Rhapsodic - Laura Thalassa

Rhapsodic

By Laura Thalassa

  • Release Date: 2022-09-06
  • Genre: Paranormal Romance
4.5 Score: 4.5 (From 173 Ratings)

Description

From bestselling indie author Laura Thalassa comes the newly revised and edited first book in her smash-hit dark fantasy romance between a siren and the “bargainer” she owes countless favors to.

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past.

For the last seven years Callie has been wearing a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she once received. Only death or repayment will fulfill her obligations.

Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want … at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. But for Callie, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. 

When Callie finds the Bargainer in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s admitting a truth—a single bead’s worth—acknowledging the attraction between them. But the Bargainer is after more than just rekindling their connection. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one, and only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to her breast. 

For the Bargainer to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. If she can forgive him.

Reviews

  • Would recommend, reread, but not life changing.

    3
    By Mzlonghair
    Weak world building, and the flashbacks impacted the pacing and the final chapters were TOO fast, barely had time to process what was happening. HOWEVER. I cried so many times. The love he so clearly had, but her baggage kept her from seeing - not just because of her past. UGH MY HEART. Author handled r*pe in a tasteful (🙃) manner, but I do feel that events near the end really skimmed over the implications - maybe book 2 revisits that. I do think there were a lot of moments that should/could have been expanded on. The multiple arcs happening at the same time should have been split into two books, so that they could each be more fully fleshed out. Creepy women in coffins IS SO COOL but not given enough attention to be memorable. The only other thing I would have liked differently would be the age of mc. They meet when she’s 16, and then meet again 7 years later - so like 23? Easily could have made her 18/19 - so she ends up 25/26. The 16 felt really ick and I rewrote it in my head each time it came up, lol. Spice like 3/5. More than ACOTAR, less than Blood and Ash. Definitely going to go to book 2, and will rec. (Re the review that was upset about similarities to ACOTAR and Twilight: the only similarities I saw were genre-wide tropes. )
  • A page-turner but…

    2
    By ellebellerina
    I was frustrated by the apparent similarities with the Twilight Saga and A Court of Thorns And Roses series.
  • Couldn’t put it down!

    5
    By melissaek
    This book keeps a great pace between the past and present and falls into a category of mystery and spicy I can’t get enough of! I read it in 3 days!
  • Loved

    5
    By CaramelSmile89
    I thoroughly enjoyed the heroine, Callie. She was the perfect balance of bada$$ and pining romantic. Des was a real one for not monopolizing on Callie’s trauma like some men would, but instead thought she was worth waiting for. I have much respect for the author in keeping the pace of this book. I felt like none of the characters made stupid decisions, there was no “fighting with common sense” or keeping readers in a setting too long. The volley between past and present kept the book fresh and left me wanting to knock out chapter after chapter.
  • Good quick read

    5
    By MistyEyed
    Enjoyed this book and can’t wait to jump to the next.
  • Loved it!

    5
    By Summer Clouds
    Definitely an enjoy read. 😁
  • I wanted to love it

    2
    By amber0000009
    I have much love for the author when I say this: I think the story itself is very, very interesting and cool, but it’s just not the book for me. For starters, the world building is a little weak. I don’t feel like the world itself is very defined and it lacks history, politics, and depth that is needed to make it feel more real. The characters are also pretty one dimensional: main characters are a girl with a spicy attitude, but is just trying to protect her heart and a “sweet only for me” bad boy. The spicy scenes made me cringe a little bit with the wording. The scenes include phrases like “hot mouth noises” or something along those lines and really took me out of the mood. I will say though the story was really, really interesting and I did want to finish the book despite my criticisms. I don’t think I’m going to read the second book of the series unless someone tells me these aspects of the story get better as the story goes on though.
  • Superior writing

    5
    By JJ Tappendanse
    This book made my heart sing. Desmond Flynn is no Angel and Callipso is no virginal saint. Yet, they are perfect. Their story just has that “J’est ne ces que” where you can not get enough of them, the story, or what’s next. Laura’s writing is amazing and she is at her apex with this story. It was so good that even though I had the entire trilogy that I had bought (at m own expense ,thank you very much) I reread this directly after finishing it because I could not believe that the 2nd book would be as good as this one so I wanted to feel all the emotions again before I ventured into the next phase. (P.S. it was)
  • Couldn’t finish it

    1
    By newtbet
    I couldn’t get past the love that didn’t make sense and the writing style wasn’t for me. I wish I hadn’t paid for it but I’m sure some will like it.
  • Can’t wait for the sequel

    4
    By mama k dennis
    I loved it pretty quickly and cannot wait to buy the next book!

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