Reviews

Cold Hearted by Leia Stone, Julie Hall

nikkisbooknook's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

 

What could go wrong when a Fae Princess, a trained assassin, is sent on a quest to steal the heart of an evil magical Fae lord? Well she could stumble across a magical rebellion, realise that her mission is not quite as described and all for a grumpy, sarcastic Commander of the Army of the North!

Dawn's been told that her realm has been cursed and that she needs to protect her people. Once through a magical mirror portal Dawn soon finds herself in the clutches of an army commander, one who tantalises her and makes her almost wish that she wasn't there to commit magical murder!

Zander is a superb mix of sarcastic and witty. He knows how to half-lie, half-reveal his identity. I loved learning about the 4 Ethereum lords and their roots. The rebellion is an intriguing twist too.

 Although a fantasy romance the world was easy to understand and there wasn't the need to learn a whole new language either! I did think it rushed a wee bit at the end but nothing that would put me off reading further books in the series! 

jaime_of_gryffindor's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This was an amazing fantasy romance that I did not want to put down. Cold Hearted had me immediately captivated by the story and I quickly found myself loving the main characters Dawn and Zander. This was an excellent feel good read that left me smiling. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, I’m looking forward to seeing how the story continues. 

Read this if you like:

📖 Enemies to lovers

📖 Fated mates

📖 Closed door romance 

I highly recommend picking up this book if you are looking for a romantasy read. 

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for sending me this gifted book, I loved it!  

piperkitty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 I want to express my gratitude to NG and HQ for providing me with a copy of this book. The initial allure of the book stemmed from its intriguing blurb and captivating cover, which immediately drew me in as a devoted fantasy enthusiast. The concept of the curse realms and the mystical journey through a mirror into Ethereum fascinated me immensely.

Upon arriving in Ethereum, the protagonist is entrusted with the task of assassinating one of the powerful lords of the realm and extracting his heart to break a curse plaguing her world. The only means of returning home is through a portal that will open only after the deed is done. Despite Dawn's occasional absent-mindedness leading to a deviation from her intended path, her encounter with the witty and sarcastic Zander injects a delightful element of excitement into the narrative.

I observed a notable improvement in the writing style in the latter part of the book compared to the first half, piquing my curiosity to delve into the subsequent installments of the series to witness the unfolding of the plot. The anticipation of discovering how the story progresses and the characters evolve further fuels my eagerness to delve deeper into this enchanting world of curses and realms. 

thecornishpiskie's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hedgehognerd's review against another edition

3.0

A romantasy with fae and curses - I immediately had to read this. It’s fun, full of fairytale vibes and action packed. I enjoyed the romance the most - I think the enemies to lovers is done well with good banter. I love the trope of one horse and this took it slightly further in a really lovely way. The book isn’t too deep, it’s super easy to read and follow, a little predictable, but sometimes you need that in a book. It’s a fun time and full of magic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

westcountryreader's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

bookish_aly_cat's review against another edition

5.0

This was a good one! I absolutely loved this book and flew through it. This story was fast paced and easy to follow, mostly because there wasn’t a lot of heavy world building.

This is book one in the Cursed Fae series. You follow Dawn who is a princess from the Summer Court. She has to travel through a portal to a mirror world called Ethereum, where she is to take the heart from one of the lords there and bring it back to her kingdom. This is necessary to help save her people from a curse. Things don’t go according to plan and the story goes from there. 

The characters were a delight to follow. I really enjoyed following Dawn and Zander and their journey together. Their interactions were fun to read, especially with all of the flirty banter. 

Read This If You Like:

→ Fated Mates

→ Curses

→ Enemies to lovers

→ Royalty & fae 

→ Forced proximity 

→ Closed door romance 

I adored the writing style these two authors had together and I definitely want to check out more of their works. I need book two immediately. 

Thank you @TheNerdFam for sending me a gifted copy to review.

booknerdcoco's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved this book. All of the twisted and turns. I loved the budding romance between the main characters. I felt that it was written in a style that made for an East read.
THe narration was spot on. Admittedly, I was surprised by the male narrators voice, but I think his voice did suit the MC.

Very pleased

bookie_mama_bear's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

melaniesreads's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Tastes change as we grow older, as a kid I hated cooked carrots. I would avoid them at all costs and fantasy was my cooked carrot genre. Until I read Fourth Wing and now at the age of nearly old crone it seems to be one of my favourites.

For anyone considering trying the genre this is a great gateway book, not too many characters, easy to understand plot but enough to hook you in and keep you interested. 

Dawn Ambrose, Princess of the summer court has been trained to be the perfect assassin to retrieve a Lord’s heart and save her kingdom. But what if everything she has been taught is wrong and what if she discovers another way around the curse?

I liked Dawn from the start, strong, capable and sassy. When she meets royal guard Zander their instant dislike was glaringly obvious as the perfect romantasy chemistry.

This has enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, magical creatures and plenty of action and trials along the way. I can’t wait for the next book in this interconnected series to see what more is in store for the mirror realm.