The Thief and The Traitor Bride is best for readers who’ve already finished and loved The Second Death of Locke, the first book in this series, even though it’s considered a standalone.

The plot could be basically summed up as Mr. and Mrs. Smith reunite years after they discovered/betrayed one another, and then they go meet Locke and friends and do some spying.

I love that the main characters are in their 30s when the fantasy romance genre is filled with characters in their teens and 20s. The MMC, Caspian, is not white, which is refreshing when it seems many fantasy romance heroes are white guys with a really dark tan. I also love a second chance romance and a marriage in crisis.

As for representation, much like in The Second Death of Locke, this is a queer normative world with many characters who are bisexual, gay, non-binary, or trans. The main couple is also uninterested in having children, and the MMC accompanies the FMC to an appointment for sterilization.

Over halfway through the book, Caspian and Elinor, the FMC, end up on the Isle of Locke, and that’s my favorite part. It’s so good to see Locke, Kier, Ola, and Brit again. Unfortunately, Elinor, Caspian, and the other side characters introduced in The Thief and The Traitor Bride are not as likable or interesting. There are some great angsty moments between Elinor and Caspian, but they don’t have the chemistry of Locke and Kier. Elinor is also not the most charming character. She acts callously or without thought, is stubborn even when she’s in the wrong, and is single-minded about spying. She’s unapologetically manipulative - not in a totally sociopathic manner, but it’d be great to see her treat others characters better,

I miss the yearning of The Second Death of Locke and the epicness of that story. Instead, The Thief and Traitor Bride has more of a meandering pace that makes the first half difficult to get through, and it can be hard to understand the plot. The politics and name-dropping are confusing, as is the magic. You have to be really passionate about this world to stay in it.

If there’s a future book in this series, I’ll definitely pick it up, but The Thief and The Traitor Bride is a bit of a disappointment after The Second Death of Locke, which was one of my favorite books of last year.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Brit couples behave badly whilst on holiday in this Mexico-set drama/thriller, making it an apt read for a beach vacation.

The six characters include a honeymooning couple, a middle-aged couple experiencing fertility issues, and a wealthy couple looking to seduce 1 man and 1 woman from the other couples while on their holiday. They like to swing by manipulating strangers into cheating with them. This, of course, makes for a tawdry tale, so expect explicit scenes. However, interestingly, they are written in almost a detached, clinical way. As a result, they’re more uncomfortable and disconcerting than steamy, and some could be construed as instances of dubious consent.

Will the story stick with me? No, and all of the characters are unlikable in their own way, too. I also expected the plot to end with a bigger bang than it did. Despite that, it’s an entertaining enough book for some casual reading.

Fans of The White Lotus, while you await the next season, The Pleasure Trap could help fill the time.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is spicyyyyyyy, as you might expect given the synopsis, and it certainly delivers. There are 4 lengthy scenes that take up a good chunk of the page count.

Amelia, the FMC, is not like the other girls, but not in a bad way. She’s a virgin in her twenties, a tomboyish mechanic whose passion is working on diesel engines. Cal, the MMC, is less defined; he’s an adult film star and graphic designer who’s big and has muscles. It’s sweet to see how charmed Cal is by Amelia right away, and he treats her right throughout. There is no third-act breakup here.

What would have taken this to the next level would be if the story had given more depth to Amelia and to Cal. Maybe having Cal's POV would have helped. As it stands, the story feels a little lacking in substance. Yes, we get family drama with Amelia’s mom and sister, and there are her roommates (including a lot about Emma and her rent-controlled apartment - are we getting a book 2 featuring her?), but I still feel like there's more we could have learned about her. With Cal, we’re only given a few throwaway pieces of information, ex. he makes almond flour pancakes like his dad made for his mom, but we aren’t told anything more about his family.

If you like your romances fast and spicy, this one’s for you, though going beyond the surface level would have made it even better.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.