I am here today writing about a book that kept me in a chokehold the entire time I was reading it. I received the ARC from the author Kate Stevens: Bride of Brutal Hearts first book in the Bloodborne Court series. ✨🔥 Let's start the review, shall we?!
Two vicious kings. One captive bride. Their magic should have destroyed me.
Instead, it made them mine.
When my sister’s name is called for the vampires’ harvest, I step forward. It’s a death sentence, but she has a family, a future. All I have is a dusty bookshop, an ailing body, and a fate that always ends in fangs.
As the only volunteer, I’m claimed as the newest Mortal Bride—a living sacrifice to their two wicked kings.
The Conqueror, ruthless and imposing, his icy demeanor concealing his fiery intensity.
The Butcher, charming and capricious, his divine beauty disguising his cruel desires.
The kings intend to drain my lifeforce to fuel the spell securing their reign. But when the ceremony goes awry, we’re all ensnared in an obsessive bond… one not even death can break.
The Conqueror and the Butcher now hunger for more than my blood. They want all of me, forever.
I should resist them. I should hate them. They are the monsters who devour my people.
But no matter how brutal their hearts, I crave them just as fiercely.
GENRE
Dark Fantasy Villain Romance
THEME AND TONE
Dark........major Trigger warning
LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE
Easy to Read
CHARACTERS
Morally Grey MC through and through
MY REVIEW
First of all, thank you to Kate Stevens for the arc. I finished the book in 4 days, approximately..... and I took longer to write this review.....I was processing this book.....My mind was like What the hell did I just read....this book satisfied something vital in this reader, lol.....This book contains angst...the betrayal...the twists that I haven't seen in any other book. This is what I was talking about when I say enemies to lovers....or was it lovers to enemies...🤔....okay the lines are a little blurry in there but there is a literal enemy situation going on and I am all here for that situation.
I keep reading certain scenes again nd again. Mind you.....not the spice scenes....there were scenes of intense yearning....intense passion....jealousy obsession.......all the good things......that I really crave in the book. Although the spice is also very well written......I am a kind of mood reader and I am kind of a reader who reads spicy books and skips spicy scenes lol.....and I skipped some scenes in there because you know it was kind of like I am intruding in extremely private moments 😅😂.....but the ones I read they were really good 🤌
On the whole, it was an amazing first book in the series. I cannot wait for the next book....the book ends on a somewhat sticky situation,n nd I cannot wait to find out what will happen next. I was wondering if I will go into a reading slump after this...why...because I cannot stop thinking about this book and keep rereading it....this is going in my list of "reread every year".... Also the book got major trigger warning so please read that before reading it.
MY RATING
Overall: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars
Plot: ★★★★★| 5 Stars
Romance: ★★★★★ | 5 Star
Characters:★★★★★ | 5 Stars
Pacing: ★★★★★| 5 stars
Mystery: ★★★★★| 5 star
Banter: ★★★★★| 5 star
Ending: ★★★★★| 5 Stars
Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 | Level 5 stars
Book Cover:★★★★★| 5 Stars
☙ The simmering tension between the trio
☙ The betrayal hits hard, and I was savoring it like a psycho reader I am 😅
ABOUT AUTHOR
USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Stevens has been devouring romance novels and absorbing every detail since she was far too young to be reading them. With a passion for sci-fi and fantasy, she loves nothing more than a captivating villain, a touch of angst, and endless groveling. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her cute-but-demanding pets and a hoard of books.
She's the author of Bloodborne Court, a dark fantasy romance series. Prior to that, she published sci-fi romances including Archlord of Exile and the Bride to an Alien Prince series. Her work was featured in the Claimed Among the Stars anthology, which hit #42 on the USA Today Bestseller List in 2022.