Green Book Covers | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 3/17/26

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 week’s topic is:

Green Book Covers

(In honor of St. Patrick’s Day today!)

  • Her Hidden Fire by. Clíodhna O’Sullivan
  • The Magic of Untamed Hearts by. Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
  • A Promise of Lies by. Clare Sager
  • Jealous Rage by. Sav R. Miller
  • Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu
  • A Curse of Ashes by. Sariah Wilson
  • In Your Dreams by. Sarah Adams
  • Mate by. Ali Hazelwood
  • Poison in Their Hearts by. Laura Sebastian
  • Drive Me Crazy by. Lizzy Dent

What’s on your TTT?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok | Etsy

Top Ten Tuesday Topics:

February 3: Book Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique/etc. Typography (Typography is the art of arranging letters so they look visually appealing and more interesting than, for example, the body text of this blog post you’re reading now. I did a similar post to this a few years ago, so if you need inspiration on what I’m talking about click here to have a look.)
February 10: Love/Valentine’s Freebie
February 17: Books for Armchair Travelers (Submitted by Laurie C @ Bay State Reader’s Advisory)
February 24: Quotes From/About Books (Share book quotes you love, quotes about being a reader, etc.)


March 3: Genre Freebie (Pick a genre and build a list around it. You could do historical fiction featuring strong female leads, contemporary romance set in foreign countries, mysteries starring unreliable narrators, lyrical fiction books in verse, historical romance featuring pirates, Gothic novels with birds on the cover, etc. There are so many options!)
March 10: Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers (Ordinal numbers are numbers that define an item’s place in a series. For example: first, second, third, fourth, tenth, fourteenth, thirty-third, one hundredth, etc.) (submitted by Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog)
March 17: Green Book Covers (In honor of St. Patrick’s Day today!)
March 24: Books on My Spring 2026 To-Read List
March 31: Buzzwords or Phrases That Make Me Want to Read (or Avoid) a Book (These words or phrases can be in the title, synopsis, marketing materials, reviews, author blurbs, etc. and immediately pique your interest or immediately make you say “NOPE”. Examples include: fae, forbidden romance, morally grey characters, unreliable narrator, found family, magical worlds, love triangle, marriage of convenience, dark academia, stranded, dragons, dual points of view, starting over, etc.)

New Book Releases This Week | 3/17/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Innamorta by. Ava Reid

A visionary and atmospheric gothic fantasy about necromancy, vengeance, and soul-consuming love, the first in a duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth

Once there was an island where the dead walked the earth, and seven noble houses ruled by the arcane secrets of necromancy.

A conqueror’s blade brought them low, burning their libraries, killing their lords, and extinguishing their eldritch magic.

But defiant against the new order stands the House of Teeth and its last living members: beautiful Marozia, the heiress to the House, and her cousin, the uncanny Lady Agnes.

Though she has not spoken a word in seven years, Agnes is the true carrier of the House’s legacy. And she has her orders. She must recapture the secrets of death magic and avenge her family’s fallen honor. She must arrange the betrothal of her beloved cousin Marozia to Liuprand, heir to the conqueror’s throne, for access to the forbidden library in his grotesquely grand castle.

Revenge burns in Agnes’s heart but so do stranger passions—and it is Liuprand, the golden prince, who speaks to her soul. This passion is as treasonous as it is powerful, poisoning the kingdom’s roots and threatening to tear the already shattered realm in two.

For Agnes’s final order is the gravest: She must not fall in love.

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg

In this warm, intimate novel, a woman celebrates the joy she finds in the ordinary things in life and discovers it’s never too late to start new adventures. By the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv and Open House

Florence “Flo” Greene is nearing the end of her life, and she decides to leave her house and an account of her life for Ruthie, the younger woman who grew up next door, moved away, and still is like a surrogate daughter. As Flo writes to Ruthie about the meaning of beloved things in her home and about events in her past, she also tries new adventures of her own. She intervenes in the lives of friends in her neighborhood.

Flo’s project has been to encourage Teresa, a wise but unconfident woman, to open her heart to romance. Flo goes to the library to get advice from Mimi, a librarian. She encourages Ruthie, who is contemplating divorce, to try again with her husband, by sharing a startling secret long buried about Flo’s own seemingly perfect husband and marriage.

In her final weeks, Flo leaves an indelible mark on others, as this moving novel celebrates life, change, and ways to discover new happiness, friendship, and love.

Queen of the Night Sky by. Amalie Howard

The sequel to The Starlight Heir and the epic conclusion to the romantasy duology that Rebecca Yarros calls, “a breathtaking, sexy romantasy full of twists and adventure.”

The Kingdom of Oryndhr has been saved by the will of the Royal Stars. But King Roshan, once Sura’s best friend and chosen love, has changed. She can sense corruption growing in him, and her own magic is being twisted by his command to dangerous ends. As dreams of her strange shadow guardian return in force, she is left unsure of her path—and of her heart.

When an attempt on her life leads to her rescue on the back of an azdaha, the dragon-like creature she once thought a myth, Sura truly finds herself in uncharted territory—in a land far beyond Oryndhyr’s borders. Everlea is full of magic, ruled by the deadly and enigmatic Night King, Darrius. And to Sura’s shock, Darrius is none other than the man in her dreams…and possibly her soul fated mate.

As a prophecy unfolds, the old gods awaken, and a war between kingdoms looms, Sura has no she must fully embrace her destiny as Starkeeper and the entirety of her power before it’s too late. But all power comes at a cost…and darkness has a way of slithering into the smallest spaces.

Queen of the Night Sky is a lush, fast-paced romantasy inspired by Indian and Persian mythology,

Open door spice “Why choose” trope Yearning and heartache Magic system inspired by Vedic astrology

Love Song by. Elle Kennedy

New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy returns with her signature heat and humor for a Briar universe standalone romance featuring the next generation Off-Campus characters―where one unforgettable summer changes everything.

After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.

With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast.

They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.

But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse.

Mayhem and the Mortal by. Shanora Williams

One mission. One curse. No escape.

Zaira doesn’t want a hero. She needs a weapon.

To save her sister from a soul-devouring curse, she has to cross The Shallows—a nightmare landscape of ruined magic, shifting paths, and vicious creatures that eat people alive.

Her guide? Thane sorcerer, assassin, walking red flag. His name clears rooms. His magic kills quietly. And whatever he’s really after, it’s not salvation.

He promises to help. He might even mean it.

But Zaira knows better than to trust a liar with a blade and ice in his veins.

She just doesn’t have a choice.

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Never Ever After (#1)

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/28/25

Categories: Chinese Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, Series


Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this Cinderella-inspired fantasy by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

Yining stopped believing in dreams the day her beloved uncle died. Driven to survive, she’s become a good thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that could yield the key to a better life, it is stolen by her grasping stepaunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the Iron Mountains to seize it back.
Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious Prince Zixin, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems as she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed-her only ally a cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. Desperate to secure her freedom, Yining embarks on a perilous quest where she must choose who to trust, unravel the mystery of her past, and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.

Content Warning: violence, death, animal death

+ The beginning of this fantasy book is Cinderella-inspired for sure. Yining is a young woman who is surviving as a thief under the guardianship of her step-aunt. Her Uncle was the one who took care of her but when he dies, she ends up with her step-aunt, who is always getting in trouble. But one day Yining comes across a magic carp who gives her a wooden ring, a gift, from her mom who she never knew. Yining isn’t supposed to take off the ring but an incident happens where it does come off – the thief being her aunt and she attends the Prince’s ball to find her aunt and the ring. But this Cinderella story has a big twist, where the Prince isn’t exactly charming.

+~ Though I did like how this story started, I do think the beginning moved a little slow as we try to figure out Prince Zixin’s personality and motivations. He seems like a charming prince, but then Yining finds out more about him and her mind changes. On the other hand there is Jin who is part of the envoy from Thorn Valley. Yining strikes a bargain with him to get her ring back from the prince. I did enjoy the second half of the story where there is more action, and we learn about Yining’s mysterious past. I enjoyed the political intrigue happening between the different kingdoms.

+ This looks a love triangle is brewing. Jin and Yining get close, but can she trust him? Then she finds out something about the Prince that can’t make her totally hate him, but I don’t know why at the end it felt like something could be explored between them too? I’m glad it doesn’t end with either guy because there is more to explore about Yining and her past. But it will be interesting to see which guy comes out the winner in her eyes.

~ I’m sure this will be more explored in book two but it would be nice to have more information about the magic. And I think that will all happen on Mist Island, or at least I hope. Because there are many magical elements in this story, a magic carp, a dragon, nature magic, but I don’t feel like we get to know much about it in this book, so hopefully we get it in the next one.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought pacing was an issue and I loved the second half more than the first off. Starting off as a Cindrerella-inspired story was intriguing but the story changes and soon it doesn’t resemble the fairy tale at all. I enjoyed the political intrigue and even the love triangle because I can’t tell who Yining will choose in the end. I’d love to learn more about the magic system so I hope we can get that in book two.

Read if you like:

  • Cinderella-inspired/Chinese Fairytale
  • love triangle
  • magic, magical animals

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heart of the Sun Warrior by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Serpent’s Sin by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Sin (Bloodlines, #2)

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 318

Publication Date: 1/23/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires, Fae


To destroy the vampires who killed her family… she must become one of them.

Nadi is trapped in a deadly alliance with Raziel Nostrom. After a honeymoon soaked in blood and desire, they make a pact—to take down his criminal family together.

Now Nadi is at the heart of the Nostrom empire, pretending to be a vampire. If her act slips even for a moment, they will tear her apart.

Raziel holds Nadi’s life in his hands. And her heart… His wicked smile sets her body aflame, drawing her closer and closer. Still, he is a born killer—alluring and utterly ruthless. He could turn on her in an instant.

But Raziel is not the only one in his family with a taste for betrayal…

When his brother and sister approach her with proposals of their own, Nadi faces a desperate choice. Will she stand by Raziel, as the world turns against him? Or seize the perfect chance to destroy his family forever?

Content Warning: violence, death, torture, abuse

+ I like how Nadi and Raziel are always circling around each other, pushing, pulling, not sure what to make of what they are together. Because Nadi has had many changes to kill Raziel, and vice versa but here they are, not dead, but still with one another, not wanting to admit that maybe their relationship has changed into something different. They can’t put the words to it yet and I’m glad because as much as I want them to fall for one another, I didn’t want it to happen quickly because he killed her family. She has to work through some of those complicated feelings of hate turning into love.

+ We learn more about Raziel in book two! He’s just a morally black sadistic killer in book one, but in this book we know more about what he endured when he was growing up, how his family treated and how the things he loves gets taken away from him. I warmed up to him and realize he is a broken vampire with lots of issues and I can see why he hates his family. I like seeing him vulnerable but I also don’t want to see him lose his killer edge – and can’t wait to see what happens in book three.

+ I like that the spice is creative! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 And it meets my expectations of how I assume Raziel would be in bed, so I’m glad he lives up to it. I love how as their relationship changes it shows in the spice also, sometimes dominating, sometimes soft, sometimes desperate. And speaking of their relationship, what a journey it goes through in this story! There are so many trust issues but that ending…I think that ending says it all about what they mean to one another and I love it. I am rooting for them.

~ This is a short book at barely over 300 pages which I love but I also wish it was 350 pages. Here I am complaining about books being too long these days and now I want this one to be longer! 😅. Again, it is light on the world-building but we did get a little more here because we are introduced to another vampire family, and we learn more about Raziel’s family. There are games afoot, and everyone is trying to entice Nadi to be on their side and she has to try and play it right. Though there is family political intrigue between the siblings, it’s never anything heavy – this is a light fantasy read, mostly all vibes, so it’s not like the cat and mouse game between any of them is super intense with surprising plot twists. At times I don’t even feel like Raziel and Nadi is staying ahead of anyone – they keep getting trapped, maybe because of their feelings for one another being their weakness? I’m not sure. Even the violence I feel could be more intense but it isn’t. But I don’t mind because this is one of those addictive reads that you can consume really quick.

Final Thoughts:

This one lived up to my expectations because I like seeing how Nadi and Raziel’s complicated relationship unfolds. I love them together and their spice is just right as much as their questions about what they feel for one another. They are becoming Bonnie and Clyde and I love it. I’m glad we learn about Raziel and his family. And that cliffhanger ending makes me eager for book three right away – I’m glad I don’t have to wait long because it comes out in July! This is an addictive series, light on the world building and easy to consume, I’m really enjoying it so far.

Read if you like:

  • mermaid/vampire
  • light world-building
  • kinky spice, power dynamics
  • to kill or not to kill
  • family drama/politics
  • complicated relationships

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/15/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ So we had warnings of severe weather, this week starting on Tuesday, and though it did rain hard during the night, the days were okay with scattered showers here and there, from Tuesday-Thursday. Then they called off school for Friday. Kids were excited for an early Spring Break…but Friday came and it was like a Category 1 Hurricane outside! but it wasn’t…it was just a storm with severe weather. The wind was whipping, the rain was going sideways, it was all day from evening to evening. We lost power at 11:30am and as I’m typing this on Saturday at 2:14pm, we still don’t have power so it has been now…27 hours. The food in my fridge is all bad by now. I’ve been throwing out things here and there. But I’m bummed because food is so expensive right now, not to mention gas…sigh…so it was QUITE a weekend. (Update on 3/15/26: power came back on at 11:30pm last night! Thank god!)

+ But my hubby and my son got to escape our power outage yesterday because they hopped on a plane to Osaka, Japan for Spring Break. I’m hoping the sun comes back out sometime this week so we can salvage my daughter’s Spring Break.

+ The power outage left me with just one thing I could really do because scrolling on social media ate up my phone battery. So I read a lot at least! Ebooks and physical books!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley
  • The Serpent’s Sin by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley
  • While You Were Seething by. Charlotte Stein
  • Seek the Traitor’s Son by. Veronica Roth
  • Tethered by. Elayna R. Gallea

Currently Reading:

  • Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan
  • The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith
  • The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther
  • Japanese Gothic by. Kylie Lee Baker

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

+ Bruno Mars, The Romantic, is on repeat!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Instagram | Tiktok

Spotlight | Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi

I was asked to read and review this book but I tried to read it and have been struggling to get into the story. The beginning of the story feels like I missed a whole lot of information, it jumps right into the story and after some research it seems this is a spin-off of another series, called Fractured Reality. I think I will have to read that series first.

Book Details:

Title: Dawn in Ruins
Author: Madga Mizzi
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 293
Published: 10/5/25
Buy the Book: Amazon
Book Links: Goodreads

About the Book:

The world ended in silence. The fight for what’s left will not.

Ten months after the collapse, teenager Annie’s world has shattered, and with it, everything she once believed about monsters. They don’t always lurk in shadows. Sometimes they wear uniforms. Sometimes they wear the faces of those you love.

In the ruins of Sydney, Annie finds an unlikely ally in Jude—a half-infected boy marked by virus and twisted science. His strange, dangerous abilities make him both a threat and their best hope. But the line between abomination and saviour is thinner than either imagined.

Haunted by what was done to him, Jude carries scars deeper than flesh. Meanwhile, Annie’s younger brother, Lucas, remains a prisoner, infected and altered. If she doesn’t reach him soon, Lucas will face the same fate that nearly destroyed Jude—experiments that don’t just scar flesh but twist what it means to be human.

As secrets unravel and the origin of the virus comes to light, Jude learns a devastating his connection to the outbreak is deeper, darker, and far more personal than he ever imagined.

Together, Annie and Jude race through a city where every shadow hides a threat. When they are torn apart, survival becomes more than a mission—it becomes a to endure, to protect, and to bring each other back from whatever hell awaits.

From the shattered edges of the Fractured Reality universe comes a story of desperate hope and fierce loyalty—because in a world this ruined, some things are lost forever. But some are worth risking everything to save.

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Bride

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 8/22/25

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires


I will disguise myself as the vampire’s bride. I will win over his family.And then I will murder every last one of them.

All my life I’ve been training to take revenge on the vampire who killed my parents. But Raziel Nostrom is a prince of the city’s most powerful mafia clan—completely untouchable.

When I learn that Raziel is marrying a woman he’s never seen before, I know my chance has finally come…

I will disguise myself as Raziel’s sacrificial bride. I will gain access to his vicious and beautiful family. And I will murder every last bloodsucking one of them.

Raziel is just as ruthless and deadly as I expected, but I had no idea how magnetic he would be up close, with an intoxicating smile and ruby-red eyes that seem to look right into my soul. There’s a dangerous tension between us that I’m struggling to ignore.

I have to strike fast. Every second I wait brings new danger to my life—and my heart. But as I sharpen my blades and prepare to take my revenge at last, I need to face the truth…

I’m falling in love with Raziel Nostrom.

The first book in a spicy vampire romantasy series perfect for fans of true enemies-to-lovers romance and marriages of convenience tropes. Readers who could not get enough of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and Haunting Adeline will love The Serpent’s Bride.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw someone recommend this on Tiktok and she got me at “vampire mafia”, so I decided to try it out since it was on kindle unlimited:

+ Nadi is a Fae, an Iltani, enemy of the vampire mafia family the Nostrom’s. And now she wants revenge against them. First on his list, Raziel Nostrom, the man who murdered her family. He’s about to get married so Nadi uses her shapeshifting skills to pose as his human wife and hope she can get close enough to him, so she can kill him.I like Nadi because she’s willing to do anything to avenge her family’s death and she’s a one woman show. Raziel on the other hand is a killer that loves what he does. There is nothing soft about him! He has a very interesting family and would like to learn more about his siblings in the other books.

+ I assumed because this dark romance that it would be spicy right away but it was surprisingly not, which was nice since I wanted to get into the story instead of the smut. It’s a quick read, which I like, and a slow burn. But when the spice does hit, it’s creative and kinky as I expected out of Raziel! 😅. Will there be an emotional connection between them? Is Raziel capable of that? We shall see as the series goes on.

+~ There is a cliffhanger ending but honestly, I was waiting for Nadi to take him out! This is a vibe read, so I wasn’t expecting detailed world-building but I think I got enough from this that in this world there are different species vying for power. Would love to learn more about the Wilds where Nadi grew up though.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one and glad I took a chance on it! I love the enemies to lovers dark romance going on and wonder what is going to happen next after that ending. I’ll be reading book two right away, so stay tuned for the review for that one.

Read if you like:

  • a quick, vibe read
  • enemies to lovers, arranged marriage
  • vampire mafia
  • kinky spice

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Life: A Love Story

Author: Elizabeth Berg

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 208

Publication Date: 3/17/26

Publisher: Random House

Categories: Contemporary, Literary Fiction

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

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


In this warm, intimate novel, a woman celebrates the joy she finds in the ordinary things in life and discovers it’s never too late to start new adventures. By the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv and Open House

Florence “Flo” Greene is nearing the end of her life, and she decides to leave her house and an account of her life for Ruthie, the younger woman who grew up next door, moved away, and still is like a surrogate daughter. As Flo writes to Ruthie about the meaning of beloved things in her home and about events in her past, she also tries new adventures of her own. She intervenes in the lives of friends in her neighborhood.

Flo’s project has been to encourage Teresa, a wise but unconfident woman, to open her heart to romance. Flo goes to the library to get advice from Mimi, a librarian. She encourages Ruthie, who is contemplating divorce, to try again with her husband, by sharing a startling secret long buried about Flo’s own seemingly perfect husband and marriage.

In her final weeks, Flo leaves an indelible mark on others, as this moving novel celebrates life, change, and ways to discover new happiness, friendship, and love.

Content Warning:

Flo is 92 years old and she feels she’s nearing the end of her life so she writes a letter to Ruthie, who was the girl next door – the closest to a child Flo ever had. In the letter she tells Ruthie about things she’s learned about life, and her marriage.

There were a lot of parts of this that I found heart-warming, like how Flo is thinking about her past. Or her daily interactions with people. Also I liked how she wasn’t afraid to talk about some of her fears about dying and or how hopeful that maybe she would see her husband again in the afterlife.

It’s a very quick story and for the most part I was invested but other parts where I felt disconnected maybe because this isn’t the type of book I usually read.

Final Thoughts:

This is a very realistic look at an elderly woman at the end of her life and what she learned along the way in her journey through life. It’s not the usual genre I pick up to read, but overall I thought there were some heartfelt moments in this story that moved me. If you like literary fiction, definitely try this one out.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Immersive Reading | 3/13/26

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

**********

Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading?

Yes, but not all the time and I feel like I stumbled on this accidentally! Sometimes I would have an e-arc and wouldn’t feel in the mood to read it, but I feel an audiobooks gets the the ball rolling, it “reads” for me, so I request it when it’s available on NetGalley. Sometimes, I start off with the audiobook, switch to the ebook, and so forth…sometimes I do immersive reading with both.

Do you prefer it or is it not for you?

I think it just depends on the mood and if I have time to have the ebook open along with my audiobook. Sometimes I’m doing stuff while listening to my audiobook so I can’t do it.

Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book?

Oh totally! And it helps with strange names I don’t know how to pronounce – hearing the narrator say it is like a light bulb moment. Also, with audiobooks, I don’t catch everything, so immersive reading helps with that.

Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

I think this helps with detailed fantasy stories!

March 2026 Topics:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

Prompts: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day.  In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there)  a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

Prompts: Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

Eternal is the Night by. Alayna Ravenwood| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Eternal is the Night (The Cursed Realm Saga, #1)

Author: Alayna Ravenwood

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 524

Publication Date: 3/12/26 (ebook); 9/16/26 (Paperback and Hardcover)

Publisher: Aurelia Press

Categories: New Adult, Mystery, Romance, Portal Fantasy, Dark Academia

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

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


An elite private college. Missing Initiates. A truth that will change everything.

Twenty-year-old Anna was already different before her mother was murdered—and before she vanished for a year she can’t remember. When her former mentor returns, Anna embarks on a dangerous journey to Nightfall Castle, the mysterious private college her mother once attended, desperate for answers about her past—and the dormant power she’s ignored her entire life.

But Nightfall is not an ordinary college.

Something is terribly wrong within the castle’s ancient corridors. Initiates are disappearing, and the Aurkai—Nightfall’s most elite—know more than they’re willing to say. Blake, the most alluring and dangerous of the Aurkai, may be the key to uncovering Nightfall’s secrets—or the reason she never escapes them.

As the danger closes in, Anna realizes she may be next, and the truth behind Nightfall may cost her everything.

Discover the truth hidden within Nightfall Castle in this dark, seductive debut of The Cursed Realm Saga.

Content Warning: sexual harassment, violence, death

+~ I thought this story started off pretty good. Told in two POVs, Anna and Blake, but mostly Anna’s – Anna is a 20 year old, who lost her mom, and she lost her memories of a whole year. Sounds very mysterious. Also, her guardian (mom’s friend), Derrick, has been training her all her life to fight. To fight what though? She knows something is different about her and her life. And he shows up again to tell her she needs to go to a place called Nightfall which is a mysterious college, it’s for her protection. And this is my biggest issue with the whole book – I was never sure of anything and not in a good, gripping way. Everything is a mystery but the execution didn’t work for me, I was getting frustrated and tired of being fed breadcrumbs. I needed some answers to all the questions being brought up in the first half, some is explained in the second half but by then I lost some interest. But there is magic eventually and more.

+~ This story has a big cast of characters. For the most part I like Anna, she’s strong and determined. Something is special about her – that’s another mystery. She meets some new students, Isabella becoming the closest one too her. Blake the MMC is okay, kind of bland. I would have loved a little more character depth. I think the ones that really stood out to me were Melanie and Malakai because they are the villainous twins.

+~ It’s dark academia with the usual topics of study – history and combat. And I read a lot of dark academia so there was nothing really new here. Anna’s combat training was fun to read but then some of her classmates start to go missing and it’s hard for her to get any answers about them because people don’t remember them or the Aurkai are tight-lipped about everything (so frustrating). There are some twists and turns that I enjoyed…but why were they having a play in the middle of the story when more pressing things were happening? That play kind of took me out of the story for a little bit.

+~ The romance between Anna and Blake was sort of a slow burn, but I felt like she fell too fast and I just wanted more build-up. There is a spicy scene but even that was just okay to me.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think this has lots of potential because it’s addictive – it has all the things I like in a dark academia fantasy but some of the execution just didn’t work for me. I’d love more character depth, and less of questions without answers because it left me frustrated. And I love a mystery, but there has to be someone other than Melanie telling Anna the truth. The romance was okay but I want more. Hopefully, book two can deliver a story with more depth and answers to questions brought up in this book.

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