This book is clumsy, both in its writing as well as its story. There is no world, here, just magical creatures randomly thrown together with no thought for how to make it work. It’s messy, but there can be a charm to messy … only, there isn’t, here. It’s flat, lifeless, and generic. The writing is simplistic, easy to read with every emotion and thought laid out in a straightforward manner. For much of the book I thought this was a YA book on the lower end, maybe upper middle grade if it weren’t for the poorly written sex scene.

I’m sorry, but it just wasn’t good. It almost felt like a collection of lines from other sex scenes thrown together with no real direction, like a sex scene for a sex scene’s sake rather than something natural and organic to the story or the characters. Not that there are really characters here, just girl and boy reciting their requisite lines with the same lifelessness with which they did everything else.

This book might have worked for me as a YA fantasy with a romance thrown in, but as a romantasy it’s a dud. I honestly can’t recommend this.

Thak you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

i had high expectations for this book as it had a really interesting concept however it ended up being one of my only DNF's. the main issue i found was that there was a lack of worldbuilding and it wasnt clear the rules and laws of this world, for example some animals could talk, but then were they animals or people? and some animals could shift to people and the same issue occurred. this book is also described as a slow burn romance and it wasnt, it felt like a regular paced romance, if not fast paced at points.

"A magical world where fate and fire collide, and love burns brighter than any danger.”

Lolu Sinclair’s A Sanctuary for Fire & Fate is a gorgeous slow-burn romantasy that pulls you deep into a world where mythical creatures aren’t just legends but fragile lives depending on Mia’s care. Mia’s dedication to the sanctuary is real — she’s the heartbeat behind healing injured fauns, pixies, and baby dragons, and when brutal attacks on unicorns hint at dark forces approaching, the tension ramps up big time.

What really sets this story on fire is the stunning phoenix resurrection scene that only a rare few humans witness, including Mia. The phoenix, Asher, bound by a deadly rule that no one can see his rebirth and survive, surprises us all when he spares Mia. Their connection is electric, mysterious, and impossible to ignore, growing with every moment they spend together. The chemistry is subtle but powerful, mixing ancient magic with raw emotion in a way that feels both timeless and fresh.

Then you’ve got the looming threat of the Shadow Guild, a ruthless enemy closing in fast, putting the sanctuary and all its magical residents on the brink of destruction. The stakes are high, the action is thrilling, and the world-building is lush and immersive. Sinclair creates a sanctuary that feels alive and sacred, where every creature’s survival matters, and the magic feels tangible.

The heart of the book is the evolving relationship between Mia and Asher, a love story that’s as much about trust and healing as it is about passion and destiny. Their bond is a testament to the idea that some connections can defy even the darkest curses and the cruelest enemies.

If you love slow-burn romance mixed with high-stakes adventure and a magical setting that sweeps you away, A Sanctuary for Fire & Fate is your new must-read. It’s a perfect start to a series that promises to keep the heat high and the magic flowing.

The premise of this book got me hooked almost immediately, but sadly, the story did not deliver.

Let me start by saying the the prose was really pretty and flowery. The characters were also really fleshed out and all had their own quirks and flaws.
Buuuut this book needs a lot more work.

The worldbuildung was inconsistent and confusing. I couldn‘t quite figure out, if we were in our modern world or a more medieval setting. In some scenes, we were talking about cars and all of a sudden we were looking for a horse as a means of transportation? PICK A SIDE, LOVE.
The plot was all over the place and the pacing was off. While reading some of the chapters I thought to myself "Well, this could have been an e-mail“.
I could not get into the romance. No chemistry whatsoever between Mia and Asher, but all of a sudden they kiss and are obsessed with each other? It felt so insta-lovey to me and I do not vibe with this kind of lovestory at all.

Lolu Sinclair tried to create something magical and full of romance and while she clearly has a talent for beautiful prose, the rest of this story needed a lot more polishing.

I really REALLY wanted to love this book. It had such a beautiful concept…. magic, romance, an enchanting world, but it just didn’t fully land for me.

The writing had a soft, almost lyrical style, and there were some lovely moments in the world-building, but I found parts of the story a bit confusing and hard to follow. It took me a while to get into, and I just didn’t quite click with the characters the way I hoped I would.

The love story felt kind of light, and I wanted more emotional pull there—but to be fair, the ending totally surprised me (in a good way!). I love when a twist catches me off guard.

Even though it didn’t completely work for me, I think readers who enjoy poetic writing and slower-paced fantasy might still find something to love here.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Lost Lust for the eARC!

The world had potential but unfortunately I could not get into the book. I got about 12% and could not continue. The writing feels too immature, like an early version before being rewritten. World building feels bumpy, and I cannot connect to the main character who feels too two-dimensional.

The premise of this book was so promising, with the story mainly set at a magical creature sanctuary. I’ve enjoyed books of this type before so I was looking forward to it!

However, the writing read more like a YA novel throughout most of the book and the characters actions felt very YA (which I usually don’t mind) up until the spicy scenes. The two feel very disjointed when read together.

Overall I think this book could have been helped with some idea editing and maybe a bit of pace editing as well.

I was intrigued by the premise and the unique setting. However the writing is quite hard to get through and the story feels unstructured so I DNFd. As some have pointed out it feels AI-generated which sounds very plausible to me.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book surely appreciate it! This book was def on the magical/cozy side and was a decent story- I struggled a little with the writing style and at times felt as YA but also had spice and some brutal scenes that made it feel not YA- I enjoyed the atmospheric beginning and was able to look past writing style but something happened midway thru and I kept being taken out of the story and had a hard time with the pacing and the way the timeline played out. I do rec this book as a quick easy magical cozy read but understand there are times where the story/ timeline speeds up and can feel rushed.

The premise of this novel immediately caught my attention. In a genre overflowing with romantasy titles that often blend together, this book stands out—at least conceptually. The core ideas are genuinely compelling: a mythical sanctuary, rare and fascinating creatures, and the inclusion of a phoenix—an underutilized yet powerful symbol of rebirth and resilience. The worldbuilding, on the surface, suggests something rich and imaginative, and it’s clear that the author has a strong creative vision. These elements alone could have set this book apart in a very crowded market.

Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t live up to the promise.

Stylistically, the writing feels stilted and overly expository. Instead of allowing the reader to experience the world and characters organically, the prose often “tells” rather than “shows.” This approach makes the narrative feel more like a summary than an immersive story. At times, it reads like a piece of fanfiction—specifically the kind written in the early stages of a young writer’s journey. That in itself isn’t inherently bad; fanfiction can be a powerful tool for growth. But in a published work, especially one entering a saturated genre, the expectations are higher.

Characterization is one of the book’s most glaring weaknesses. Characters appear abruptly, are given names and brief introductions, and then vanish without any meaningful impact. Many of them feel like placeholders rather than fully realized individuals. This lack of depth extends to the protagonists as well. Neither the male nor female main character leaves a lasting impression—they lack memorable traits, emotional depth, or compelling arcs. In fact, I found them quite unlikeable, with little to root for or connect to. The romantic dynamic between them is similarly underdeveloped, relying on tired tropes and lacking any real chemistry or emotional stakes.

Plot-wise, the story is flat and formulaic. Important elements are introduced and then inexplicably dropped, which gives the impression that the author was trying to cram too many ideas into a single book without taking the time to develop any of them properly. Themes, plot threads, and even characters are left hanging, and as a result, the book feels disjointed and directionless. What could have been a richly layered story comes across as rushed and fragmented.

The pacing also suffers from these issues. What should have been pivotal or emotionally significant moments often fall flat because the groundwork hasn’t been laid. Instead of building toward a meaningful climax, the story meanders and ultimately concludes with a lackluster ending that left little impact.

And then there’s the smut scene. To be blunt, it’s awkward, poorly written, and completely out of sync with the tone of the rest of the book. Whether it’s due to inexperience or a misunderstanding of how to write intimate scenes authentically, the result is jarring. There’s little buildup, no emotional tension, and the physicality is written in a way that feels both unconvincing and cringeworthy. Honestly, I think the story would benefit from omitting explicit scenes altogether. A more subtle, PG-13 approach would better suit the target audience and tone. If an open-door scene is absolutely necessary, it needs a complete rewrite with more believable emotional and physical tension leading up to it.

There is potential here—real, tangible potential. The world the author is trying to build is interesting and could absolutely attract a dedicated readership if developed with more care and restraint. To reach that point, though, a thorough revision is necessary. Characters need to be fleshed out with distinct personalities, believable motivations, and relationships that evolve naturally over time. The plot needs tightening, with clearer stakes and more consistent follow-through on introduced elements. Unnecessary characters should be cut or relegated to background roles, and the emotional arc of the protagonists—especially the male lead’s characterization—should be given far more depth and clarity.

In its current state, this book will struggle to stand out in a genre where readers have plenty of polished alternatives. But with focused revisions and a more mature approach to storytelling, it could become something truly special.

First off, I couldn't finish the third chapter. The description of this book sounded really interested but immediately from the first page, I felt something was off.

There was a weird flow to the writing, as in it didn't seem to flow at all. The writing seemed stilted in some parts and juvenile in other parts. There was so much tell, not show. I don't need to know every piece of furniture in the clinic or every piece of research material on the doctor's desk.

It seemed to be in a fantasy realm, but they would use modern slang? "Miiiiiiaaaaa, I'm coming in hot!" This is the line that was pretty much the end for me. It really just took me out of the book world and made me cringe.

I feel like a solid edit to this whole book is in order as it just seems to be all over the place - in setting, vernacular, writing, etc.
Im not sure my rating will be useful since I didnt even finish the third chapter, but I literally couldn't force myself to read any more.

I would like to thank Lost Lust Publishing and Lolu Sinclair for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
1 Star

"Mia takes her role at the sanctuary for mythical creatures very seriously; when suddenly brutally injured unicorns start turning up, she fears something ominous is headed their way.
Then Mia witnesses something very few humans have: a phoenix’s fiery rebirth. And now, that phoenix wants her dead.

Asher has lived for centuries, surviving by a rule that cannot be broken: no one can witness his resurrection and live. But something about Mia stops him from killing her.

Now, the ruthless Shadow Guild is closing in, and the sanctuary and its inhabitants are on the brink of annihilation. Mia and Asher must fight together if they want to protect the creatures and each other. Because some connections are impossible to break. And some loves are destined to burn forever."

This title sounded promising, I should have read the reviews.
It is my opinion this book has been either a miscategorized genre (reads more like middle grade)/a huge miss with the intended audience/or written by (or partly by) A.I.

I have a hard time believing this book was written for adult audiences. The main character Mia seems to flit from one action or idea to the next with no real thought to the process of how stories are told or where she wants to go. It's a hard read coming in from the idea this is supposed to be romantasy and Mia is an adult somewhat fresh out of college. She seems more like a child or teen emulating the way they think an adult thinks and acts like, but with no real experience to back that up.

I would say this one could do with a heavy rewrite or genre shift and maybe a more cohesive idea of where the story is heading and how to steer the story without everything seeming so disjointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lost Lust for an early copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 2,5 ⭐️

A Sanctuary for Fire and Fate has a huge potential. There are some very creative and original ideas, but overall the story definitely needs more work. It feels more like a first draft rather than a completed story about to be published. I think a good editor and a couple rounds of editing could make this an amazing story.


The world-building defintely needs the most work, in my opinion. It is very inconsistent and sometimes confusing. Sometimes it feels more like a medieval setting, sometimes more modern 21st century setting. Sometimes they mention a car, but then would go on, about needing a horse to get somewhere. But what made me the most confused was, if the story was set in our world or a one created by the author. Things thankfully become more clear as you read on, but the first half is quite painful to get through.

The first two chapters feel very disconnected from the rest of the story. Something like watching a pilot episode to a new TV series. I enjoyed reading them, they just do not fit and I honestly do no know why they were even included in the first place.

The characters were fairly well written. They weren't completely flat and some were even quite quirky and had fun personalities. Introducing the characters just needs a little bit of work. Sometimes we were just given the characters name and everything about them was written as if we already know them, eventhough they just appeared on the page for the first time. But I loved all the mythological creatures that we meet at the Sanctuary. I especially loved the koalaraptor.

The romance was probably the part I enjoyed the least. It was severely underdeveloped and definitely suffered with a bad case of insta-love. The characters meet, they have a few scenes together, and suddenly realize they are in love. So they just get together. Where is the tension, the yearning? I am also not a huge fun of spicy scenes. But I was expecting some level of spice, because the main focus is the romance. I wasn't expecting three of those scenes in book that is this short. The first one was probably the worst one, and the rest was a bit better and less awkward.

The plot and pacing were also all over the place. Some scenes were definitely too long and some too short. And a lot of telling and not showing. Unneccesary scenes, like the dates that Mia and Asher go onto. That can definitely be entirely cut or shortened to one paragraph not being an entire chapter.

But what I very much liked were the descriptions of places, the creatures and magic. Everything felt so vibrant and lively and sometimes I felt like I am literally transported to the enchanted pond or the lush forest. I was able to picture everything perfectly. Lolu Sinclair definitely has a talent for creating an atmosphere and you can tell.

So, in conclusion, Sanctuary for Fire and Fate is a little bit messy and far from perfect, but with some work, it can be a great story.

"Mia takes her role at the sanctuary for mythical creatures very seriously. She's spent years tending to injured fauns, mischievous pixies, and orphaned baby dragons. But when brutally injured unicorns start turning up, she fears something ominous is headed their way.

Then Mia witnesses something very few humans have: a phoenix's fiery rebirth. And now, that phoenix wants her dead.

Asher has lived for centuries, surviving by a rule that cannot be broken: no one can witness his resurrection and live. But something about Mia stops him from killing her. A feeling he can't explain. The more time they spend together, the stronger the pull between them becomes. Something deeper than fate, more powerful than instinct.

Now, the ruthless Shadow Guild is closing in, and the sanctuary and its inhabitants are on the brink of annihilation. Mia and Asher must fight together if they want to protect the creatures and each other. Because some connections are impossible to break. And some loves are destined to burn forever.

For fans of slow-burn romantasy, high-stakes adventure, and breathtaking magical worlds, A Sanctuary for Fire and Fate is the first book in a spellbinding new series where love and destiny collide."

Orphaned baby dragons! I want to help save the orphaned baby dragons!

As soon as I picked up this book and took a closer look at the cover I immediately thought about not even reading it. If you ask AI to generate the cover of your book (which I already think it’s bad enough considering you’re an artist and should be ashamed) and aren't willing to look at it twice to realize my girl has six fingers, I don’t think you might’ve spent ten minutes editing your book.

Alas, I thought, I got this book to review, so I’m gonna do it no matter what. Well, it didn’t take long to regret this decision.

I DNFd this book at 45% of it.

For starters the whole book reads like AI generated. There’s no subtext, pretty much every dialogue or scene is literal to the point of boredom and there’s so much infodump and external elements with no direct correlation to the main story that all I wanted was to get it over with already and just forget I spent hours of my life with it. The worldbuilding is confusing, the characters sound like lifeless robots most of the time, the nickname the MMC gives the FMC is atrocious (“alive and well”, really?) and when the author wants to solve a loophole they just add “magic elements” out of nowhere.

I also need to add that the whole vibe of the story is very childish and I’m not sure if it’s a problem of the writing or if that was supposed to be the main audience from the start. Considering the cover has a YA feeling, I was expecting something else entirely.

The whole AI cover probably influenced my bad view of this book from the start, but the uninteresting story and characters did the rest.

I liked the world development a lot. The sanctuary, in particular, was one of the most compelling aspects for me. I mean, who wouldn't want to run a safe haven for magical creatures of all kinds? Even if they do wreck mischief.

The relationships between the characters also stood out. Their growth was compelling with dynamics that evolved in meaningful ways. There were some sweet moments, some tense ones, and everything in between, I found myself genuinely rooting for them.

Thank you, Lost Lust & NetGalley, for the ARC!


The ending was incredible! It was a unique plot twist that left me emotionally connected to the characters, but sadly, it was for the first time in this book.

At times, the writing felt like two different authors with varying skills wrote it. The opening chapter specifically suffered from telling rather than showing, and was the most significant sign of amateur writing to me. Then, throughout the book, scenes or chapters were written significantly better with the "show, don't tell" technique, making me feel like two authors created this.

The dialogue throughout was stagnant. The character's motivations change frequently without cause or logical reason. The pacing felt rushed. This story takes place over a short period of time, which can be fine, but the info dumping paired with the rapid pace of events and changing priority levels of the characters made it feel unrealistic. Elements were introduced and never mentioned again (like the main threat to the Sanctuary).

Another primary reason I gave it two stars was the use of overly convenient plot devices. As soon as one character needed something, another character randomly forgot to mention they could solve that issue with some random thing they happened to have on them. I can forgive that once or even twice, but this story is riddled with them.

It wasn't until the ending that I realized this is an Urban Fantasy. Throughout reading, it would take me out of the story every time an idiom or modern reference was made because it was unclear that this wasn't a high fantasy story.

About halfway through the book, several spicy scenes are depicted, which were shocking because the writing for the rest of the book felt like it was written for Young Adults/Teens.

Overall, the story's setting and premise are unique and interesting. A cozy mythical creature sanctuary run by two besties! Sign me up! But sadly, I was left wanting more.

If the "show, don't tell" notes are addressed, this idea can potentially be a great cozy fantasy.

There’s a lot to love in this book—it’s bursting with creativity. The magical creatures were fascinating, and the idea of a sanctuary as a central setting really stood out to me. The story has a strong foundation and some truly original elements. That said, the writing style early on felt quite young, which had me thinking it might be YA. But with some open-door scenes later on, the tone shifted in a way that felt a bit mismatched.

I wanted to love this but ultimately just didn't get there. The premise was intriguing and I did enjoy all the different magical creatures. I mean, koalaraptor, sign me up! I also really enjoyed the ending as it wraps up in such a great, unexpected way. But the main character annoyed me through most of it and was a bit of a ""everyone loves her" Mary-Sue type, so that probably led me to not really be invested in the romance. The dialogue was a bit cheesy at times and the book really seem to tell you rather than show you. Overall it was entertaining but not moving.

This was definitely an interesting read, but unfortunately, nothing about this book felt finished. This could use a ton of editing with the writing and story.

One of the severely lacking qualities was the world building. Nothing about the world was explained or described. We were just give random terms and places and then expect to know exactly what was being talked about.

The pacing in the book was also all over the place. It felt weirdly rushed in some scenes, like we had to rush to get to the next plot point. The characters felt very one dimensional and the interactions between them felt undeveloped. There was no depth in anything the characters said to each other. Every conversation felt odd.

The premise of this could make a nice cozy fantasy mystery if it goes through extreme editing before it gets published.

Thank you NetGalley and Lost Lust for providing this ARC in exchange for a reviewl!