| Title | : | Craving in His Blood (Brides of the Kylorr #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 396 |
| Publication | : | First published June 13, 2023 |
As the daughter of a traveling chef, I grew up flitting around different galaxies, immersing myself in fascinating cultures, and rubbing noses with socialites. Coming to Krynn was a new chapter, a permanent place to finally call home .
But when tragedy strikes and I’m suddenly alone, broke, and desperate, I take work at a dyaan . An establishment where the Kylorr—blood-drinking, winged, fearsome aliens with berserker-like rages—come to feed on willing necks to satisfy their fierce hunger.
That’s where I meet him. Kythel of House Kaalium, the ruler of Erzos, with his mesmerizing eyes like fractured ice and a sinful voice that captivates me.
We’re polar opposites. I’m a hopeful optimist who always looks for silver linings. He’s guarded and mistrustful, a wealthy heir to a powerful legacy, who thrives on rigid, unbending control. Yet he craves my blood with a frenzy that maddens him, and he’ll stop at nothing to claim me.
But when the forbidden desire between us becomes too tempting to resist, I fear it will destroy us both...especially when an impossible choice threatens to be our Duty or love?
Craving in His Blood (Brides of the Kylorr #2) Reviews
-
Zoey Draven ONCE AGAIN did the thing
MAIN CHARACTER NAMES
Millicent “Millie” Seren | Kythel of House Kallium
FEATURES
∘ alien-human romance
∘ vampire gargoyle-esque alien
∘ fated mates
∘ grumpy / sunshine
∘ contractual “only for a month” agreement
REVIEW
I saw this marketed as “friends to lovers” and felt a smidgen of disappointment BUT while they become “friends,” we get to see them meet and their relationship develop. I have some preconceptions of the trope I need to shed because if this is what I’ve been avoiding…I’m missing out.
I loved Millie so much. She was so compassionate and sweet and soft and tough and just so UGH. Kythel was a fool for thinking he could resist her.
Kythel’s stoicism and grumpiness was such a nice treat. I love this dynamic so much. His grappling with what happened to his aunt was a good motivation for his reasoning, but I wish what happened was revealed sooner. It was hanging over our heads the entire novel.
All that aside, this love story was beautifully written. Zoey Draven is easily one of my favorite authors. I’d wait ten years for the next book in the series because it would be worth it.
OW/OM DRAMA OW — Kythel is set on marrying for duty, but he does not have feelings for her
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP yes
ENDING HEA
POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 4 / 5 -
If I could give this book a thousand stars, I would.
“I can’t seem to stay away from you,” came Kythel’s quiet confession. Tingles ran down my arms. “It’s quite infuriating. I’m at a loss of what to do about it.”
I genuinely didn’t think any book could top DIHB- I have a soft spot for Gemma and Azur but my oh my. This book blew me away. I stayed up till 4am to finish it and immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again.
“I thought myself immune to such things,” he murmured, his voice relaxed and deep despite the bulging strength and tension I felt in his body. “But I quite like seeing my mark on you.”
Kythel is the logical twin, the one who is described by many as a cyborg because of how well he compartmentalises his feelings. But as soon as he meets Millie in the Dyaan, everything goes out of the window. Millie is infuriating in her optimism, her ability to forgive and love. She is everything he isn’t and he just can’t stay away.
She was ugly and beguiling, a study of strange proportions and even stranger beauty. And she smelled divine. Though I’d just had my fill, I wanted to feed from her. I wanted to taste her blood, sweet and lush like sin. I wanted her now.
Millie was a breath of fresh air in this genre. She is reasonable, logical and so so intelligent. She was the sunshine to Kythel’s grump and in a way reminded him how to live for himself again.
When she desperately finds herself needing Kythel’s help, she doesn’t hesitate to go to him. She is prideful but also humble. Honestly, the poor girl’s been through so much but keeps bouncing back and never loses her smile. I would love for her to be my friend, because she’s genuinely a nice character! Kythel is lucky to have her.
Regardless of what happened between us, I would always take care of her. She never had to worry that she’d need to sleep in a storage room or scrounge for food or wear clothes until they disintegrated into threads. Ever again. Did she not understand that?
The third act conflict was perfectly foreshadowed and not a surprise but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. I was crying like a “loon” (Millie’s words) because as always Zoey executed it perfectly. The realisation and later the grovel were *chef’s kiss*.
We get to learn a little more of the brothers in this book and get to see Azur from Kythel’s perspective. I love that berserker alien so much.
If someone had asked me to find fault with this book they’d be disappointed because there is nothing. The book is perfect. The storyline, the pace, the characters and Zoey’s style are impeccable. I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next book.
I’m not sure who’s in line but I’m hoping for the tattooed, grumpy king of Kaazor, Zyre. His intensity and intelligence is going to make him a yummy MC in the future, I just know it!
Zyre: “I want one more thing. But I won’t ask for that quite yet.
I think we all know what Zyre is going to ask for later *ahem Kalia ahem* and the suspense is so sweet I could die from the excitement.
The overarching plot is developing at a great pace and I genuinely can’t wait. There are also some hints about Kaldor and his future mate in the epilogue. And let’s not forget Rivin and Neela from DIHB. Ahh I’m so excited for the future of this series.
To conclude, run to grab this book when it releases. You won’t regret it.
PS- House Arada were so annoying, and I think it’s ironic that “arada” means “in between” in Turkish because they constantly kept getting between our MCs’ happiness 🤣 -
Zoey Draven is by far my favourite Sci-Fi romance author. Every book is so well balanced between the alien world and the romance. This one was no different. I really liked how the MC Millie, wasn’t new to the culture of their life which brought us more into the world. Her dad was half Kylorr and she spent her whole life travelling the universe with him. I felt fully immersed in more of the world building we got to see from a bigger ent perspective.
I loved the characters as individuals. They were both great MCs to follow and kept me entertained. The only bummer was I wish I felt more connected to them as a couple. I don’t know what it was, maybe was because I just finished reading Gemma and Azur’s book again or seeing this book’s MCs fall too quickly into their wants, but I just didn’t feel them as strongly as the previous book’s couple. That being said, there were still some sweet moments, some spicy moments and some moments that hurt my heart to read. It just goes to show how great this book was as a whole that I loved it even though I wasn’t as invested in the main characters as I wished to be. Her father’s story was also heartbreaking to hear about.
The interconnected plot that started in book one and will probably continue throughout the series is started to develop more as well. As someone who likes character driven plots the most, I like how this big plot of given in bite sized pieces in order to not take away from the romance. It has made be very intrigued to see what’s next to come. -
June 15, 2023:
I love Zoey Draven but sometimes her works aren’t memorable. This is not mediocre or a waste of time. I do feel the author tried here. I was hooked in for the first few chapters but it didn’t have an interesting political intrigue plot, and the angst was missing the X factor. My favourite sci fi fantasy stories by Zoey Draven have both these elements: a story I care about and also incredibly angst attraction.
However, Zoey Draven is an excellent author so it’s not like I have lost trust and faith. With the Horde Kings, there were some books in there I don’t want to reread but others that are absolutely fantasy romance classics.
Some more rambling thoughts:
That the hero Kythiel is immediately obsessed by Millie’s scent was engaging, but then the quiet place chapters were boring. I wanted more angst and I know the author could have done it with the hero with the heroine he shouldn’t be with from a social status/well-being of country standpoint. She’s done it before in ways that make you feel for the heroine and the hero.
Heroine is an orphan who loves food. The food creations were a lot of fun. But aside from fulfilling her father’s dying wish, she didn’t feel compelling.
Hero is also meant to be a proper, cold fish who has never had the time to enjoy life for himself. I think this was a lot of telling not showing. I didn’t feel in his life, aside from not being able to marry his blood mate, I felt that restriction. His story about being an architect was somewhat reflected in his love of beautiful things but I never felt a yearning from him.
As for the set-up for the next potential hero in the wings, I am incredibly intrigued by the king in the North who appears to have a lifelong fascination with the hero’s sister. That is one thing I like to see more of, kylorr with kylorr. It’s nice when it’s a human pairing because you have that outsider perspective but lots of possibilities with 2 vampire aliens 😈
June 16, 2023:
WHAT!! I need to sign up to author newsletters because I can’t believe I could have had 3 whole days to read this 🥲 -
2.5 stars. I love Zoey Draven but this book was bland as hell by her standards. If she hadn’t given us the absolute magic that is the Horde King series I would probably be more lenient in my rating but Craving in His Blood very much suffered by comparison.
It’s easy to tell from the very beginning what the main conflict is going to be. I kept waiting for the epic conflict/angst/grovel/pining that Draven does so well, but what I got instead was a predictable cookie cutter story with none of the passion I’ve come to expect from her.
Kythel (MMC) was a frustrating combination of selfish and spineless. He knowingly lead the FMC down the “blood mate” rabbit hole with complete disregard for her feelings or what her future would be like without him. He knew what happened to Ruaala yet repeatedly made self serving choices that would condemn his mate to a similar fate. He strung everyone along for 400 pages until the choices of others forced his hand. He made it impossible to respect him so I ended up pretty apathetic about his HEA.
This one didn’t work for me, but you best believe I’ll still be out here buying all her new books ‘cause she’s a damn fine storyteller. -
4.5 stars
3 on the spice scale -
4.5 Stars
What can I say except that Zoey Draven has got me hooked on sci-fi romance and in particular flying vampires. Book 1 was my introduction to the genre and I absolutely loved that book. Craving in his Blood is no different.
There’s something so intriguing and fascinating about bloodmates and especially when it’s a human and a vampire. Yes, book 1 had a vampire and human too but the tropes here differ. Here the tropes are friends to lovers and grumpy/sunshine and it was so good.
I really liked that Millie had a broad knowledge of the cultures and species. Nothing scared her. She had a purpose and would do anything to make it happen. The friendship between her and Kythel was so well written and explored. The immediate connection because of their blood was palpable and in a way really sexy.
What made me fall for them as a couple was how the author took her time to let them get to know one another through conversations. Yes, they were drawn to each other because of the blood but it had to become more. It had to slowly evolve into them falling in love and Zoey Draven succeeded with it to perfection.
Kythel was a fabulous grumpy and protective hero. How he wanted to get to know her and not just feed from her was so swoony.
Kythel’s brothers appeared and little crumbs were laid so I’m very excited for what’s to come. Another fantastic story to this series.
4.5 Stars -
I’m a fan of this author, I loved most of her Horde King series. She’s fantastic with world building and character development… and I really liked
Desire in His Blood … but this was just missing something.
I really thought with the setup that this would pack an emotional punch, but it was lacking in the angsty drama department.
There were also long stretches where nothing was really going on but filler (cooking, cabin refurbishing, etc.) and when the “action” finally came, IMO it came about from TSTL/clueless decisions that didn’t fit for “street smart”/resourceful individuals we are supposed to believe should be leading people. Neither of them saw that coming when they knew the other family were spying, threatening, and attempting to manipulate the situations??!! And don’t get me started on how these individuals were “dealt with” … at the very least they should’ve gone to prison. What kind of example did they show? Especially with the two commoners from the town… that was silly.
Bottom Line- Love the author but wasn’t impressed with this one. The strong h came off weak, and the badass H came off as a wimpy martyr. I didn’t feel the chemistry or passion like the first couple who couldn’t keep their hands off each other despite “hating” each other, and there was too much filler with housework crap. The decision came too late for me, and it was pretty much forced on him by other’s actions rather than him being a man and standing up for his woman. Then the way he dealt with those other’s actions made him look even weaker and made me feel like he just wasn’t that into her… addicted to her scent and blood--yes, but I wasn’t feeling obsessed love. It was all very bland, and I started skimming. I will definitely continue with the series, but this one was a dud... much like the Mad King book. -
Ms Draven is definitely my favorite sci-fi romance writer. I loovveedd the slow burn between Millie and Kythel. All the longing, tension, and heartache made this such a beautiful story that I appreciate that this wasn't overly spicy. I would recommend reading this in order as there's an overarching storyline, but not necessary in that each of the relationships are stand alone. I can't wait to read the next story.
I highly recommend giving this a read. -
✨3.5 stars✨
Honestly, I'm a lil bummed. It wasn't half as good as the first one for me. That may be because after anticipating about it so much, it couldn't deliver that sky high expectations of mine.
But the book still is good. Zoey literally writes alien sci-fi as if she's writing fleshed out fantasy. -
This book was, to put it simply, a masterpiece of science fiction romance that I am still thinking about days after reading it. Zoey Draven has yet to write a book that I finish and think, "Wow, that was a waste of my time," because she builds worlds that spark the imagination, creates characters that are multi-dimensional, and writes stories that tug at the heartstrings of each and every reader. I have had sleepless nights where I have chosen to finish her book over getting enough sleep to function the next day, and not once have I regretted it. You will find so much to love in this book - a tortured hero with a heart of gold, a strong heroine who makes him work for her heart, slow burn with a gut-wrenching side of pining, fated mates between two people of entirely different species and classes, and a romance that does not come easy, but when it does, it melts your heart. I already need the next book immediately, and it's like that. Every. Single. Time.
Kythel of House Kaalium and Millie Seren were both fated to meet and destined for heartbreak. Kythel has dedicated his life to serving his house and ensuring peace for his people, as a form of atonement for his past actions that he believes led to his aunt's death and his mother's harsh words towards him. Part of his dedication means marrying for the betterment of all, not for love and certainly not for his fated mate, his kyrana. When he catches the scent of Millie in a local dyaan, where blood givers service the blood-drinking Kylorr, he instantly begins to feel things he has never felt for another. His craving for her is immediate and desperate...but Millie isn't a blood-giver and her employer refuses to allow her to give him blood. So Kythel must do without, even though he continues to cross paths with Millie, and each time makes it that much harder to stay away. And when circumstances change and Millie agrees to give him blood, but only until the next moon winds. After that, they will part ways, and Kythel will marry a highborn Kylorr who can keep impending war at bay. Both are determined to keep their emotions locked up tight...but no amount of determination can stop fate when it wants to have its way.
I was in love with Kythel almost from the start - our poor tortured soul who lived with guilt most of his life and never felt the need to seek out love, let alone deserve it. His actions towards Millie were so sweet, so honorable, and the restraint he showed whenever they came close to going too far was admirable. He cared so much and so deeply, but he forgot to show himself that same level of caring. Millie had a soft heart but was also so strong, having been on her own for a while, desperately trying to bring her adoptive father's body back so he could rest in eternal peace. Not only that, but she was on a mission to ensure he rested in peace with the love of his life, his own kyrana who had chosen duty over love many years ago. She knew the ways of the Kylorr, having grown up learning it, but she couldn't know what being a kyrana meant until she became one to Kythel. Neither could resist the other, so they came together, with enough steam to fog up my glasses through my ereader screen. The pining had a lot to do with it. Knock a slow burn all you want, but when someone has waited so long to finally feel the touch of their soulmate's skin and the soft brush of their lips against their own, the steam factor increases tenfold. The pining was palpable. So well written. I could write a freaking ode to the pining and slow burn in this book. And of course, there is major angst, because Kythel refuses to allow himself to have what his heart desires. Millie won't beg, but she does challenge him to fight for them. It takes him time to figure out how to do that. So be prepared for heartache alongside that steam.
Wherever this series takes us, I am on board. One hundred and ten percent. Gimme more.
**I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.** -
This was everything. I loved it so much. If you're a fan of adult fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi romance, I can't recommend this series enough. Or Zoey's books in general. She is a master at her craft.
Her Horde Kings of Dakkar series is one of my favorite series of all time, and this one is quickly becoming a favorite as well.
This was strangers to friends to lovers, super hot, but slow burn(ish) the first 40% in the best possible way. It made their first kiss so much better. The angst was top tier and the world building & storyline so genuinely interesting. I was hooked from the start and couldn't stop reading.
I seriously can't recommend this series enough, and this book was even better than the first, in my opinion.
Disclaimer: I had the chance to beta read this book. -
3 1/2 "Selfish?" Stars!
This one started off a little slow and I got frustrated with Kythel about his "duty," but overall I liked it. I'm looking forward to the next book. I hope it's Kalia and a certain someone. Happy reading! -
“Against my lips, he said, “You’re the answer to the question I never even thought about asking.”
This is the second book in the Brides of Kylorr series. The first book was one of my absolute faves of this year, and I still loved this book but the first one still holds the top spot for me! In this installment, we follow Kythel, who is the lord of his territory, and Millie who is a human daughter of a traveling inter-galactic chef. They meet at a dyann (a blood feeding house, because alien vampires) and Kythel knows the pull of Millie's blood but tries his hardest to resist for the good of the kingdom. He can't stay away, however, and these two form an unlikely friendship. Their friendship is sweet, as it fuses into romantic tension. I really enjoy the world that Draven has created and will continue to tune in for this seires. -
Tropes:
~alien romance
~class difference
~royalty trope
This one didn’t wow me the same way book 1 did, but it was still a solid sequel and I’m excited to see where the series is going! Especially that hint at a possible romance with the hero’s sister 👀 -
Okay, I’ll say it.
The first book in the series blew me away, it was detailed, gave all the excruciating backstory that we needed to see how the world operated. Everything that Gemma did, I could understand and respect. All her family’s responsibility fell on her. Loved the tension, the heat, and the romance, the plot. Giving delicious enemies to lovers.
This one felt a little rushed. Kythel, as much as he wanted to adhere to his duties and sense of responsibility, did he even try to stay away from her? Like there was no slow burn, no yearning, no suffering. Every night he was at her doorstep…? I thought he was the self restraint-ice twin.
I feel like as “strong” of a woman Millie is, where’s her gumption to leave this dude?? You’re just happy that he’s seeing you in your cabin but don’t want to commit to you?
In any case, no hate. I’ll probably still read more of this author’s works!! Just this one fell short after the first. -
4.75 🌟.
What is that one word I always use to describe about Zoey Draven’s book? EMOTIONAL WRINGER!
Add ENCHANTING and MAGICAL to it and you will sum up this amazing book.
She has definitely outdone this time with her writing style. It was lyrical. I didn’t want to stop.
From the beginning itself i was hooked, from chapter 3 I started getting anxiety, sensing the train wreck that was going to happen soon. Through it every single character affected me in some capacity. From anger to resentment to affection to love.
Millie was such a positive heroine, you can’t help but love her. Her complete opposite Kythel was arrogant, tortured and kinda grump. Together they had cheeeeeemistry that set pages on fire.
Some of the scenes were so magical to read. And secondary plots in the book from Joss to Ruaala to Aina was all done well and added so much depth to the story.
Minor spoilers ahead:
Another thing Zoey Draven is expert at? Yeah, breakup scenes and subsequent grovelling.
But here I wasn’t blaming it on hero but got exasperated with heroine. Kythel was honest with her from day 1. Don’t want to spoil anymore as they are so good scenes.
And Zyre and Kalia?? I see a childhood story brewing there. Can’t wait!
So do yourself a favour and Go read the first book if you haven’t and then read this.
There are minor spoilers about first book in this so I highly recommend reading in order.
Absolutely recommended.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily. -
Loved the first one but this one definitely isn’t for me.
IF
The morning after breaking up with the h, the H realized he made the biggest mistake of his life choosing to marry out of duty and ignoring the heartbreak he caused in his literal mate, IF he went back to her to beg for forgiveness and ask for her hand in marriage instead- and he couldn’t find her because she had already left.
IF he spent a week looking for her, suffering without her, getting a taste of what life would’ve been like had he gone through with his duty, hammering in even more his foolish lapse of judgement.
IF he was truly remorseful, hurt, miserable, and the h saw his pain when they reunited AND he explained he went back to try to get her back the day after their breakup then she accepted him back.
Then I think this would’ve been right up my alley.
As it is, the plots that have a couple together while one of the MCs has an impending marriage to someone else gives me too much anxiety so I’m not the targeted audience for this story, it wouldn’t be fair for me to rate it when I knew going in that it probably wouldn’t be something I enjoyed. -
the book 2 is out???? why did i not know about this
-
This is the second book in Zoey Draven’s Brides of the Kylorr series. I am enjoying this author’s writing and definitely will check out their other series (the horde kings in particular I keep hearing about).
There were parts of this book I liked more than the first, I was actually really enjoying the beginning and the setup more in this one. But it did kinda slightly lose my interest. That said, it was stil a fun time! This series has alien/vampire/berserker heroes and I liked the setup between the heroine and hero in this one, he’s determined to have her and she’s a little harder to get at first for reasons. -
3.5 // I enjoyed it but not as much as I’d hoped. The relationship of the MCs is quite reminiscent of Seerin and Nelle, book 2 in her Horde Kings series but the writing is not nearly as tight. The pacing frequently lost traction in telling scenes interrupted with an aside that was ultimately filler hijacking the intensity of the moment.
A considerable length of the book is spent on her deceased father and everything related to a cottage/love story/quest she sets herself on rather than developing the romance between the MCs. It’s one thing to offer backstory to flesh out a character, it’s another to dwell on that backstory so much that it overtakes the subject of the book—the romance between the MCs— and forces it into a subplot until the last 30% or so of the book. Fwiw, the last 30% is great; pity there wasn’t more of that throughout.
I did really like this FMC. She is much like Nelle (from Claimed By The Horde King) but worldly and self aware. She’s incredibly understanding about privilege,,duty, and oppressive responsibility. I loved her love of food and how it’s woven into the story as a way to connect with her deceased father as well as share a piece of herself with others.
Both MCs have an oppressive sense of duty where their families are concerned and both are saddled with expectations from their families. The MMC does it from a place of guilt, the FMC from a place of love. Their blood mate status obviously means they find happiness with each other but it still fundamentally means they don’t live their lives for themselves. -
I didn’t love this as much as the first one. The whole “ I can’t have you because I have a duty to marry elsewhere, blah blah blah “ was tiresome. It was an ok read though. I hope the next book is the sister and Zyre. 🤞
-
Zoey continues to impress; I thought about this book for days on end. I am slowly re-reading a chapter or two every evening just to savor this book.
I have never felt hungrier when reading, Millie being a wonderful culinarian’s daughter and making her own creations was absolutely heavenly. She was so determined to do right by her father, their relationship brought me to tears. The wait for Kythel’s book was short and I’m glad for it because he was such a tortured soul of a character just wanting to do right for his family and his country, blindsided by a fated bond. I cried multiple times at their love story and their well deserved happy ever after, I can’t wait to see them show up again as side characters in future books!
Zoey is the queen of overarching plot—I can already see the larger-world machinations and mentions of other characters and it has me hooked! I eagerly await the next few books in this series. I loved the little tidbits of her other series, stringing together all the worlds Zoey has written into one large universe of the aliens you love!
-
![Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1521418447i/78060090._UY200_CR25,0,200,200_.jpg)
3.5 stars
“My little fallen star, my gift from the universe.”
🥹🌠🤍
I liked this one, but not quite as much as book 1. I was ravenous for that one and devoured the story quickly where as this one was easier to put down. I still enjoyed it, but it was a sweeter story and not as focused on the ‘alieness’ of the Kylorr? Idk how to even say it, but I just found book 1 a little more compelling and in this I didn’t feel as gripped by their relationship and human/alien dynamic.
That said I think Millie was a really interesting character for a sci-fi/alien romance. Often times the human counterpart to the alien knew nothing of aliens before or is at a disadvantage, but Millie was an orphan abandoned on a space station and raised by a nomadic half kylorr chef. She’s seen more of the universe than Kythel, the Kyzaire of Erzos, so although they have a large discrepancy in status: no bloodline to speak of human vs heir to an empire, she was worldly, well traveled, competent and knowledgeable. At the same time she wasn’t miss independent, she was really struggling being alone and in a vulnerable position for the first time in her life and I liked how she slowly let Kythel in. The author calls this a friends to lovers romance which I think is a big stretch, but I did like the slow burn quasi friendship they formed as their relationship developed. The whole plot angle with her boss keeping them apart was annoying and in the end she did the dumbest possible thing if she actually wanted to keep them apart so that whole thing was random and not super well thought out imo.
In general I feel like not a lot happened in this book 🤷🏼♀️ It was very much just a stepping stone plot wise. Bigger things are going on in the background for the over arching plot of the series, but Kythel didn’t do much… he’s got plans, he’s got enemies both abroad and closer to home and my blood thirsty ass wasn’t really satisfied with how diplomatically Millie and Kythel handled that. I get the political aspect, but it felt weak and the antithesis of what a vengeful beserker race of aliens would do when betrayed in such a way, but whatever… “growth, diplomacy, duty” yadda yadda, boring 🥱
I am looking forward to learning more about the Kaazor/Zyre. He’s definitely getting his own book 👀 perhaps with a certain sister 🤭 I love an arranged marriage and those Kylorr seem so mysterious and interesting…something to look forward to. -
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: fated mates, opposites attract
Angst: 😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
Absolutely FLOVED it!
RTC
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers -
Shes a servant girl with nothing to her name & he needs to marry someone else for a powerful alliance to help in the war that is sure to come. Staying away from her is easier said than done when he finds out shes his fated mate.
Im really invested in this world zoey draven has created . This couple is so emotionally connected i loved watching them fall in love . The conflict made sense why he struggled. This book is a bit slower paced than book one but all the feels are there .less 🌶️ than book 1 -
➼ 5 stars for Kythel and his fallen star ☆
“To perfect moments, and to high lords who know how to make fires and let me trespass on their land.”
《 Tropes 》
Forbidden love
Royalty-Commoner
Fated mates
Friends to lovers
Grumpy-Sunshine
Slow burn
“I can’t seem to stay away from you. It’s quite infuriating. I’m at a loss of what to do about it.”
Question for the High Lord of Erzos: Would it have killed you to ask the girl out like a normal person?! What's the fun of being a ruler if you can't break a few rules and walk away unscathed? His own twin got more action out of his arranged marriage than he got in his love match. I mean, look at how lovely Millie is, how can you not be in love? He was embarrassing himself pretending otherwise when the entire town's folk could see the obvious. Though I have to admit their pairing was interesting, Millie being a bundle of sunshine and Kythel hiding behind his icy mask with tons of duties on his shoulder that he vowed to prioritize.
“Kythel was logical. An overthinker, an intellectual, whereas I was the opposite. I acted on what felt right.”
This book was more of a slow burn where we were led through a long process of relationship development. What I loved about this was, the couple put great effort in building their friendship, it was really cute. However closed off Kythel appears to be, he does care a lot, it's more than just the pull of a blood bond to him considering he's always in control of himself. He was even extra patient where Millie was concerned, though sometimes he did let his past slip through and ruin everything. It was fun seeing someone so controlled like him lose his edges.
“The universe dealt you a tragedy, but you didn’t let it break you. You fell hard on Krynn, dusted yourself off, and then you smiled as you moved forward.”
“I’m fucking miserable without you. It took almost losing you to make me realize that I can’t live without you.”
They talked, listened and tried to understand each other at best, that's why the whole thing turned out so beautiful. I won't blame the guy cause even I could listen to her talk about her travels around the universe all day. I adored Millie's character—the way she talks about her passion and views the world around her, the way she loves so fiercely and determinded on things she's set her mind to. Both the Mcs complimented each other's character in their own regard. -
After being utterly obsessed with Desire in His Blood, I had such a strong craving for more books in the Brides of the Kylorr series. In this installment, we get the story of Kythel, Azur's cool-headed twin brother. Kythel finds his mate in a human woman named Millie. After her father's sudden death, Millie starts working at a dyaan, which is an establishment where the Kylorr can feed on blood. Her main goal is to earn enough money to make her father's final wish come true.
The first thing I would like to say about this book is that it is purely character-driven. So this type of story may not appeal to readers who like a good dose of plot in their books. The pacing is slow and there are some odd time jumps here and there. I loved this book because I loved Millie and Kythel as individual characters and as a couple. The story is slow-paced because it mainly focuses on Kythel and Millie's respective character arcs and how they become joined together as blood mates. Their romance is quiet, angsty, and emotionally intimate with, quite simply put, a lot of FEELS. Zoey Draven excels at building up tension and chemistry. I really felt the anticipation between Kythel and Millie. And I couldn't wait for Kythel to finally lose control.
Millie is one of my favourite heroines. I don't know how Zoey Draven does it, but I always feel so much love and compassion for her heroines. She is so strong, mentally and emotionally. She has gone through so much, but she still trusts people and she still has hope. Kythel described her perfectly:"The universe dealt you a tragedy, but you didn't let it break you. You fell hard on Krynn, dusted yourself off, and then you smiled as you moved forward. That's what I admire."
Kythel is a broody sad boy who believes his duty comes first and foremost. And in this case, his duty is forcing him to marry a woman from a noble house. So the main conflict here is definitely internal in nature, which makes sense because of Kythel's backstory. He did spend a lot of time fighting off the mating bond, which annoyed me. But at the end of the day, I felt sorry for him when I found out why he feels he has to put his duties before his own wants and needs.
Overall, this was a solid addition in the series. There's a potential future couple that was hinted and omg I just can't wait for more books in this series!!
P.S. I wish Kythel had actually drawn Millie and she had found his drawings. Missed opportunity. -
am i …… in my vampire era? is this october’s influence? scorpio season infiltrating my personality? i’ve never been particularly drawn to vampires (especially as a team jacob girl), but apparently, make them alien and i’m ALL IN.
this book wasn’t nearly as delicious or smutty as
desire in his blood, but was still an exciting plot, with plenty of angst and yearning to make up the page space.
this tells the story of azur’s brother, kythel, who wears duty, obligation, and responsibility like a coat. the man exudes capricorn energy, believing it his sole purpose in this life to be the best ruler he can be, the best brother he can be, and the best son he can be. which includes a marriage to a daughter of a noble house, for political and financial reasons.
until he sniffs out his blood mate, an impoverished human working in a brothel, trying to save as much money as she can to bring her late father’s body back to his home planet.
this was a lot of fun, and an easy read, though it doesn’t sacrifice quality, emotional plot for smutty romance. i teared up a few times in this one, as millie deals with her grief over losing her father, and grapples with putting the pieces of his life together in honor of his memory.
and again: sexy alien vampire with knot. BUT ALSO WITH GOOD PLOT. we love knots with plots around here.
4 stars, because while kythel and millie’s story was lovely, it didn’t pack the same punch that gemma and azur’s did for me. -
In a sea of instalove and the fated mates trope being used in place of relationship growth, this soft grumpy man and his sunshine woman actually take the time to get to know one another then fall in love. What a concept. I loved it. Give me 10 more.
