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The Desire of Fate
Oriana wants one thing for her life, to be the first female general in Graten. Having her whole life planned out for her, Oriana is met with news that she will have to pick a suitor or risk her hand being forced. Not only is she being faced with the scrutiny of being a woman, Oriana must uncover the mysterious deaths plaguing her kingdom. With hope that the annual summer solstice trip will provide peace from the recent events, Oriana begins to strategize her plans to become all she desires. Except there is one issue—the prince of her enemy kingdom is attending this year.
Callan wants nothing more than to survive his father’s reign, including following all of his orders no matter the cost. At the guidance of his father, Callan’s hands are stained with the blood of countless lives—ultimately becoming numb to the deaths that surround him—and his father’s next demand is the princess of his enemy kingdom.
Trying to fight the desire to gain control of their own lives, Oriana and Callan realize they have more in common than what breaches the surface. Despite prying eyes, one thing is for certain… You cannot fight fate.
Callan wants nothing more than to survive his father’s reign, including following all of his orders no matter the cost. At the guidance of his father, Callan’s hands are stained with the blood of countless lives—ultimately becoming numb to the deaths that surround him—and his father’s next demand is the princess of his enemy kingdom.
Trying to fight the desire to gain control of their own lives, Oriana and Callan realize they have more in common than what breaches the surface. Despite prying eyes, one thing is for certain… You cannot fight fate.
443 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2023
26 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 13, 2023
⭐️: 3.5/5 🌶️: 3/5
I was selected as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review. And boy howdy was I excited! This was an enjoyable read but unfortunately made less so by a fairly significant amount of grammatical and spelling errors (unfazed vs unphased, piqued vs peaked vs peeked, missing words in sentences, wrong words used, punctuation and formatting, etc.). I hate that it detracted and distracted from the material for me. That’s why it’s a 3-star instead of 4-star rating for me.
I enjoyed the world the book created and the opportunity for all of these young royals in adjacent parts of a territory, having grown up together and known one another their whole lives. It was sufficiently complex enough to establish the dynamics between multiple kingdoms but not overly complicated. They have an opportunity to change their world and the current rivalries existing between their territories. And I love that they are all struggling to be independent critical thinkers on their own and break precedent set by their parents. Oriana is a super relatable character! I always love a strong and feisty FMC that can hold her own and even gain respect and lead her male peers, as well as tropes like forced proximity, enemies to lovers, forbidden relationship, with some good sparring and fighting in the mix too. Definitely a slow burn, with things finally kicking into gear well after the halfway point (spoiler: around 73% of the way through).
There were times when the plot development and character development were a bit disjointed for me, so while events unfolded through the middle of the book to advance time, the characters weren’t really growing and developing accordingly. And so none of the major dynamics in the book really changed either despite the progressing sequence of events. It’s like they stayed stuck in a rut and then suddenly everyone had all the feelings and conversations with others outside of their own minds at the very end. I think we could have seen Oriana and Callan slowly open up to one another to realize they have shared issues and anxieties like imposter syndrome, self-validation, controlling your own choices in life, etc.
Will I still read the next book if/when released? Totally. Would I be willing to proofread it in advance and offer editing support? Also, totally.
I was selected as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review. And boy howdy was I excited! This was an enjoyable read but unfortunately made less so by a fairly significant amount of grammatical and spelling errors (unfazed vs unphased, piqued vs peaked vs peeked, missing words in sentences, wrong words used, punctuation and formatting, etc.). I hate that it detracted and distracted from the material for me. That’s why it’s a 3-star instead of 4-star rating for me.
I enjoyed the world the book created and the opportunity for all of these young royals in adjacent parts of a territory, having grown up together and known one another their whole lives. It was sufficiently complex enough to establish the dynamics between multiple kingdoms but not overly complicated. They have an opportunity to change their world and the current rivalries existing between their territories. And I love that they are all struggling to be independent critical thinkers on their own and break precedent set by their parents. Oriana is a super relatable character! I always love a strong and feisty FMC that can hold her own and even gain respect and lead her male peers, as well as tropes like forced proximity, enemies to lovers, forbidden relationship, with some good sparring and fighting in the mix too. Definitely a slow burn, with things finally kicking into gear well after the halfway point (spoiler: around 73% of the way through).
There were times when the plot development and character development were a bit disjointed for me, so while events unfolded through the middle of the book to advance time, the characters weren’t really growing and developing accordingly. And so none of the major dynamics in the book really changed either despite the progressing sequence of events. It’s like they stayed stuck in a rut and then suddenly everyone had all the feelings and conversations with others outside of their own minds at the very end. I think we could have seen Oriana and Callan slowly open up to one another to realize they have shared issues and anxieties like imposter syndrome, self-validation, controlling your own choices in life, etc.
Will I still read the next book if/when released? Totally. Would I be willing to proofread it in advance and offer editing support? Also, totally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2024
We follow Oriana, a princess who would rather spend her time around weapons than dresses. What she wants most is to be a General, leading the kingdoms army when her cousin Aedion becomes King. When a mysterious assassin begins murdering noble families, Oriana is sent away to attend Solstice festivities with other royal heirs, but the assassin and murders follow her there.
The body positivity in this book was nice. It's hinted at throughout the book that Oriana is mid to plus size and is more muscular than other princesses due to her training. It's never discussed as a shortcoming or something she dislikes about herself. Oriana is quite confident in her appearance and that was nice to see.
I really liked Callan's growth. He goes from being very isolated to slowly allowing himself to trust people around him and show them who he really is. This results in new friendships and potential future alliances between him and some of the other young heirs.
Oriana's relationships with her cousin Aedion and her father were really nice, there was a sweet father/daughter moment around the 80% mark? Loved it and Aedion being her biggest cheerleader and protector was cute. Aedion was my favorite character (I'm a sucker for side characters) and I'm excited to see more from him in future books.
The PTSD and anxiety rep in the book was really well done. The first time Callan helps Oriana through an attack was one of my favorite moments and felt very real.
One of the things that threw me a little was the violence at the beginning and end between the main characters. It made it hard to root for them to get together when what he did traumatized her so badly, and at the end, iykyk. If you're a dark romance girlie, this probably won't concern you so don't worry about it.
I also wish I could have seen more growth from Oriana. When we leave her, she's as insecure about being a female warrior as she was at the beginning and pushes people away who support her. Now, this IS only book 1 so maybe that growth will come later, but I would like to have seen at least a hint of it here.
The ending was quite the cliffhanger and I did NOT see it going that way. I was very surprised but am also really interested to see how book 2 will begin.
Overall, I found this to be a really good romantasy read with an interesting plot and characters. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Enemies to Lovers, strong female main characters and morally grey male main characters. I'll definitely be reading book 2!
Things to note:
This is book 1 in a series
Positive mid/plus size rep
As always, read your trigger warnings!
Spice Level: 3.5/5 They're well written and there are quite a few.
Enemies to Lovers
Protective Vibes
Forced Proximity
Dark Romance
The body positivity in this book was nice. It's hinted at throughout the book that Oriana is mid to plus size and is more muscular than other princesses due to her training. It's never discussed as a shortcoming or something she dislikes about herself. Oriana is quite confident in her appearance and that was nice to see.
I really liked Callan's growth. He goes from being very isolated to slowly allowing himself to trust people around him and show them who he really is. This results in new friendships and potential future alliances between him and some of the other young heirs.
Oriana's relationships with her cousin Aedion and her father were really nice, there was a sweet father/daughter moment around the 80% mark? Loved it and Aedion being her biggest cheerleader and protector was cute. Aedion was my favorite character (I'm a sucker for side characters) and I'm excited to see more from him in future books.
The PTSD and anxiety rep in the book was really well done. The first time Callan helps Oriana through an attack was one of my favorite moments and felt very real.
One of the things that threw me a little was the violence at the beginning and end between the main characters. It made it hard to root for them to get together when what he did traumatized her so badly, and at the end, iykyk. If you're a dark romance girlie, this probably won't concern you so don't worry about it.
I also wish I could have seen more growth from Oriana. When we leave her, she's as insecure about being a female warrior as she was at the beginning and pushes people away who support her. Now, this IS only book 1 so maybe that growth will come later, but I would like to have seen at least a hint of it here.
The ending was quite the cliffhanger and I did NOT see it going that way. I was very surprised but am also really interested to see how book 2 will begin.
Overall, I found this to be a really good romantasy read with an interesting plot and characters. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Enemies to Lovers, strong female main characters and morally grey male main characters. I'll definitely be reading book 2!
Things to note:
This is book 1 in a series
Positive mid/plus size rep
As always, read your trigger warnings!
Spice Level: 3.5/5 They're well written and there are quite a few.
Enemies to Lovers
Protective Vibes
Forced Proximity
Dark Romance
March 21, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
An enemies to lovers, Romeo and Juliet retelling, forbidden love.
Oriana was strong willed and sassy. Her struggles with anxiety, imposter syndrome and ptsd are relatable and it was nice to see it represented in this book! Callan was awesome, morally grey, Prince with a bad daddy. His point of view was the better written of the two.
The story was interesting and had me wanting to know what happened next. The issue I had was that I found that the writing and overall sentence structure of this book was not well executed. Certain sentences felt too long with incorrect punctuation. Other times, I was confused by the timeline of certain events and how many days had passed. I also found multiple instances where a word would be repeated four times in the same paragraph, which personally really bothers me.
Of all the issues I found with the writing, they could easily be fixed with a good editor. The story and characters were great and interesting, this book and series has great potential 😁
An enemies to lovers, Romeo and Juliet retelling, forbidden love.
Oriana was strong willed and sassy. Her struggles with anxiety, imposter syndrome and ptsd are relatable and it was nice to see it represented in this book! Callan was awesome, morally grey, Prince with a bad daddy. His point of view was the better written of the two.
The story was interesting and had me wanting to know what happened next. The issue I had was that I found that the writing and overall sentence structure of this book was not well executed. Certain sentences felt too long with incorrect punctuation. Other times, I was confused by the timeline of certain events and how many days had passed. I also found multiple instances where a word would be repeated four times in the same paragraph, which personally really bothers me.
Of all the issues I found with the writing, they could easily be fixed with a good editor. The story and characters were great and interesting, this book and series has great potential 😁
March 4, 2023
I absolutely loved this book! Exactly what I want from a fantasy series. Good world building, the daily struggles with your own mind, the forbidden love! Amazing. I want more, need more. It’s definitely only the beginning and I hope many more books are in the future 🥰
March 7, 2023
HOLY COW! <3
Star Rating: 5/5
Spice: 3/5
My thoughts:
Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor after finishing this book. HOLY MOLY. What an amazing read. I had the pleasure of being chosen as an ARC reader for this book and I AM AMAZED and in love with this story! I can't wait for the next one. From the very beginning - through the middle - and allllll the way to the end, it had been making twists and turns that kept me guessing in ways that I thought I had the plot figured out but then NOPE, swerve, new turns which was so thrilling!
For starters, I fell and definitely related to Oriana from the very beginning. Her viewpoint on her life and wanting to choose her own path in life was inspiring. She definitely wanted to change the outlook on what she wanted out of life in ways that she isn't just a housewife but can be way more than that. She was so strong, had wonderful skill, and had the heart of gold. The only thing that I would have changed is that I would have loved for her to put her fear aside and stand up to the Thalia. She did have moments where I was like, come on girl, stand up for yourself, but I think that just made her growth so much bigger. Just hands down, I wanted her to be able to stand up but other than that, she was a badass character who definitely had a lot of growth and was such a loyal friend.
Callan was definitely a great MMC that was just trying to be on his dad's best side but started to learn and grow that he can be his own person. He had great character development which definitely like made me fall in love with him too even though, I dig more of the dark haired boys but he definitely won my heart over.
Overall, the storyline and the world building was AMAZING and easy to follow. It had some parts that had me on the edge of my seat, had some SPICY scenes and then also the banter between the two main characters was STEAMY. I mean, I love some good banter and tension, it makes me want to keep turning those pages. When you just think that they finally would be together or that she was moving on, BOOM, another twist. Then, once the ending happened, I was shook. I literally can't wait to be able to read the next book because there are so many questions that I have after finishing the book. You can tell it's going to be good.
I DEFINITELY recommend this to those who enjoy fantasy, fantasy romance, fans of ACOTAR, or any types of books in that realm. It definitely filled up my fantasy romance cup, and would recommend to my friends who do too! <3
Star Rating: 5/5
Spice: 3/5
My thoughts:
Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor after finishing this book. HOLY MOLY. What an amazing read. I had the pleasure of being chosen as an ARC reader for this book and I AM AMAZED and in love with this story! I can't wait for the next one. From the very beginning - through the middle - and allllll the way to the end, it had been making twists and turns that kept me guessing in ways that I thought I had the plot figured out but then NOPE, swerve, new turns which was so thrilling!
For starters, I fell and definitely related to Oriana from the very beginning. Her viewpoint on her life and wanting to choose her own path in life was inspiring. She definitely wanted to change the outlook on what she wanted out of life in ways that she isn't just a housewife but can be way more than that. She was so strong, had wonderful skill, and had the heart of gold. The only thing that I would have changed is that I would have loved for her to put her fear aside and stand up to the Thalia. She did have moments where I was like, come on girl, stand up for yourself, but I think that just made her growth so much bigger. Just hands down, I wanted her to be able to stand up but other than that, she was a badass character who definitely had a lot of growth and was such a loyal friend.
Callan was definitely a great MMC that was just trying to be on his dad's best side but started to learn and grow that he can be his own person. He had great character development which definitely like made me fall in love with him too even though, I dig more of the dark haired boys but he definitely won my heart over.
Overall, the storyline and the world building was AMAZING and easy to follow. It had some parts that had me on the edge of my seat, had some SPICY scenes and then also the banter between the two main characters was STEAMY. I mean, I love some good banter and tension, it makes me want to keep turning those pages. When you just think that they finally would be together or that she was moving on, BOOM, another twist. Then, once the ending happened, I was shook. I literally can't wait to be able to read the next book because there are so many questions that I have after finishing the book. You can tell it's going to be good.
I DEFINITELY recommend this to those who enjoy fantasy, fantasy romance, fans of ACOTAR, or any types of books in that realm. It definitely filled up my fantasy romance cup, and would recommend to my friends who do too! <3
March 31, 2023
I want to preface by saying that I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and this is me doing just that.
TW/CW will be listed at the end of this review.
This was one of the books that I was highly anticipating for this year. The concept of the forbidden romance/enemies to lovers trope along with a strong female lead is always an appealing thing to me.
First, I absolutely loved the atmosphere and world building done in this book, along with the organization of the hierarchy and how everyone's roles come to play in the story. Oriana has such a strong support system with the men in her life, especially her cousin Aedion, who is literally her ride or die. They all believed in her and her abilities to become a strong general one day despite being a woman. Obviously, there are some characters, especially among the women, that don't quite agree with Oriana leaving her princess status in exchange to be general and even her aunt is pushing to have her married, which ends up being a big conflict for Orianna. Sexism does play a big role in the book and sometimes is even overly dramatized, because Oriana did have the king, future king, father and a lot of the prince's at her side.
This was a dual POV, so you get insight from both Oriana and the rival prince/love interest Callan.
Here is where I started to get underwhelmed with the story.
Callan's POV were wonderfully written, in my opinion, and you can truly see the contrast in his life as opposed to Oriana. Callan has NO ONE at his corner, and he is utterly alone. He also undergoes so much physical and mental abuse from his King father. He is merely used as a pawn to do his father's dirty work, and if he doesn't execute correctly, then he awaits brutal consequences. I felt his character arc from the beginning to the end of the book was well done. Now, Oriana, on the other hand, is where I had problems.
Her character lacked a lot in my opinion. There was so much potential to her but I just couldn't resonate with her at all. She starts off strong, as a fiesty female lead that won't take sh*t from anyone and with the goal of one day taking over her father's role as general of Tokev's armies so that she can protect the kingdom. But half the time, she acted mostly like an arrogant, spoiled brat, that made poor choices and literally spiraled downhill the moment she failed once. Her support system would worry about her and wanted to help but she would just get angry and run away? It was just frustrating to me. Her character wasn't flexible at all, which really left much to be desired. Very hot and cold if you must.
She barely had any growth..yet we had side characters like Aniya have amazing arcs.
Callan definitely carried this book, so did all the side characters and even the plot was solid, but I just couldn't get over Oriana which is why I had to give this book 3 stars.
I am planning on reading book 2, in fact I am looking forward to it. I anticipate that the writing will only get better and that the characters will mature as well. This book ended in a bit of a cliffhanger so naturally I have to know what will happen next.
TW/CW:
*This is an adult novel where there is adult content such as explicit sexual scenes, violence, and adult language. For ages 18+ only.
Mentions of:
*PTSD
*Parental Abuse
*Sexual Harassment
*Anxiety/Depression episodes
*Imposter Syndrome
*Light mentions of Suicide
TW/CW will be listed at the end of this review.
This was one of the books that I was highly anticipating for this year. The concept of the forbidden romance/enemies to lovers trope along with a strong female lead is always an appealing thing to me.
First, I absolutely loved the atmosphere and world building done in this book, along with the organization of the hierarchy and how everyone's roles come to play in the story. Oriana has such a strong support system with the men in her life, especially her cousin Aedion, who is literally her ride or die. They all believed in her and her abilities to become a strong general one day despite being a woman. Obviously, there are some characters, especially among the women, that don't quite agree with Oriana leaving her princess status in exchange to be general and even her aunt is pushing to have her married, which ends up being a big conflict for Orianna. Sexism does play a big role in the book and sometimes is even overly dramatized, because Oriana did have the king, future king, father and a lot of the prince's at her side.
This was a dual POV, so you get insight from both Oriana and the rival prince/love interest Callan.
Here is where I started to get underwhelmed with the story.
Callan's POV were wonderfully written, in my opinion, and you can truly see the contrast in his life as opposed to Oriana. Callan has NO ONE at his corner, and he is utterly alone. He also undergoes so much physical and mental abuse from his King father. He is merely used as a pawn to do his father's dirty work, and if he doesn't execute correctly, then he awaits brutal consequences. I felt his character arc from the beginning to the end of the book was well done. Now, Oriana, on the other hand, is where I had problems.
Her character lacked a lot in my opinion. There was so much potential to her but I just couldn't resonate with her at all. She starts off strong, as a fiesty female lead that won't take sh*t from anyone and with the goal of one day taking over her father's role as general of Tokev's armies so that she can protect the kingdom. But half the time, she acted mostly like an arrogant, spoiled brat, that made poor choices and literally spiraled downhill the moment she failed once. Her support system would worry about her and wanted to help but she would just get angry and run away? It was just frustrating to me. Her character wasn't flexible at all, which really left much to be desired. Very hot and cold if you must.
She barely had any growth..yet we had side characters like Aniya have amazing arcs.
Callan definitely carried this book, so did all the side characters and even the plot was solid, but I just couldn't get over Oriana which is why I had to give this book 3 stars.
I am planning on reading book 2, in fact I am looking forward to it. I anticipate that the writing will only get better and that the characters will mature as well. This book ended in a bit of a cliffhanger so naturally I have to know what will happen next.
TW/CW:
*This is an adult novel where there is adult content such as explicit sexual scenes, violence, and adult language. For ages 18+ only.
Mentions of:
*PTSD
*Parental Abuse
*Sexual Harassment
*Anxiety/Depression episodes
*Imposter Syndrome
*Light mentions of Suicide
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2023
Six stars! All time favorite worthy. The Desire of Fate is the first book in the Fighting Fate series and man what a start! It checked all the right boxes for me and poked all the right spots. I devoured The Desire of Fate. Callan’s story just pulled on all my heart strings and never let go. The cliffhanger has left me hanging! Saying I need book two is an understatement. Chrissy Nicole, you’ve earned yourself a new fan!
Spice level (1-5): 🌶️🌶️
As the son of the most hated King in the continent, Prince Callan is shocked when he is invited to Prince Aedion’s birthday celebration. His family never got invited to other kingdoms. He’s not surprised when his father orders him to attend and gather intel on their enemy. What he wasn’t expecting were the unfamiliar feelings Aedion’s cousin, Princess Oriana, stirs in him. Ordered to eliminate her, Callan can’t seem to end her life when she has just invaded his heart. But fate has bigger plans for the both of them and the nation.
I would recommend The Desire of Fate to absolutely everyone. If you like enemies to lovers, Romeo and Juliet, royalty, not a damsel FMC, serious family drama, hurt MMC, past trauma, suspense, fate, prophecies, @ss@ssins, murd3r mysteries, whodunnit, mystery, secrets, not knowing why, switching sides, you can be my Queen, secret relationship, spice, series, hate to love you, reading etc you’ll love The Desire of Fate. Read the trigger warnings. This book does contain misogyny, past and current familial abuse, domestic violence, unaliving, mild gore, mentions d3ath/@ssassination of children, manipulation, etc. For all fantasy readers this one is for you!
Warning: Reading The Desire of Fate may make you want to attend all birthday parties in case your perfect match is invited. May make you want to find the perfect spot to watch the sunset. May make you want to accept an invitation to dance. May make you never look at a storm the same. May make you kinder to your enemy. May make you not sleep because you need to know what happens next. Read responsibly.
*I received an Advance Reader Copy for free and I am leaving an honest review of my own volition. All thoughts are my own.*
Spice level (1-5): 🌶️🌶️
As the son of the most hated King in the continent, Prince Callan is shocked when he is invited to Prince Aedion’s birthday celebration. His family never got invited to other kingdoms. He’s not surprised when his father orders him to attend and gather intel on their enemy. What he wasn’t expecting were the unfamiliar feelings Aedion’s cousin, Princess Oriana, stirs in him. Ordered to eliminate her, Callan can’t seem to end her life when she has just invaded his heart. But fate has bigger plans for the both of them and the nation.
I would recommend The Desire of Fate to absolutely everyone. If you like enemies to lovers, Romeo and Juliet, royalty, not a damsel FMC, serious family drama, hurt MMC, past trauma, suspense, fate, prophecies, @ss@ssins, murd3r mysteries, whodunnit, mystery, secrets, not knowing why, switching sides, you can be my Queen, secret relationship, spice, series, hate to love you, reading etc you’ll love The Desire of Fate. Read the trigger warnings. This book does contain misogyny, past and current familial abuse, domestic violence, unaliving, mild gore, mentions d3ath/@ssassination of children, manipulation, etc. For all fantasy readers this one is for you!
Warning: Reading The Desire of Fate may make you want to attend all birthday parties in case your perfect match is invited. May make you want to find the perfect spot to watch the sunset. May make you want to accept an invitation to dance. May make you never look at a storm the same. May make you kinder to your enemy. May make you not sleep because you need to know what happens next. Read responsibly.
*I received an Advance Reader Copy for free and I am leaving an honest review of my own volition. All thoughts are my own.*
March 5, 2023
Is a Title worth the loss of self? ARC Review
Slow Burn
Enemies to Lovers
Dark Past
Strong female MC
The book starts out with one of my favorites a pronunciation guide. I am so glad authors are joining this boat. The trigger warnings that should be reviewed as this book hits some hard topics.
This is a slow-burn romance with lots of character development and dual POV. The characters are young, sometimes immature, and at the whim of their parents, the kings, and queens. The Female MC is a bada** fighting against society to be more than a housewife. She does not look down on those who wish to be such but she wishes to be more. The male MC is a villain? with a twisted past and a dream of being different from the man who raised him. Fate pulls both MC to each other only to force them apart. A Romeo and Juliet retelling with far more interesting characters.
I could not guess the plot every time I thought I knew the ending a new twist was added. The twists were done well and did not leave me with more questions than answers, but still left me wanting so much more. This is the first book in the series and the end left me screaming in frustration, sadness, and wishing I knew when the next book would be released. I look forward to seeing where Chrissy takes the characters and the story.
This book addresses mental health in a perfect and relatable way. Your thorns make you strong!
Slow Burn
Enemies to Lovers
Dark Past
Strong female MC
The book starts out with one of my favorites a pronunciation guide. I am so glad authors are joining this boat. The trigger warnings that should be reviewed as this book hits some hard topics.
This is a slow-burn romance with lots of character development and dual POV. The characters are young, sometimes immature, and at the whim of their parents, the kings, and queens. The Female MC is a bada** fighting against society to be more than a housewife. She does not look down on those who wish to be such but she wishes to be more. The male MC is a villain? with a twisted past and a dream of being different from the man who raised him. Fate pulls both MC to each other only to force them apart. A Romeo and Juliet retelling with far more interesting characters.
I could not guess the plot every time I thought I knew the ending a new twist was added. The twists were done well and did not leave me with more questions than answers, but still left me wanting so much more. This is the first book in the series and the end left me screaming in frustration, sadness, and wishing I knew when the next book would be released. I look forward to seeing where Chrissy takes the characters and the story.
This book addresses mental health in a perfect and relatable way. Your thorns make you strong!
March 31, 2023
I have been following this author for a while now and was so excited to have the opportunity to be an ARC reader for them. It was definitely worth the wait. Let me start by saying that this was neither an enemy to lovers nor fated lovers, but instead a combination of both.
I loved all of the characters but especially the two leads. I might be dramatic saying this but if I could I would sacrifice my firstborn child just to see them have a happy ending. I loved them because of how they allowed each other to let down their walls. The side characters were awesome too, especially little Briena. She was adorable and I loved how Callan treated her. The friendship between all the heirs of the kingdoms healed something in my heart.
I found the plot interesting because it was a fantasy mystery. The constant danger and tension made the book hard to put down. One thing I admired about the story was how the author incorporated mental illness and healthy coping mechanisms. As someone with panic attacks, I loved this book.
One surprise I was happy to find was how much spice it had. It wasn't the typical type of spice seen in fantasy novels but instead had both leads in control.
This is definitely going into my top favorite books list, but the cliff ending... Did it hurt? Yes. Will I read the next one anyway? Yes, definitely, because I need to see my traumatized babies happy. No matter, this was an amazing book and I suggest it to everyone.
I loved all of the characters but especially the two leads. I might be dramatic saying this but if I could I would sacrifice my firstborn child just to see them have a happy ending. I loved them because of how they allowed each other to let down their walls. The side characters were awesome too, especially little Briena. She was adorable and I loved how Callan treated her. The friendship between all the heirs of the kingdoms healed something in my heart.
I found the plot interesting because it was a fantasy mystery. The constant danger and tension made the book hard to put down. One thing I admired about the story was how the author incorporated mental illness and healthy coping mechanisms. As someone with panic attacks, I loved this book.
One surprise I was happy to find was how much spice it had. It wasn't the typical type of spice seen in fantasy novels but instead had both leads in control.
This is definitely going into my top favorite books list, but the cliff ending... Did it hurt? Yes. Will I read the next one anyway? Yes, definitely, because I need to see my traumatized babies happy. No matter, this was an amazing book and I suggest it to everyone.
March 29, 2023
I was lucky enough to be chosen to read this as an ARC in return for an honest review. I really enjoyed the world that this book took place in. I enjoyed the family rivalry and the forbidden attractiveness between the main female character and the main male character. I especially loved how strong willed the female character is in the story, and how headstrong she is to do something great for her kingdom. This book is definitely a slow burn. There is some spice towards the last 20% of the book but I did enjoy the battle of the two main characters. There definitely needs to be some editing to the book, there’s a lot of repetitiveness in paragraphs and missing words in sentences, but it was very easy to look past. That’s why you send out ARC’s right?!
March 28, 2023
This was such a good book to kick of my fantasy journey!!!
***SLIGHT SPOILERS***
I loved the way this book was written. It had a modern feel as well as oldie! The character development was done beautiful! I loved that it included pronunciation of each name/kingdom, the emotion each character felt throughout this read was well projected through the words written.
I also really loved that Chrissy Nicole added some of the letters that Callan wrote to Oriana at the end, they were beautiful. I LOVE Callan. I cannot wait for the next boom to be published! Thank you Chrissy for this one. I loved it! 💜
***SLIGHT SPOILERS***
I loved the way this book was written. It had a modern feel as well as oldie! The character development was done beautiful! I loved that it included pronunciation of each name/kingdom, the emotion each character felt throughout this read was well projected through the words written.
I also really loved that Chrissy Nicole added some of the letters that Callan wrote to Oriana at the end, they were beautiful. I LOVE Callan. I cannot wait for the next boom to be published! Thank you Chrissy for this one. I loved it! 💜
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2023
Yaaaaaalllll! You are going to want to set your date for this one’s release! I have read it twice now as an arc reader and when I tell you that this is about to be your newest obsession I MEAN IT.
Oriana has my whole heart. This girl is kickass and knows it. Her confidence is what I need in life.
Going through the story with these characters shows a whole new fantasy world and I just cannot wait for more!
Plus, that cliffhanger? Gut wrenching. Remember this is a Romeo and Juliet inspired series 🥲🤣
Oriana has my whole heart. This girl is kickass and knows it. Her confidence is what I need in life.
Going through the story with these characters shows a whole new fantasy world and I just cannot wait for more!
Plus, that cliffhanger? Gut wrenching. Remember this is a Romeo and Juliet inspired series 🥲🤣
April 4, 2023
I was chosen to be an arc reader and I feel awful that I didn’t get my review in in time, but I was so engrossed in this book!!!! I rushed to bed every night just so I could sit alone and read and wow. Any time I thought I knew where the author was going, there would be a slight surprise. The absolute stubbornness, will power and mental strength these characters have! Wow! I liked that you can feel each character’s pain, but I want to be angry that you can feel each of the set backs and struggles. This book grabbed me in and wouldn’t let me go. Well done!!!
dnf
March 6, 2025DNF @ 10%
immediately upon opening the book, the princess began ranting about how she hated makeup and dresses and just wanted to train with the guys
she loved swords and fighting and punches. she despised dancing and marriage and gowns.
it was all made very clear very quickly.
it was like every "not like the other girls" stereotype had to be established as rapidly and thoroughly as possible lest the audience somehow became confused. these antics made up the entirety of the first chapter.
i cannot think of a more effective way to warn me off of a story than this
immediately upon opening the book, the princess began ranting about how she hated makeup and dresses and just wanted to train with the guys
she loved swords and fighting and punches. she despised dancing and marriage and gowns.
it was all made very clear very quickly.
it was like every "not like the other girls" stereotype had to be established as rapidly and thoroughly as possible lest the audience somehow became confused. these antics made up the entirety of the first chapter.
i cannot think of a more effective way to warn me off of a story than this
December 4, 2022
The Desire of Fate gives you all the comforting feelings a classic fantasy book should give. You have enemies to lovers, dagger to throat, and forced proximity all wrapped up into this amazing story set during the summer. The last summer before the royals become of age and ascend the throne. You will not wanna miss out Oriana and Callan’s story. I can not recommend this book enough!
(Ps. I know I suck at reviews but I promise it’s a great book!)
(Ps. I know I suck at reviews but I promise it’s a great book!)
December 16, 2022
The desire of fate is a great book! It has some of the best aspects of fantasy books with enemies to lovers and great world building. The main character, Oriana, is relatable especially in her need to prove herself. Chrissy Nicole also did well to make interesting and engaging side characters with my favourite character being Aniya who you get to see grow.
I would recommend this book highly and hope you enjoy as I did!
I would recommend this book highly and hope you enjoy as I did!
March 21, 2023
I got this book as an ARC. It was a great story!! The characters and story and writing style was fun and kept me hooked. Strong female warrior (to be Queen) main character and those who love her vs those she loves. This book has everything. Castles, kingdoms, kings, queens, princes and princesses. Sword battles, mystery, laughter and spice. The book amps you up and also deals with some real issues, mental and physical. I was left shocked and can't wait for the sequel!!
March 22, 2023
4/5⭐️
2/5🌶️
Who doesn’t love an Assassin falling in love with their mark. This book took me on a journey of a young girl who dreams of being her cousins general and the prince/assassin who wants to love her. The growth in the characters was amazing. Oriana is just a princess who wants to be the exact opposite of a princess. She wants to protect her future king as his generals she doesn’t want to love but she falls for Callan.
2/5🌶️
Who doesn’t love an Assassin falling in love with their mark. This book took me on a journey of a young girl who dreams of being her cousins general and the prince/assassin who wants to love her. The growth in the characters was amazing. Oriana is just a princess who wants to be the exact opposite of a princess. She wants to protect her future king as his generals she doesn’t want to love but she falls for Callan.
March 5, 2023
I received an arc for this book and I’m so happy I signed up. This series is going to be great! Enemies to lovers, warring kingdoms, assassins and a strong fmc with the self doubt and panic attacks to make her more real. Found family vibes also. Check the trigger warnings on this and if you can read it as soon as possible! So fun.
March 13, 2023
ARC REVIEW
This was brilliant! Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage. I hate societies in books where women are seen as inferior but i love Oriana's determination to stand against as well as dealing with trauma and panic attacks. The insomnia and panic and anxiety we're written beautifully. And gotta love a woman with a dagger!! This is a great read!
This was brilliant! Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage. I hate societies in books where women are seen as inferior but i love Oriana's determination to stand against as well as dealing with trauma and panic attacks. The insomnia and panic and anxiety we're written beautifully. And gotta love a woman with a dagger!! This is a great read!
March 19, 2023
I really liked this book. This is basically a Romeo and Juliet fantasy romance inspired novel. I was selected to ARC read this book and I am so glad I did. If you like books like The Bridge Kingdom, The Cruel Prince or Acotar, you will definitely like this book.
I am excited to continue this series, especially with that ending. It has enemies to lovers, some spice, twists, and mystery. The FMC is strong and relatable. The MMC, Callan, is definitely morally grey and a man we hate to love, but love to hate. I love the curvy girl and mental health representation. I also love the women’s rights aspects of the book. The way we can see how Oriana tries to be everything for her family and to prove to people that women can do everything men can in a society that constantly tells them they are weak or less than is really powerful.
I'd say this book is a 3.75 to 4 star read only because I felt that some parts started to get repetitive in the middle and I would have liked to see some things, like the prophecy, fleshed out more. I also felt the characters and world could have been a little more developed. Overall though I really liked this book and I would definitely recommend reading this wonderful fun debut novel!
I am excited to continue this series, especially with that ending. It has enemies to lovers, some spice, twists, and mystery. The FMC is strong and relatable. The MMC, Callan, is definitely morally grey and a man we hate to love, but love to hate. I love the curvy girl and mental health representation. I also love the women’s rights aspects of the book. The way we can see how Oriana tries to be everything for her family and to prove to people that women can do everything men can in a society that constantly tells them they are weak or less than is really powerful.
I'd say this book is a 3.75 to 4 star read only because I felt that some parts started to get repetitive in the middle and I would have liked to see some things, like the prophecy, fleshed out more. I also felt the characters and world could have been a little more developed. Overall though I really liked this book and I would definitely recommend reading this wonderful fun debut novel!
April 11, 2023
A must read!
I could not put this book down. It is one of the most gripping books I have read in a while. I was so immediately attached to the main character s hat I had to know what would happen next. So well written, I can not wait for book 2!
I could not put this book down. It is one of the most gripping books I have read in a while. I was so immediately attached to the main character s hat I had to know what would happen next. So well written, I can not wait for book 2!
April 2, 2023
I received this book as an ARC and it was great! I’ve followed Chrissy for a while now and was so stoked to get an ARC. The story was excellent, the characters were thought out, it was a good read.
May 8, 2023
This is a fun read! An assassin who falls in love with their intended target is always a great premise! While this needs a little bit of editing, it is still a solid story!
August 25, 2023
Usually not my kind of story but I couldn't put this book down. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters especially when you find out who the killer is and why. Definitely a recommend.
December 27, 2023
Overall, I enjoyed the book and it was a good easy read for me.
Read
October 3, 2025Such a great book. I'm starting the next one right now!! I can't wait to see what happens.
April 2, 2023
The Desire of Fate was a great book!! It has everything one could want from a fantasy romance: a badass FMC, a hot villain MMC, royals with societal and gender norms being followed AND broken and kingdoms, castles, balls, and beautiful gowns. Add an assassin and deaths of royals to set everyone and everything on edge, and it was everything!! I cannot wait for the next book in this series!!
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