Stacking the Shelves | 10/17/26

I’ve seen Stacking the Shelves on a few blogs and I decided to do it to replace my book haul posts because, why not? It is hosted by Reading Reality and this is how the meme is described: “Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! And audiobooks. Donโ€™t forget audiobooks!so go check out her blog!”


Book Purchases – (ebook or physical)

There are so many books I want to buy but…not in this economy! ๐Ÿ˜…โ˜น๏ธ

Heir of Ilusion by. Madeline Taylor

An alliance between enemies.

A weapon of untold power.

And a bond that could rewrite fate.

Blessed with the power of illusion, Ivy Pomeroy has many tricks up her sleeve. However, none of them are a match for the enchanted collar at her throat that keeps her bound to a ruthless king. Forced to play the role of his obedient pet, she plots in secret to destroy him and claim the freedom she has always been denied.

When a mysterious reaper arrives in the city with his sights set on the same weapon Ivy needs, she must decide how far she’s willing to go for her freedom. With a tenuous alliance tying them together, Ivy learns there is more to her reluctant companion than meets the eye. He sparks her curiosity and ignites dangerous desires within her. But will their newfound connection lead them to triumph? Or will the secrets they harbor destroy each other?

Above all, Ivy must

She is not the pet they tamed.

She is the beast they let inside.

And she will show no mercy.


Library Haul – (physical and online library):

Threshing Day by. Rebecca Yarros – audiobook – full cast

“An uneducated cadet is a dead one” – Colonel Thadeus Palme

Welcome to Threshing Day, the brutal, high-stakes trial where would-be riders at Basgiath War College fight to earn the bond of a dragon or die trying. Amid rughtless competition and dragon fire, these thirteen cadets must survive a battlefield where desperate rivals will do anything to gain an advantage and dragons decide one’s ulltimate fate – and where a single choice can forge a rider … or destroy them.

Xaden Rioson, the powerful leader.
Rhiannon Matthias, the clever friend.
Dain Aetos, the dutiful rule-follower.
Liam Mairi, the kindhearted protector.
Ridoc Gamlyn, the jokester.
Sawyer Henrick, the underdog.
Garrick Tavis, the dependable aide.
Imogen Cardulo, the impulsive fighter.
Bodhi Durran, the second-in-command.
Mira Sorrengail, the fearleass rider.
Brennen Sorrengail, the brilliant tactician.
Aaric Graycastle, the restless royal.
Sloane Mairi, the determined sister,

On Threshing Day, there’s only one rule: don’t die

**********

The Knave and the Moon by. Rachel Gillig – audiobook

Rachel Gillig, the queen of gothic romantasy, returns with higher stakes, darker mysteries, and deeper longings in this gorgeous sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling sensation The Knight and the Moth.

Aisling Cathedral is in ruins. Rodrick Myndacious, Bartholomew, and Maude Bauer are rumored to be deadโ€”and the king has taken Sybil Delling as his bride. To show off their union and solidify his power over Traum, Benji proposes a series of tournaments throughout the hamlets. Captive and drugged, Sybil remains determined to vanquished him as she once did the Omens, even if she destroys the kingdomโ€™s faithโ€”and herselfโ€”in the process.

But then a mysterious knave rises to the top of the lists, a man with no name and no memory who may just be Sybilโ€™s ticket to undoing Benjiโ€™s power. For in a land where stories repeat themselves, where a king can prove as cruel as a god, the only way to truly destroy the Stonewater Kingdomโ€™s faith is to save it.


NetGalley Haul

More books for 2027!

Throne of Frost and Flame by. J.R. Ward

She caged the Dark King. Now she has to survive what comes after.

Sorrel bought Anathos a breath of peace when she cast the Dark King back into the Fulcrumโ€”but victory leaves bruises. Merc, her fiercest protector and the man sheโ€™d burn kingdoms for, lies broken in Prosperitusโ€ฆ and Sorrel is forced to wait while enemies sharpen their smiles.

Because the court doesnโ€™t celebrate heroes. It uses them.

As whispers turn to knives and intrigue turns lethal, the Princeโ€”her only ally with real powerโ€”forces Sorrel toward a choice that reeks of treason. Obey, and she may betray everything she fought for. Refuse, and she may doom the realm.

When Merc can finally stand, Sorrel turns north to marshal more armies before demon hordes spill across the land. But the Forest of Reflection waits on the roadโ€”where truth becomes a weapon, love becomes a weakness, and the darkest part of Sorrel learns to answer back.

And as the Dark King strains at his cage, Sorrel must find the courage to win a war for Anathosโ€ฆwithout losing her soul to the darkness rising inside her.

*************

Night Tide by. Lexi Ryan

Aurora Evanselierโ€™s graduation from Invictus Mage Academy is meant to be the most unforgettable night of her life. The glittering ball is supposed to begin with music and dancing and end with a single which of the empireโ€™s four ruling kingdoms sheโ€™ll serve with her formidable magic.

As the emperorโ€™s daughter, everyone expects Aurora to choose Daybreak, the most powerful kingdom in the empire. But when her father collapses, only one man can save himโ€”Malek Ravenstorm, the brooding, magnetic prince of Night Tide. Malek has never forgiven the emperor for executing his brother, but he offers Aurora a his healing magic, in exchange for her allegiance. Desperate to save her father, she agrees.

Now Aurora is bound to a kingdom rumored to harbor witches and vampires, where the castle hides forbidden wings, and nothing is what it seemsโ€”especially Malek. Heโ€™s infuriating. Irresistible. Dangerous. And determined to keep her in the dark.

But Aurora didnโ€™t trade her freedom to become a pawn. As whispers of a curse stir and Night Tideโ€™s mysteries deepen, she uncovers a truth that threatens everything she thought she knew. Because the darkest secret of all isnโ€™t Malekโ€™s. Itโ€™s hers.

Night Tide begins a steamy, high-stakes romantasy trilogy where magic is power, desire is dangerous, and the shadows hold answers that canโ€™t survive in the light.

TROPES YOU’LL FIND IN NIGHT TIDE:

Magical academy Brother rivalry (with Vampire Diaries‘ Stefan-Damon vibes)Enemies-to-lovers romance Found friendship Royals with secret identities Mysterious creatures that roam the night Bound by curses and fate

*********

Nocturnus by. Greer Rivers

Secrets worth killing for. Love worth dying for. Nocturnus is Gossip Girl gone dark in an irresistible gothic romance.

…This is the start of the rest of your life. Donโ€™t F*** it up.

My grandmomma killed my father to save my life. Now Iโ€™m trying to leave the past behind me and survive Graveston Universityโ€™s cutthroat elite.

Carver Wilde ruins everything.

His obsession is barely caged, and his protective side made me feel free. But when a party and a rumor at Corvus House threatens to destroy me, my silence becomes my salvation and my burden.

He thinks I betrayed him. We were a kiss away from something perfect, and now he wants me gone for good. Iโ€™ll fight tooth and nail to stay.

Unless someone wants me buried insteadโ€ฆ โ€ฆ

Order of Crows Code 1: The Missive controls the truth.

When youโ€™re going to die in prison, any deal is a good deal. So freedom in exchange for murder? Kill to protect the secrets of Gravestonโ€™s elite? Iโ€™ve done worse for less.

Cadence Lee ruins everything.

Sheโ€™s a breath of fresh air in Gravestonโ€™s suffocating fog. I canโ€™t stop thinking about the girl who runs with blue fireflies. Sheโ€™s everything Iโ€™m not, everything I needโ€ฆ until she becomes my target.

If I donโ€™t kill the woman I love, the Order will.

Unless I stop them firstโ€ฆ

NOCTURNUS is a dark academia, he-falls-first, secret society romance with hints of Edgar Allan Poe and Appalachian-inspired folklore.

******

Unroyally Yours by. Emma Lord

Weeks have passed since Wren fell under the spell of Callie and Everett. Trapped in a gilded cage, she remains oblivious to their sinister plans, but can sense that something isn’t right. Each night, she is haunted by dreams of a mysterious stranger, leaving her restless and yearning for answers. 

Damien is determined to rescue Wren from Everett’s clutches, but is thwarted by a rogue Fate, who draws him into a growing rebellion against the corrupt ruling class of Andalay. As Damien uncovers the truth about his dark powers, he is faced with a heart-wrenching to restore Wren’s memories, but at a steep price. 

This sets the stage for a daring escape and a fragile alliance against Everett, Callie, and the Fates. With the support of the rebels, Damien and Wren gear up for an epic showdown, fueled by their quest for justice and a fierce resolve to reclaim their destiniesโ€”and their love.

********************

Mastermind by. Sarah MacLean

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the fiery conclusion to her blazingly sexy Hellโ€™s Belles series.

The world knows her as the Duchess of Trevescan, the brightest star in London, the clever, beautiful wife of a hermit husband. What they do not know is that Duchess is no Duchess at allโ€”sheโ€™s a fraud, having faked her marriage and stolen the title and the funds of the Trevescan name, all in service to a larger causeโ€ฆwith her “husband” none the wiser.

Except Branok Penrose, Duke of Trevescan, knows more about Duchess’s secrets than anyone else. He has been watching her for years, waiting for the right moment to return and collect on her unpaid debtsโ€ฆand his undeniable desires. When Duchess empties his accounts, Bran knows if he doesnโ€™t claim her now, sheโ€™ll be gone forever.

The last thing Duchess needs is a man upending her well-laid plans, especially this one, a final adventure that will vanquish her past and lay the groundwork for her future. But Bran is unlike any duke sheโ€™s ever metโ€”too clever, throws a wicked punch, and kisses like a proper scoundrel. A bit of his delicious chaos might be the perfect farewell, but once she’s tasted itโ€”and his tempting promisesโ€”how will she ever give it up?


Kindle Unlimited

The Court of Venus by. Bel Banta

The Court of Venus is an ensnaring romantic fantasy in which a moon-blessed magician is summoned back to the deadly magical court she thought she had escaped; where power is determined by the starsโ€”and the closer you are to the king, the more likely you are to die. Perfect for fans of The Knight and The Moth, The Familiar, and A Darker Shade of Magic.

In Alvion, magicians have always ruled beside kings. Blessed at birth by one of the seven planets, their abilities are miraculous and extremely rare. Magicians born under Jupiter influence luck. Saturnborn can speak to the dead. Venusborn read the desires of the living.

At the moment of Bianca Mortlakeโ€™s birth, the stars and planets aligned just so, making her the first Moonborn magician in over a thousand years. A sorcery so rare that even the history books cannot say what she is capable of.

After a childhood training under the realmโ€™s most powerful magicianโ€”and alongside a most insufferable Venusborn named Rolandโ€”Bianca lives a quiet life far from court. Until a chilling missive arrives in the night, summoning her back.

A mad and deadly court awaits. Two queens have met the executionerโ€™s blade, and one wrong move could see any of them next beneath its steel. As power is pulled between ruthless royals and courtiers like the tides by the moon, Bianca must rely on the last person she would ever want toโ€”the infuriatingly alluring Roland.

Because something is terribly wrong in Alvion. And only this moon-blessed magician and her oldest rival can save the courtโ€”and each otherโ€”from the dark fate they see written in the stars.

The Court of Venus
*rivals to lovers
*courtly intrigue
*magic tournament
*slow burn
*murder mystery
*she falls first, he falls harder

***********

The Book of Azrael by. Amber Nicole

WHERE THERE ARE GODS, THERE ARE ALSO MONSTERS . . .

For a thousand years, the Etherworld has known peace.
Until now.

Many centuries ago, desperate to save her dying sister, Dianna made a deal with Kaden, a monster far worse than any nightmare. Locked in servitude to him, she is forced to hunt down an ancient relic held by her most dangerous enemies: an army led by Samkiel, the World Ender.

After the Gods War, Samkiel hid from everything, denying his crown and deserting his people. Now, an attack on those he loves sends him back to the realm he never wished to return to, and into the sights of an enemy he had hoped to forget.

With every world at stake, Dianna and Samkiel are forced to set aside their animosity and work together, before all is lost . . .


What’s new on your shelf or kindle?

Love, Lies and Too Many Guys by. Erica Lucke Dean | ARC Review

My Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ

Spice: ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Title: Love, Lies and Too Many Guys

Author: Erica Lucke Dean

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 313

Publication Date: 10/20/26

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.ย  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A college student has more to lose than she can imagine in a funny and heartfelt romantic comedy by the author of Chasing Stardust.

Twenty-year-old Kennedy Beaman is a virgin, and sheโ€™s fine with thatโ€ฆmost of the time. But her mother, who is full of regrets after a bad marriage, wonโ€™t stop pushing her to โ€œexperience lifeโ€ while she can. So Kennedy and her best friend, Nicole, make a list of guys who get her heart racing. Itโ€™s all fun and games until the list goes missing.

When Kennedyโ€™s โ€œget laidโ€ list goes viral, sheโ€™d rather own the campus-wide spectacle than be a victim. Nicole convinces her to turn her humiliation into a reality showโ€“style competitionโ€”the last man standing will be her first after the spring formal. An online feminist magazine ups the ante by offering Kennedy a scholarship in exchange for her story.

But as she weathers one bad date after another, Kennedy finds herself drawn to Jordan Keller, a sullen, faux-hawked Mr. Wrong who didnโ€™t even make the list. Can she figure out what she really wants in life before the final round? Otherwise, she may lose something sheโ€™ll miss more than her virginityโ€”her heart.

Content Warning: attempted sexual assault

+~ The premise of this story was intriguing but I can see how some people will be turned off by some things in this book. Kennedy’s mom is really encouraging her to lose her virginity in college and date tons of guys so that she doesn’t end up like her mom, divorced and unhappy with not living up in her younger years. It’s a strange thing for a mom to promote but Kennedy’s best-friend Nicole comes up with a plan and make a list of guys she could potentially hook up with. When the list goes missing and viral, that’s when things get crazy.

~ I think the story of Kennedy and her virgin status is relatable for younger girls. But it’s crazy that in this story, this situation turns into a competition and there are guys lining up to be the one who takes it from her. Yikes. Even worse it turns into a competition that goes viral and a feminist blog will award Kennedy a scholarship prize when she picks the guy who will deflower her. And it’s Nicole her best-friend who actually turns this situation into a competition. I liked her at first, but knowing how she thought of Jordan and what she said about him – the guy Kennedy kind of liked, was such a turn off. And Jordan (a guy Kennedy liked), was right about the dangers of this competition and there was a scene depicting that. Also her mom trying to push her to lose her virginity was strange to me, I mean I’m glad she was very open with her daughter but shouldn’t she be supporting her daughter for not having lost her virginity yet?

+~ I did like the romance between Kennedy and Jordan, it’s a dislike to like situation where he turns protective and things get heated between them. It leads to a steamy scene between them. I like how protective he was of her but there is a twist in that relationship also that was bad and was the cause of their conflict. Both of them were wrong, but they do work things out and that was cute.

+ I’m a child of the 80’s so I recognized the John Hughes movie references and I thought that was cute. I think some of the things that happened in those movies would not work favorably in today’s society. The 80’s were really a different time!

Final Thoughts:

I think her virginity and losing it to someone special is a very relatable thing girls and guys feel in college, but there were just some things about this story that didn’t sit well with me like her friend Nicole. Also, I didn’t like the fact that turning losing her virginity into a competition for a scholarship could have been a dangerous situation. I did love Kennedy and Jordan’s romance though. I love how she liked his different style and I like how protective he got of her even after he didn’t like her at first. This was an easy, quick read and I’m glad not all the guys who were in the competition were awful but it was a very interesting read.

Read if you like:

  • college romance
  • dislike to like

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Tarot Trials by. Katee Robert | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ

Spice Rating: ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Title: The Tarot Trials (The Tarot Trials, #1)

Author: Katee Robert

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 400

Listening Hours: approx. 14 hrs

Narrator: Lindsey Dorcus

Publication Date: 10/20/26

Publisher: Tor Books & Macmillan Audio

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Tor Books & Macmillan Audio for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The deck has always been stacked against her.

Kestrel has trained her whole life to compete in the Tarot Trials. Her mother won once, earning a place among the five ruling Cinqueโ€”then paid for it with her life, executed for alleged treason against the Minor Court.

But fortune favors the bold.

Now it falls to Kestrel to take up her motherโ€™s mantle as Champion of the Moon, enter the Trials, and face her fate. If she can master her new powers of shadow and illusion, navigate the poisonous game of alliances and lies, and corner the fellow Champion who dealt the killing blow to her mother years ago, she may uncover the truth sheโ€™s seeking without losing her headโ€ฆ or her heart. But in the Trials, betrayal is a question of when, not if. And winning the game isnโ€™t about what she must do to win, but who she needs to survive.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ I think the narrator did pretty good with giving voice to the characters.

+~ The Tarot Trials is basically what the title indicates. People fight first to become a tarot card champion, and then they fight each other to the death. Five winners become Cinque, the ruling body of the city, voices of the Gods. During these trials there are alliances, betrayal, and mistrust. The first half of this story moved too slow for me. The second half is way much better with much more action.

~ I didn’t love the FMC, Kestrel. I understand she has had a tough life, she hates the wealthy, she wants to win the trials for her family but she complained from beginning to end and it got frustrating and tiring. She’s angry and bitter, though I did admire her fight but with all her talk of training and learning about the trials, she seemed so naive and inexperienced.

+~ Kestrel is bisexual but she is attracted to almost everyone she meets in the competition, which is fine but I just didn’t believe her. So I didn’t feel invested in her romantic connection with one of the competitors. There is one spicy scene but the romance didn’t do it for me.

Final Thoughts:

I think if you like deadly trials with a tarot theme, you might enjoy this one. I think this was okay – the first half was slow, the second half is better because there is more action. The trials have action, violence, alliances and betrayal. I do wish I cared more about the FMC, but I just didn’t connect to her.

Read if you like:

  • tarot
  • deadly trials
  • low spice

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Queen of Lombard Street by. Lisa Kleypas | ARC Review

My Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ๐Ÿ’ซ

Spice: ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Title: Queen of Lombard Street

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 10/20/26

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Historical Romance, Women’s Fiction, Mystery

Disclaimer: **I received this book free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Avon for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In Victorian England, no womanโ€”not even a brilliant economist like Reina Martinโ€”is allowed to open her own bank account. Men will take care of everything, women are told. But Reina knows better. As the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish immigrant mother, sheโ€™s haunted by the memory of living with unpaid grocerโ€™s bills and no coal for the hearth.

So together with her mentor, the powerful banker William Farlow, Reina will build the first all-womenโ€™s bank, where women can manage their own financial security.

At home, Reinaโ€™s domestic staff of recently paroled prisoners are building new lives and becoming a found family. But soon Reina is shocked to discover that her enigmatic butler, John Pembroke, is an undercover police detective. Heโ€™s been assigned to investigate Farlow, whoโ€™s suspected of financial crime on a scale so massive, it could destabilize the British economy. Pembroke needs Reinaโ€™s expertise for a high-stakes nighttime heist to obtain incriminating evidence.

Now Reina faces the agonizing choice of betraying her mentor or turning her back on thousands of working-class families who stand to lose everything. Either way, her dream of the womenโ€™s bank may be over.

But courage and sacrifice arenโ€™t limited to the battlefieldโ€”they also occur at the kitchen table, where women who believe in compassion and community are working to remake the future. And when the stakes are highest, Reina knows to trust her heart as well as her intellect.

Based on real-life trailblazers such as Mary Paley Marshall, Britainโ€™s first female economist, and financial titan Hetty Green, Queen of Lombard Street brings to light the hidden history of extraordinary women whose achievements should be celebrated. How can we know who we are, if we donโ€™t know who we were?

Content Warning: mentions of rape, death, grief

+ I love Lisa Kleypas and I thought this book cover looked different from her regency romances so I wanted to give it a try and I was not disappointed. It isn’t regency romance but something with a little more debt and a little more of women’s fiction. It gave me Downton Abbey vibes, which I loved. This story also focused on women empowerment and I learned a lot! I loved all the strong female characters in this book. We get to see what they go through, what they face, and how Reina is trying to change things, a little bit here and there at a time.

+ Reina was born a bastard but that didn’t stop this amazing woman from trying to become more than she was destined to be as a woman. She went to school, worked, and learned to invest. She made connections, built up her wealth and always wants to pay it forward. She’s brilliant and kind. I loved her story!

+ The secondary characters in this story are fantastic – Reina hires a staff for her house from reformed criminals looking for a second chance. It’s a chaotic household until John comes along – but he’s undercover as the butler, trying to get information about a woman’s bank Reina is trying to open up with her friend/banker, William Farlow. Each of these staff member had their quirks, didn’t exactly like one another at first but in the end they are a family. It warmed my heart. Some of their stories made me emotional.

+ As for the romance, there are two. One with side character June (who is Reina’s best friend and cook), and Mad Dog (Maddock), their romance is so absolutely sweet – I loved them together so much! The main romance is between Reina and John, which is unconventional because he’s the staff but I couldn’t blame her falling for all the welsh phrases he kept piling on her. It was so poetic and romantic! I loved their romance and how Reina was all for bucking the rules of society. I want to say the romance is signature Lisa Kleypas – full of emotions and love, just less on the spice, but it still made my heart swoon.

+~ The only thing I think disappeared in the middle of the story was the case about William Farlow. Most of the story is focused on the staff members and them trying to learn the ropes. But the mystery does come back in the latter half of the story, when John’s cover is blown. Then we get into the mystery would have liked it to stay consistent throughout the story but I didn’t mind too much because I was invested in the other characters.

Final Thoughts:

Reina is a force to be reckoned with and I loved her story. This story is about women empowerment and how one woman refused to be what society wants her to be. It made me learn something about women and their access to banks more than a century ago and made me realize how far we’ve come. The found family trope is so strong in this story, it made me emotional. I was so invested in all of them. And the romances made me swoon, even with barely any spice. This just reminded me why Lisa Kleypas was and still is one of my favorite historical romance writer ever.

Read if you like:

  • found family
  • strong women
  • mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

I’m pretty sure I’ve read all her books but these are the only 2 I’ve reviewed on my blog:

Devil in Disguise by. Lisa Kleypas | ARC Review – 4.5 stars

Book Review | Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels, #6) – 4 stars

WWW Wednesday | 10/14/26

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three Wโ€™s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?


I’m trying to finish up my arcs for 2026 and I think I’m on a good pace especially because reading the contemporary romances have been easy reading compared the the fantasies I have on my list! I think I’ve overdone it on fantasy this year…๐Ÿ˜….

What are you currently reading?

Revived by. Bree L. Mina – arc

The Divines by. Rachel Greenlaw – arc

The Lost Guardian by. Natalia Hernandez – arc


What have you just finished reading?

Sharpest Court by. Kiera Azar – arc – 4 stars

Mortal Things by. Marie Lu – alc – 3.5 stars

The Taming by. Eve Hollenbck – arc – 3 stars/2 ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Deal Breaker by. Susie Tate – arc – 3 stars/2 ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Make Me by. Natasha K. Lauren – arc – 3.5 stars/2 ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Deathbringer by. Sonia Tagliareni – 3 stars/1 ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Firstborn by. M.J. Hastings – 3.5 stars/2 ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

The Love Code by. Connie Kitson – 4 stars/2


What are you going to read next?

Splintered Kingdom by. Gretchen Powell Fox

Vasmora by. Keri Lake

The Court of Venus by. Bel Banta

Recruitment by. K.A. Riley

Of Blades and Wings by. Eliza Raine

The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow by. Caitriona Moran

What are YOU reading right now?

The Taming by. Eve Hollenbeck | ARC Review

My Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ

Spice: ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Title: The Taming

Author: Eve Hollenbeck

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 376

Publication Date: 10/14/26

Publisher: Eve Hollenbeck

Categories: Dystopian, Sci-fi, Romance, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Eve Hollenbeck for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Survival is a strategy. Love is a risk.

Dessa Frost can find anyone with her psychic tracking gift, magic drawn from the planet itself. Using it openly will get her exiled, but sheโ€™ll do what it takes to find her missing brother. Even if it means leading a search party into the one place nobody is allowed to enter.

What she finds inside is worse than exile. Her planet has been chosen as the universeโ€™s next battlefield. Before she can act, Dessa is conscripted into the Taming, where off-world nobility descend on fringe planets and fight to the death for rulership. To survive, she must choose the champion sheโ€™ll fight beside. One prospect is a stranger who promises her a reunion with her brother. The other is Tavish Arran, the man who broke her heart, now begging for a second chance with a secret that could save them both.

But before the Tamingโ€™s bloodshed even starts, her dear friend is murdered. Caught between the love she fears and the revenge she craves, Dessa has to decide who she trusts with her lifeโ€ฆand who sheโ€™s willing to lose.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ I thought the premise for this story was very intriguing. Dessa and her friends are searching for her family and get caught and thrown into the Taming. A deadly game that nobles from other planets play when they want to rule a planet. Dessa and her friends get put into teams and they have to survive and try to win but the Scion they are teamed up with is not all he seems. While reading this I just needed a little more world-building because any stories taking place in space is hard for me to envision.

+~ There is a second chance romance with Dessa and a young man she didn’t know was a Scion. Now that she knows, she feels betrayed but it’s hard to stay away from him because the attraction between them is so strong. I did like her romance with him but they have a past we hardly know about and I would have loved more interactions between them plus more memories.

+~ I finally got into the story near the halfway mark because the Taming starts and there is more action. It was giving a bit Hunger Games vibes. I just needed more details, world building, descriptions because hard for me to visualize things in this story. There are more reveals at the end of the story that I thought was interesting.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this story more if there was more world-building and descriptions of the setting and the people. I liked the idea of the Taming though, these deadly games that nobles partake in to rule a planet – it shows how colonization doesn’t just stop on Earth. Give humans a chance and they will want to colonize planets, which is kind of sad. If you like dystopian stories, you might want to give this one a chance.

Read if you like:

  • dystopian
  • deadly game

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New Book Releases This Week | 10/13/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Mothsblood by. Lynn D. Jung

An ambitious alchemist must uncover her university’s dark secrets while trying to escape from her mysterious past in this electrifying debut.

On a rain-soaked night in modern-day Paris, Larkspur Lee and her academic rivals find themselves at the center of an impossible crime-the murder of their university’s headmistress, the immortal Petronelle Flamel.

In the aftermath of Flamel’s death, the school devolves into chaos. The mysterious investigator assigned to the case, Violaine, believes a cult known as the Promethean Genesis is responsible for Flamel’s murder. But Lark, who knows all too well what kind of horrors that the Prometheans commit, will do anything to stay out of the cult’s reach. Matters are complicated when the mentor she crossed an ocean and a continent to escape re-enters her life, enticing her to his side once again while secretly wielding an agenda of his own.

As the Prometheans’ plans come to fruition and the university’s dark history comes to light, Lark has no choice but to decide whether the power she desires is truly worth the price.


White Mountain by. Ruby Jean Cottle

In the second book in Ruby Jean Cottle’s dark and romantic Black River duology, a group of teens must face new supernatural threats while guarding the secrets that could tear them apart.

It’s been months since the Silver sisters’ life changed forever. Dusty should be focused on her new relationship, but how can she, when her visions of the future show her little sister in trouble? Something is waking beneath the mountain, and itโ€™s getting harder to ignore.

When an old foe returns with an army of vampire fledglings and a dangerous new agenda, the Silver sisters and their friends are forced to confront him once again. And after a body turns up in the woods, an unrelenting detective begins digging into the townโ€™s string of unsolved deaths, threatening to expose everything they’ve all hidden.

As new romances bloom and loyalties are tested, the group is forced to face impossible questions about themselves and their relationships.

Whatever is hiding in the mountain isnโ€™t finished with them. And the worst may still be yet to come.


Bride of Stone by Lisette Marshall

She’s a princess married off against her will. He’s the guard delivering her to the altar.

The powerless sister to a volatile crown prince, Estegonde Averre has spent her whole life surviving at court. But when her brother’s schemes leave her betrothed to a vicious nobleman, she must leave her cutthroat family home and travel to the estate of her husband-to-be โ€“ accompanied by his most dutiful guard.

Gon knows she shouldn’t trust a man loyal to her horrendous betrothed. But Errik Eirikson isn’t the brute she expected: he’s quiet, ruggedly handsome, and uncannily determined to tend to her every wish even when she tries to guard her heart. Worse, he saves her life the very first night of their journey, when a mysterious assassin comes for her head.

As the royal family turns against itself and rivals move to eliminate Gon before her wedding can take place, Errik soon becomes the last man she can trust. And the more she learns about the secrets behind his unreadable grey eyes, the harder it becomes to ignore the dangerous attraction between them.

But Gon is promised to another. Errik is sworn to obey his lord. Falling in love would be treason โ€ฆ and to the House Averre, treason means death.

Bride of Stone is a standalone princess x bodyguard romantasy taking place in the world of the Runewitch Saga, thirty years before the events of The Death-Made Prince. While it’s as slow a burn as possible for a shorter story, it does contain spicy content intended for 18+ readers.


The Forest Bleeds by. Rachel Kitch

Saige Chambers, Arcane Bioengineering student and blood witch, is constantly anxious and chronically over-prepared. When Saige and her fellow witch doctoral candidates depart for a conference, she plans and anticipates every last detail. Except โ€“ sheโ€™s not prepared for the moment their bus turns off the highway and takes them to a remote mansion in the Appalachian Mountains, the gates sealing shut behind them.

The mansionโ€™s owner, Arius Medea, issues a simple mandate: fix his injured, rotting leg or die. But itโ€™s no ordinary injury โ€“ the flesh melts off the bone, emitting waves of foul magic that set Saigeโ€™s blood alight. Saigeโ€™s colleagues want to fight back and escape. Saige thinks their best chance is to fix him fast and get out. As tensions rise, Saige finds herself growing closer to Vaishnavi Sri, a poison witch and Saigeโ€™s long-term crush. But first impressions can be misleading, and as Saigeโ€™s reluctant attraction to Arius grows, she begins to wonder if thereโ€™s a better life waiting for her in the walls of this mansion.

But, as one by one, Saige’s colleagues start to disappear, Saige realizes that dying may not be the worst option โ€“ because there are far worse fates lurking in the woods.


Under the Iron Sky by. A.T. Emerald

A fallen empire. A warrior determined to protect her people. And the masked soldier who captures her behind enemy lines. The first novel in a dark, seductive, and all-consuming trilogy where hope is fickle but the fight is never over.

Vordell was beautiful once. Its people lived in harmony, and their civilization flourished as they learned to harness and control the power of Light.

Then the darkness came.

The Iron Sky unfolded dark clouds across the land, thick enough to choke out the light of the suns. The ground cracked, releasing vicious creatures that looked like humanityโ€™s oldest fears. The Darโ€™rakโ€”an enemy long believed to be buried and forgottenโ€”returned to claim the world above.

Soraya Tollmere has spent most of her life on the front lines of the brutal war that followed. Now a high-ranking commander, she knows loss better than anyone.

By day, she leads troops across ruined landscapes and guides covert teams through enemy territory. By night, she meets with a Darโ€™rak defector who has kept humanity alive with his steady stream of secrets.

On a mission to investigate his latest leadโ€”one that could turn the tide of the warโ€”Soraya is captured by The Demon, the Darโ€™rakโ€™s most feared soldier, his true identity unknown. 

His orders are break the human commander, uncover where the humans are keeping a weapon that could win them the war, and bring it to the Darโ€™rak. But as he gets to know the fierce warrior, the lines between interrogator and enemy, prisoner and ally, begin to blur.

As devastating truths surface and loyalties shatter, Soraya must decide who to trust in a world where light is dyingโ€”and where her greatest enemy may be her only salvation.


The Museum of Modern Love by. Mariko Turk

Tonight, inside the Metropolitan Museum of Artโ€•somewhere between the hours of 8 PM and 5 AMโ€•Auden Peck will fall in love with Miki Kawamura.

Thatโ€™s Mikiโ€™s plan, anyway. And the plan is destiny.

See, Mikiโ€™s grandparents fell in love after accidentally being locked in the Met overnight in 1965. And now, after too many almost-confessions, hopeless romantic Miki will finally tell her best friend Auden that she loves him by retracing the path through the museum that her grandparents took that fateful night.

But destiny has other plans. For itโ€™s not Auden who joins Miki on her midnight tour, but Lou McSweeneyโ€•the worldโ€™s most jaded cynic, and Mikiโ€™s ex. How can she possibly confess her feelings for Auden when sheโ€™s stuck sparring with this arrogant jerk? And is it possible that her original plan was not destinyโ€™s true course after all?


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram๐Ÿ“š) | TikTok (TikTok)

Book Covers Featuring Autumnal Colors | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 10/13/26

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This weekโ€™s topic is:

Book Covers Featuring Autumnal Colors (submitted by Wordy Witterings)

I sorta did a similar topic 2 weeks ago because it was an autumn freebie but I like the topic so here’s more books in autumn colors:

  • Burn of the Everflame by. Penn Cole
  • Cursed City by. Kate Golden
  • A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De La Force
  • Firstborn by. M.J. Hastings
  • Eyes of Kings by. Chloe Gong
  • Vice & Virtues by. Alexis L. Menard
  • Their Will Undone by. R.J. Valldeperas
  • Ravenous by. Kresley Cole
  • Winterveil by. Ava Reid

Verity Guild by. Mai Corland

What’s on your TTT?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram๐Ÿ“š) | TikTok | Etsy


Top Ten Tuesday Topics:


September 1:ย Books With Nationalities In The Title (e.g. The French Lieutenantโ€™s Woman, Mexican Gothic, An American Mariage, etc) (submitted by Cathy @WhatCathyReadNext)
September 8:ย Indie Freebie (This topic encompasses a lot: your favorite indie bookstores, indie books, indie authors, indie publishers/presses, indie books on your to-read list, indie authors I read before they became traditionally published, etc.) (submitted by @dark.shelf.of.wonders and Books Are The New Black)
September 15:ย Authors Iโ€™ve Met
September 22:ย Books on My Fall 2026 To-Read List (or Spring if you live in the Southern Hemisphere)
September 29:ย Fall-Themed Freebie (or Spring if you live in the Southern Hemisphere)
October 6:ย Books that Bring Me Happy Memories (Feel free to tell us about those memories if youโ€™d like!)
October 13:ย Book Covers Featuring Autumnal Colors (submitted by Wordy Witterings)
October 20:ย Things That Make Up My Perfect Day (Share the people, places, activities, foods, circumstances, etc. that make a day perfect for you. Go into as much or as little detail as possible!)
October 27:ย Halloween Freebie

Deathbringer by. Sonia Tagliareni | Book Review

My Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ

Spice Rating: ๐ŸŒถ๏ธ

Title: Deathbringer (#1)

Author: Sonia Tagliareni

Pages: 432

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Categories: Dark Academia, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Murder Mystery, Series


Born with the ability to speak with the dead, Viola hates her magic. It killed her sister, Olivia, and if she doesnโ€™t learn why, it will kill her too. Her only hope lies within the perilous walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where Olivia spent her final days.

There, Viola clashes with Sylas, a poison mage whose magic stems from three magical snakes. Immortal, tormented, and reckless, Sylas is tethered to a life he never asked for and haunted by guilt for his fatherโ€™s death. His hatred for death mages runs deep, and heโ€™s determined to keep Viola at a distance. But when an attack forces him to heal her, their fates become intertwined by a magical bond that threatens to upend his loyaltiesโ€”and his common sense.

As more students start turning up dead, Viola and Sylas are drawn into an uneasy alliance that pulls them deeper into Gorhailโ€™s treacherous passageways, where secrets fester beneath the stone and the dead do not rest. And as enemy lines begin to blur and their undeniable attraction grows, Viola and Sylas uncover a chilling someone is hunting mages for their magical relics, and if they canโ€™t uncover the killer in time, Viola will be next.

Content Warning: death, violence

+~ Viola hates her magic, but when her sister is killed and she is brought to Gorhail – she learns even more about her family, and her magic. There is a murder mystery going on because her sister is not the only one killed, and though mysteries move a little too slow for me, the dark academia aspects sucked me into the story. I also liked the magic and different houses ~ especially the asperi (snakes), I just wish we got to see use Viola use more of hers.

+~ Though Viola hates her magic and wants nothing to do with it, she does what she can to help with figuring out who is killing people at the academy. I definitely see growth in her but it would have been nice to see her learn how to use her magic. I did enjoy the found family in the story, especially Sylas’s family that kind become Viola’s friends. His sister Lyria and his adopted brother Beau are great.

+~ I liked the enemies to lovers romance at first, though it is a very slow burn. Their families have bad blood, but Viola is really innocent to it – she doesn’t know the past of their family like Sylas does. He holds a grudge against Viola because of it but then falls for her. But he lets doubts in his mind about her which really turned me off. Viola doesn’t do anything to earn his distrust and yet, his prejudice against her family line hurts her. So…although he confesses his love and apologizes, I was not moved by him. Also, I do think they needed more interactions to solidify their relationship, it did come off a little bit like insta-love.

+~ The story is a murder mystery which means it does move at a slow pace. There is a lot of info to process but I do think there needs to be a little more world building so we could learn more about the academy.

Final Thoughts:

This was going to be a 4 star read…but then Sylas left me wanting. His behavior annoyed me, but I did like the romance until he annoyed me. I did enjoy Viola, Lyria and Beau. The murder mystery means this was slow paced but I like the magic and dark academia. I think it needs a little more world building but this was a solid first book in a series.

Read if you like:

  • found family
  • forbidden romance, slow burn
  • dark academia
  • murder mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Birthstone Book Covers: October – Opal | Tourmaline


The original creator of this book tag is Leslie @ Books Are The New Black so go check out her blog!

THE RULES

  • Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back to me so I can see your post!
  • Pick 5+ book covers that match the current monthโ€™s Birthstone.
  • HAVE FUN!
  • Nominate people if you want!

Spark the Flames by. Ivy Asher

*****

A Court of Splintered Harmony by. Sarah J. Maas

*****

Cursebreaker by. R.M. Gray

*****

Storm Caller by. Nisha J. Tuli

*****

Forsaking Midnight by. Emily McIntire

I nominate everyone! It’s a fun and easy tag to do so try it out. โ˜บ๏ธ