!
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Overall I enjoyed this book, it was a fun read and I never turn down a good fantasy romance. The beginning was a little hard for me to get into but after I got to the second act of the book I found it was a speedy fun read. There is a lot of inner monologue in the book and if that's not your thing you might find it hard to keep interested. I think the dual POV really helped keep the story moving and interesting. Character-wise, Ominous and Celeste are a fun mix. Celeste is kind of naive in some ways and smart in others which makes her relatable to the reader. Ominous is a rough guy/demon, I certainly grew frustrated with him a few times but in the end, he won me (and Celeste) over.😆 The world is interesting, I found myself a little lost in the beginning mostly because I think my brain thought this was taking place in a nonurban fantasy but it is a modern world. I really enjoyed the author's take on Fated Mates, and Ominous certainly has some interesting things going on below the belt. 🤭 The spice was good and didn't take away from the plot. For a debut author, and the first book I have read of them the writing was pretty good. A few grammar and spelling mistakes but nothing too bad. Overall if you enjoy a story that unfolds with inner monologue, fated mates, forced proximity, a little dark romance, and HEA you might want to add this book to your TBR. All trigger warnings are available on the author's website, check them before reading. 👍🏻 The Spellbroken King comes out on January 2nd!
I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book as an ARC courtesy of BookFunnel and the author, J.A Keeton themself. I’m giving this book 4.5 stars with the knowledge that there ARE typos and a few errors sprinkled throughout, but it wasn’t intolerable to read. I’ll get into that though, no spoilers.
The plot - I’ll start off with a warning; CHECK YA FUCKIN TRIGGERS PEOPLE. THERE’S SOME DARK SHIT IN HERE. Anyway, this is a fantasy romance, with fated mates, enemies to lovers and forced proximity. It is a HEA, and it’s an adorable HEA at that. The smut was like 3.5/5 on the spice scale, very spicy and detailed. The plot is enticing, addictive, and I’ve found my new favourite trope I think in the ‘fated mate’ universe.
The characters - our two main characters are the FMC, Celeste, and her demonic counterpart, Ominous. The man looks exactly how he does on the cover, and pulls no punches when it comes to looking like sin all dressed up. Adored his entire character. Celeste has a lot of shit going on, lot of bad luck chasing her, and it wouldn’t be a fantasy romance without a stubborn FMC, so she fits that category well.
Any problems - I’ve already mentioned a few typos, and a few grammatical issues but I was able to understand what the intention was, so it didn’t bother me. The only other thing was at few certain points, the grammar and structuring of the sentences was weird. Inner monologue is where I found this issue the most. It came across as quite infantile, quite immature and mundane. It wasn’t an issue, I imagine that was the intention of the author, but for a few sentences throughout the book, I found myself taken out of the book due to the juxtaposition of the mature writing style and the childish inner monologue. Just my 2 pence on the situation - adored it otherwise!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is about a human who believes she is magicless, living in a world filled with magic and magical beings. While it is somewhat unclear truly of the nature of her arrest and blame when she is innocent, it starts with her being on the run from this demon bounty hunter (named Ominous). She is trying to get to this town that no magical creature or being can get to. Obviously she has no such luck, and the demon bounty hunter catches her and hauls her off to a cave before their eventual trip back to the governor who had her imprisoned and is OBSESSED with her. It was there, she learned his true identity and he learned she was his fated mate. From there it is a whirlwind of denial, coming together, spicy times, and a bunch of other spoilers.
This is a dark romantic fantasy. It is an ARC, so there were a few typos, but overall it is well written. There were some things that left me a little confused, and more clarity would be nice, but overall, I read it fast and enjoyed it. The book starts right out at her being hunted, and it really wasn't until the end that everything gets pieced together, so sometimes that was a bit off-putting, or could be for readers.
It was interesting watching how Ominous reacts after becoming fated mates. He was absolutely appalled because she was a human and was planning on bringing her back anyways and forgetting all about her. As time went on, he could no longer even stand to be away from her and felt very protective of her. He definitely started having the "she's mine," and "touch her and d!e" vibes.
This book definitely has some nice twists and turns, even though it kind of has a slow buildup. I look forward to reading more in this world. There were some side characters who I think could do with getting their own fun fated mate as well ;)
The Spellbroken King is a quick read featuring fated mates, enemies to lovers, touch her and die, evil cults, magic, spice, and monster romance.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the interactions between characters and the spice was really well written. Ominous was a really interesting character with a traumatizing background and thirst for vengeance. It was entertaining to read how Ominous and Celeste discover their fated mates bond, how they react to the news, and ultimately come to turns with it.
However, I would rate The Spellbroken King 3.5/5 stars for a few reasons. For me, I was really drawn in by the concept of the bounty hunter chase and was anticipating a bit of a cat and mouse game! While it is present in the book, this is not the main focus and was only on page for a very limited time. The second thing that brought down my rating was the promise of a fast pace plot. I personally did not feel as if time was of the essence or that events occurred swiftly. Actually, for a shorter read, I felt that the pace was much more evenly set (if not a bit slower) and felt longer!
All in all, I would still recommend giving The Spellbroken King a read! It was missing some plot points/development for me, but, if you're looking for a spice heavy monster romance, this is a great book to add to your TBR.
Thank you to J.A. Keeton for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
this story follows Celeste who is wrongful kept in captive and Ominous a prince that recapture her to finish his assignment. This story was so wonderful done and I love it . Celeste is a straightforward person with lots of determination while Ominous is a huge grump that can be a huge teddy bear too. The banter was so funny to read about especially when he tried his hardest to not like her . The chemistry and tension was too good and had me hooked . I definitely recommendthis story follows Celeste who is wrongful kept in captive and Ominous a prince that recapture her to finish his assignment. This story was so wonderful done and I love it . Celeste is a straightforward person with lots of determination while Ominous is a huge grump that can be a huge teddy bear too. The banter was so funny to read about especially when he tried his hardest to not like her . The chemistry and tension was too good and had me hooked . I definitely recommend
Wow. Just wow. First let me say this book is so captivating. It’s beautifully written and the pace is flawless. This book played in my head like a movie as I read it and I was immediately sucked in. The characters are fun and witty. The banter and spice are everything and it’s action packed too. I love how the characters are elder and classy but very modernized at the same time. It’s a great, fun read that will have you gripping the edge of your seat from the very first chapter. And if you love winged men, Ominous is definitely one you’ll fall in love with. He’s very Rhysand worthy, with the same doting but touch her and die vibes. Definitely one of my all time favorite winged men! And Celeste is stubborn and so strong. She doesn’t need anyone but when she finds Ominous her entire world changes. This has a HEA ending and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Bring in book two!
I’m sorry this is not for me, I am no expert in writing books but I’ve read a few books here and there. This was all over the place. The pacing on this book is, 0 to 60 on page 1 which great we can run, but it’s in every direction and before I figured one thing out now we’re moving on to the next one. I found the FMC to be insufferable, from page 1 she’s HORNY for the MC who’s hunting her which like, personally I like to build up to that. The MMC is a douche, I love a morally grey villain but this dude just is not it, FOR ME. The world building is basically nonexistent, you just know that there’s fairies and “kin-folk” with cell phones and demon classes in the world, but there’s one town/village/area that all the nonmagic people live in. Then BAM grandpa shows up with all the answers. I am sorry but I just didn’t enjoy this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is a tough one for me. The story has a lot of potential to be amazing. The first portion of this book struggles with pacing issues, I honestly had a hard time getting through it. But, I read the last 40% in one sitting because it was great.
This could have benefitted from further exploration of ominous’ original pursuit of Celeste, Celeste’s family history/background/relationships, and a way longer battle scene for overall power.
Despite these criticisms, I really really enjoy the second half of this book and will likely continue this series to see what happens following the cliffhanger of an ending!
A big thank you to the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review ✨
Big shout out to the TW page that says pregnancy is ONLY in the epilogue so I can gladly skip that. Pregnancy tropes are not my thing and honestly ruin books for me so thank you for that warning!
It gives off a very ‘young’ sort of tone. With an overuse of exclamation points.
Soooo glad this dudes name isn’t Shadow because I couldn’t handle the whole book if it was, but I also found out the gargoyles name before he even introduced himself because the FMC said it 😂
I feel like this book was just written way too fast and not edited enough. It could have potential if it was gone through with a fine tooth comb
Celeste can't catch a break, she was accused of a crime she didn't commit, had an obsessed stalker who had sent a bounty hunter after her and said bounty hunter made her lady bits tingle uncontrollably. Ominous had 1 more bounty before he was released from his contract that would allow him to become king, he was not expecting the complication of a tiny human woman, who happened to be his fated mate. For a debut novel, the writing is great, there was plenty of spice, but it didn't overshadow the plot. Plus there's special equipment 🍆😉.I look forward to reading more from JA Keeton
Arc reader! I REALLY enjoyed the two main characters in this book. I loved the dual POV, their intense love, and the banter. “Little prey” 🤤 wow. And he talks to her in her sleep! Swooooon I read this story in one day, I actually couldn’t put it down because I NEEDED to know what happened. I wish it had been longer. I would have liked more in depth character development, and more explanation of the magic system because it seems really cool.
“I would destroy, murder, and start an apocalypse if anyone dares to touch her.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I received an ARC of The Spellbroken King from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Spicy with an HEA.
I’ll admit I didn’t like Ominous when I first started the book. He was commanding and brooding and a bit of an a**. But he redeemed himself towards the middle end of the book. He turned into a caring and loving partner which I adored. Celeste was a strong character and I enjoyed her sarcasm.
Overall I did enjoy the book and will be happy to read a possible book for Gretta if there is one in the future.
4/5 Stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I loved the premise and description for the book, but I think it kinda fell flat. It's a quick read, but I actually wanted more world building. Everything happens so fast and all of the problems seem to be resolved fairly easily. Powers you don't even know about? No problem. You just magically (no pun intended) know how the spells work. Hate your new mate? Nah, y'all do a total personality change and love each other now. I did very much enjoy the spice, but overall I just wanted...more, I guess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was given an ARC to read of this book and this will be my review.
I honestly loved this book the story line was easy to follow the plot was great but my favorite thing was Shadow(mc). There's just something about a giant possessive demon that I just love. Loved the fated mates plot and the spice was so good I couldn't get enough it. This is a short-ish story that will not bore you at all and will definitely make you want to read the next books by this author. I for one will be keeping and eye out for her future works.❤️
What a story! Celeste is such a powerful fmc and was totally willing to give up everything for a chance at freedom. Unfortunately, she becomes more than a contract to the lost prince bounty hunter when their mate bond kicks in. She made him work for it, and we love it. Omnious is a big boi, and their size difference was delicious. He's also very sweet underneath a scary and tough exterior. Their love is enough to retake the throne and save the kingdom. The spicy was spicy, because our boy Ominous is rocking a fancy peen to match his demon self.
First, I want to say thank you to J.A. Keeton for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I have to say I loved this book. I flew through the pages wanting to know more. I loved how their love story grew as they learned more about each other. They both tried to fight it for so long it was amazing how it came together. There was definitely something that happened that i did not see coming. This book had such a great story line kept me on my toes. I hope there are more to come. I would love to read more and know who we saw at the end.
Fated mates? Check - more intense than most of the FM tropes I’ve read lately. Tiny human? Check. Giant monster/demon? Check.
Plot? There’s a general theme. Spice? Pretty good in some spots! Definitely not one I should have been reading at work where people can look over my shoulder.
It was a quick, fun read.
I would have loved to have more dialogue and banter, more back story, and a more organized/structured plot and timeline. It jumped all over the place.
It kind of felt like things happened so fast but it did fit with the pace of the story. More plot than I expected for the way it was marketed. So I am happy to say it was a decent mix of smut and plot. It actually kind of reminded me of one of those small town hallmark movies in book form but with a demon and smut added in. Now I just have to find out what happened to Greta and I can move on
I don't think I've ever read this type of rejected-mate to in-denial mate to all-in mate trope before and I'm here for it! The possessive cinnamon roll emotional-awakening was so fun to read, the spice was good, there is a little something for everyone trope wise! It's definitely a good palette cleanser if you just finished up something dark but aren't exactly looking for fluff.
I won a paperback of this book in a giveaway. It was intriguing with the take of a fallen demon prince and a human who never knew magic. He’s on the hunt for her while she’s on the run from him. However what happens when he finds out she’s his fated mate but he’s her bounty hunter. Will he give in to the fates’ design or will he challenge the fates and hunt her down for his own greed and power?
Absolutely loved this!!, honestly I went in not expecting to enjoy it at all! Didn't think the whole giant demon would be my thing... But I Absolutely devoured it cutest easiest short read! The plot was strong, the romance never faltered, character personalities were amazing, lots of action and the smut Mwuah chefs kiss)100/10 recommend!
I was an ARC reader for this book. Overall, I really enjoyed it. I thought the concept of dead zones was cool, I won’t spoil it for anyone. It had a good plot and the ending surprised me. The main characters were fun and grew into themselves nicely. Good amount of spice for the story.
I was given an arc copy courtesy of BookFunnle and the author. Overall, it was a great story with a spicy plot that's very story driven. I do recommend checking the triggers on the author website. It might not be as dark as some of the other books that I have read, but just fair warning some.
I love grumpy mc’s and he was so grumpy! I loved this book and the characters. The spice was delicious and just ugh. I hadn’t read anything by this author but I will be from now on!
This book was absolutely fantastic. I loved loved this book. I couldn't put this down. I loved the passion and dedication and love. Worth the read. The obsession was so hot and the protectiveness. This book was so HOT! NEED TO READ.
I loved this book. The story immediately sucked me on and did not let me go till the very last page. The story is sexy and sweet with a bit of an edge. The fmc and MMC are just too sweet together and the story was lively.