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: Book Characters I Wish Were Real People (And feel free to tell us why! Would you date them, be friends with them, etc.?) (Submitted by Lydia Schoch)
Beneath by. Ariel Sullivan – if ever we live in a very dystopian world and fighting for our lives, I hope someone like Tristian is there giving it his all.
November 3: One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read (This is a throwback to 2022.) November 10: Book Characters I Wish Were Real People (And feel free to tell us why! Would you date them, be friends with them, etc.?) (Submitted by Lydia Schoch) November 17: Book Covers Featuring Animals November 24: Thankful/Thanksgiving Freebie December 1: Holiday Reads (The holiday does not have to be Christmas. It can be any holiday you want! And if you’re not a holiday-themed reader, feel free to switch it up. Maybe books you’d take on a holiday/vacation, wintry reads, etc.) December 8: “Cozy” Freebie (I’m trying something new with this topic! The prompt is a specific word. You can incorporate this word into your topic however you want. Examples: Cozy Reads, Books to Read on a Cozy Day, Cozy Fantasy Recommendations, Books With Cozy Vibes, Cozy Scenes On Covers, Books I’m Planning to Cozy Up with this Winter, etc.) December 15: Books On My Winter 2026-2027 To-Read List December 22: Books I Hope Santa Brings (Bookish Wishes) December 29: Favorite Books I Read in 2026
In a fractured realm ruled by warring noble Houses and the tyrannical Prime, the most coveted power lies in god-shards – divine fragments that grant extraordinary abilities to those who possess them.
Revel’s brother was murdered in pursuit of one.
A DEADLY GAME.
For avenging him, Revel’s life is on the line. Forced into a treacherous bargain, she must compete in the Call – a bloody contest of heirs vying for the throne – on behalf of her enemies, and assassinate the realm’s most formidable alchemist, the Warbringer.
Victory means her family’s freedom. Failure means death.
A MONSTROUS POWER.
The Prime sets the heirs on a brutal race to find the god-shard that could shift the balance of the realms. Everyone wants the win, but Revel just wants the kill. Except, the Warbringer isn’t the monster she was promised. Bound by secrets of his own, he is as dangerous as he is disarming.
With betrayals mounting and desire warring with duty, Revel must decide who to trust in a game where even the gods have their favorites. This Wretched Alchemy by Tina Mars is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy where love and loyalty become the very weapons that could destroy everything.
A housemaid’s quiet life is disrupted when the arrival of a mysterious visitor causes her to question the nature of her seemingly-charming cottage home in this sweet, cozy romantasy with a dark heart.
Step into the Oubliette and forget your troubles….
Housemaid Tansy’s days are all the same. Her only duties are to tend to her charge, old Lady Aster, and take care of their quaint cottage home. The seaside house is charming, peaceful, and above all, isolated. Tansy can’t remember the last time she left…or when she arrived.
Merit is a Carrion Knight. A servant of the dark entity the Unmaker, she has been raised to be a monster. But when she’s wounded during a routine raid, she stumbles through a mysterious door… and finds herself tumbling into the Oubliette.
When the two meet, an instant connection forms, and a crack appears in Oubliette’s perfect façade. As the bond between Merit and Tansy grows and powerful feelings rise to the surface, Tansy must question not only what she wants, but who she is. Because the origins of this charming world are darker than she could imagine—and the key to uncovering them might lie with Tansy herself.
Sixteen-year-old Ashlyn Threadneedle lives a double life in a world where dreams are more real than ever before.
By day she works as a government messenger, by night she escapes into vivid, lucid dreams, navigating a world called the Stream. When her long-dead mother appears in a dream, Ashlyn is thrown into a world where time bends and thoughts are weaponized. She joins The Corvi Signum, a secret society of dreamers who are fighting to protect the Stream. But their fight is against a powerful enemy who wants to control it, manipulate people’s thoughts, and seize control of London.
Join Ashlyn as she navigates a world of dreams and danger, where the only way to save her friends and fight for freedom is to change the past.
Pippa Dunn is an author, teacher and creative facilitator based in East London. She began her career by founding an independent Scottish arts festival, and then moved to London to work with a whole host of cultural and change-making charities. Most recently, she has co-curated Wayne Infinite Bodies, a landmark exhibition at Somerset House. Now, she can usually be found scribbling in one of her local coffee shops, exploring London’s hidden history, or waiting for the house lights to go down at one of the city’s many theatres.
A RICH, DARKLY WHIMSICAL FANTASY WITH A TOUCH OF HORROR AND A SLOW-BURN ROMANCE.
Linh’s mother was just buried this morning. At the funeral, Linh is visited by a strange boy who hints at secrets to her mother’s past. Desperate to learn more, Linh is thrust into another world – Ebrirene, a realm governed by ancient magics – where the mysterious boy, Elior, happens to be Crown Prince.
Here, Linh learns that the kingdom is under attack by vicious demons who threaten to break free from a portal her mother sealed years ago, and the Crown believes Linh possesses the power to seal it once more. But not everyone in Ebrirene wishes Linh well. Someone enters Linh in a deadly Tournament against her will, and a mysterious Captain, leader of the mage hunters, is determined to seek her out. Now Linh must fight for her own survival or surrender to the monsters that might be closer to her than she thinks.
Perfect for fans of Jo Segura, You, Me, & the Conspiracy is an academic adventure romance that finds two history professors trying to unmask a deadly secret society.
After a bruising book rejection, tenure-track history professor Jessica Wilson is scrambling for something new to publish to secure her spot at the top of the academic food chain. While researching in the archives, she discovers a coded message written by one of the founding fathers with the power to change her—and the world’s—understanding of American history forever. But first, she’s got to prove it’s real.
Desperate for answers, Jess searches out Calloway Morgan, a Harvard PhD student turned adjunct professor. Cal was forced to leave graduate school after presenting theories about a shadowy revolutionary organization. Jess heard his conference presentation and thought his findings were absurd, but now, she believes he was on something.
With their fates intertwined by their discoveries, the two begin to work together, but danger lurks around every corner. The clandestine fraternity that they’ve uncovered still exists and is ready to kill. With it hot on their heels, the embers of Jess and Cal’s attraction grow. But unless they can make their findings public, they’ll soon become the conspiracy’s latest victims…
The arctic heats up when a photographer who rarely holds anything back is forced to share a private wing with a grumpy lodge owner who holds everything in.
Photographer Aadya Williams has trekked all the way to northern Canada to nab a career-making shot of a polar bear . . . and to put 1,500 miles between her and a messy breakup. Despite expecting freezing temperatures, nothing’s colder than the welcome she gets from Reid Doerksen, the gruff owner of the Northern Wilderness Polar Bear Lodge. Even worse, the lodge is overbooked, so now she has to share the private family wing with him for the next two weeks.
At least Aadya has plenty to keep her occupied when she’s not out searching for the perfect photo op. But when a storm strands Aadya and Reid together at the lodge, it’s impossible to avoid the heat simmering between them. As the snow comes down, so do Reid’s walls, and Aadya begins to realize the most important shot of her life may not be one she takes with her camera.
Aston University might be teeming with prestigious and wealthy students, but the currency on campus isn’t their millions. It’s their secrets. And the three women living at Clarence Manor are filthy rich.
Cassia came to Aston to escape the demons of her past.
Elora pretends to be an ice princess to guard a shattered spirit.
Ivy disguises the pain of her mistakes with a beautiful mask.
Maybe they could have kept the skeletons in their closets neatly tucked away, except love has a way of lifting the veil. And as each woman meets a man determined to win her heart, there’s no such thing as a buried secret.
Who’s hiding the ugliest truths?
Step through the gates of Clarence Manor and judge for yourself.
#1New York Timesbestselling author Lucy Score brings a psychic twist to Christmas in this hilarious all-new Riley Thorn adventure, the fifth in the romantic mystery series.
‘Tis the season for mayhem, mistletoe, and one very unfortunate mall uniform.
Engaged. Overwhelmed. Running a small business with a purple-haired octogenarian who thinks “Rhonda El Bano” is a convincing alias. For reluctant psychic Riley Thorn, the holidays are less “magic in the air” and more “fire in the living room.” Between the backlog of invoices, a PI license teetering on revocation, a disapproving grandmother lobbing ominous predictions about the upcoming wedding, and the fact that Riley cannot see a single thing about her own future with Nick Santiago, she just wants to survive until December 26th.
Nick Santiago doesn’t do “mellow.” He does Christmas. Hard. He’s the man who owns a twelve-foot inflatable Santa and feels no shame about it. So if closing out the year means going undercover at the East Shore Mall to catch a slippery theft ring―even if it costs him one truly terrible security uniform and several shifts with the world’s most punchable assistant manager―fine. The sooner he catches the bad guy, the sooner he can haul his fiancée under the mistletoe and convince her everything is going to be fine.
Between mall chaos, psychic guild parties, warring families descending for Christmas Eve dinner, and one stray kitten who has personally destroyed two rooms and a dog’s dignity, they have five days to catch a thief, save a license―
And figure out why the future looks so suspiciously blank.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Scholar. Healer. Harlot.
In her house, the villainy is her.
Magdalena Overmorrow has been called a scholar, a healer, a harlot. She carves out some measure of freedom for the women of Astoleyn, risking capture and death by caring for them and performing forbidden abortions. When she’s betrayed by a close confidante, she faces banishment to the realm’s desolate northernmost city as an accused witch. There, she must await her trial and possible doom under the watchful aegis of the Lord Proctor of Cair Gramora, a man so pious and humorless it is rumored that he has never once laughed in his life.
When she arrives, though, Magda is surprised to find that the Lord Proctor isn’t the grizzled old priest she expected but a man barely older than she is. As cold and mysterious and beautiful as the mountains at the cair’s northern border, he holds her life in his hands. One word from him could send her to the stake or worse, but she can’t help her fascination with a man and fellow scholar who is more than he appears to be, and the dangerous secrets he is clearly keeping. As her trial draws closer and the intrigue of the isolated cair threatens them both, she and the Lord Proctor must form an uneasy alliance that could either save her life or lead her to martyrdom and ruin.
Content Warning: misogyny, medical abortion, burning someone
+ “Scholar. Healer. Harlot.” Those three words captured me right away. This story is about Magdalena Overmorrow, a very smart woman, who is a healer and has magic – and she uses her knowledge to help women in distress, and is named a harlot because she enjoys sex. I love Magda. Not only was she smart, brave, and positive in a bad situation, she was kind and nice to people even when people had judged her on rumors. She’s a good person in a world where women are judged harshly. So my favorite part of the story is Magda, she is strong without a man and willing to help women because she knows it’s the right thing to do.
+ Madga is about to go on trial for her crimes of being a healer and helping women get medical abortions. But she is sent North under the supervision of Lord Proctor who is like a priest in Cair Gramora. He is pious, and has quite a reputation. I thought her being sent away to be watched over was very interesting because she was like a prisoner but not really since she had free reign of where she could go. There were some interesting secondary characters too, like I love Magda’s friend Jula, she’s mostly in the beginning and end of the story but I love their relationships and how they interact. Also, Magda befriends so many people in Gramora like Cass and Kless.
+~ The forbidden romance was a very slow burn and the spice only happens in fantasies, which kind of fits because of who Lord Proctor is but I really wished things were different for both of them. Magda is a woman with a bad reputation. I actually enjoyed Magda and Morgan’s interactions because he is so pious and stern, and Magda is his opposite. She’s personable and funny. I liked the two of them together.
+ Magda is going to be sentenced to death if she cannot get witnesses to help her out and things aren’t looking good as the days go by but throughout the story we get accounts from women she’s helped or interacted with who tell their story. This story is very character driven, because nothing much happens as we lead up to the day of her sentencing except we get to see Magda get to know the life and people in Gramora. She’s an amazing woman and without spoiling the ending, I’d say it was a bittersweet ending and not exactly how I wanted it to turn out for her but I can see why it did end that way.
Final Thoughts:
I loved Magda and her fight for women’s right to a medical abortion even as she is judged severely for it. She’s brave, kind, funny, and a brave person. I did wish the ending was different for Magda but I can also understand why it ended that way. I will say I loved the writing and couldn’t put this down so I’m excited to see what this author writes next!
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. Don’t forget audiobooks!so go check out her blog!”
Book Purchases – (ebook or physical)
It was my birthday this week so my hubby got me this book and it’s so pretty:
Step into a new Divergent series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.
Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives.
She has a plan: she’s going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind.
But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her plans, even Beatrice herself.
Her ensuing decision thrusts her into the crosshairs of an underground rebellion, and into the path of a boy with secrets as dangerous as her own—a boy with only a number for a name.
A young woman bargains with a demon to save her brothers, only to lose her heart in this slow-burn romantasy about dark magic, unlikely love, and the imperfect beauty of mortality.
This stunning hardcover edition of Reap & Sow will feature deluxe embellishments, including a dazzling metallic jacket, full color printed edges, patterned end papers, and a specially designed case.
The penniless in Blackbridge have only two choices: Sell the body or sell the soul. And thanks to Eda Shaw, business is booming.
Indentured to a capricious demon known as Mr. Night, Eda and her brothers arrange illicit Pacts on his behalf, luring the city’s most desperate into trading years of their lives for their deepest desires. When a Pact goes awry and her brothers are arrested, Eda realizes she’ll need an infernal ally of her own: Kit’rath, an infuriating demon with a curious penchant for humanity and the only being in Blackbridge that Mr. Night seems to fear. As they race to rescue her family and save the city from ruin, an undeniable connection sparks between mortal and demon.
But Kit’s help doesn’t come cheap. Now, Eda risks losing her heart to the one who claims her years—and saving herself may prove the steepest cost of all.
“Death is come to take you home, death of blood and thorn and bone…”
Tilde has always heard the whispers of the kithwood, the voices of her ancestors speaking through the mysterious forest of her homeland.
But now both the kithwood and her kingdom are in danger.
For Tilde is the only surviving heir of a conquered land. To unite the people and finally stop the bloodshed, she marries the aging warlord, King Liran. Her duty is to bind their nations and bear him a son.
But the swan king’s court is dangerous. Tilde is a threat to the claim of Liran’s older sons, who will do whatever it takes to remove her, to the princess Elise who has only ever known loyalty to her family, and to the priests who own them all.
Yet none of them know that Tilde is a snake in their midst, with allies on her side and dark, forbidden power of her own. She wants her kingdom back, and she will sacrifice everything to claim it.
In this heartfelt romance from the author of Always, in December and Yours for the Season, a bittersweet Christmas countdown opens the door to healing, hope . . . and maybe even love.
Ali has always loved Christmas, but this year she doesn’t think she’ll make it through. Christmas was always her and her best friend Robyn’s Every year, they exchanged Advent calendars filled with challenges. Tell the hot guy at the coffee shop you like him. Delete your ex’s number. Throw out the bathroom scales.
But this Christmas, Robyn is gone, because she didn’t get the heart transplant she needed.
There is one last calendar, though—given to Ali before Robyn died, with a promise to open it in December.
The first challenge sends Ali to the Alps, where she takes a seasonal job at the ski lodge that she and Robyn had planned to visit together. But when another challenge leads her co-workers to think she’s dating her boss—the stoic, seriously hot Leo—things get complicated.
To save her embarrassment, Leo agrees to play along. As Ali spends more time with him, she realizes that he’s grieving, too. And as he helps her complete Robyn’s challenges, she starts to wonder if their fake relationship could become something real.
But the truth behind Leo’s grief could bring them closer . . . or tear them apart for good.
He was striking in a cold-blooded kind of way, like his beauty was tinged with poison. Unassuming, alluring even.
I brought my eyes up to meet his.
“Fia Riftborne?” The words dripped from his lips like blood from a dagger.
Twenty years after a rebellion branded her an outcast, Fia Riftborne navigates a city rife with prejudice so deep, it’s often deadly. But she harbors a secret, one that would paint an even larger target on her back. A hidden power within her is growing, threatening to destroy everything she’s built for herself.
Enter the elusive Sidhe General, Laryk Ashford, who is building a unit of powerful wielders within the Guard to face a growing threat. Wraiths of darkness devour the Western border, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.
When Fia’s power erupts, and two daughters of Nobility are seemingly dead, General Ashford offers her a chilling choice: join the Sidhe Guard or face execution.
Because Fia might be the only hope for the Isle’s survival.
Torn between surrendering to the chaos or becoming a weapon for those who took everything from her, Fia must confront her growing feelings for the General and face a dark truth that could shatter everything she’s ever known.
The Luceros’ family museum hosts just one painting: a priceless masterpiece that infamously sows madness in anyone who looks at it… except a Lucero.
Mia Lucero always knew the painting would be her burden one day. But when death strikes her family, that day comes far too soon. Mia is forced to transfer back home to Vasari Art College: an elite college with ivy coated walls, centuries of prestige… and three gorgeous but temperamental artists she’s determined to avoid.
They want her gone. She has no choice but to stay. But when a stalker begins hunting Mia, her tormenters may be the only ones who can help her protect their shared obsession—the Lucero masterpiece.
Now, living with three sinfully handsome artists is hardly ideal, especially when Mia can’t keep her hands off them—nor they her. But as threats mount, the danger to the last Lucero and her painting may be closer to home than she expected.
And to survive, Mia may have to teach a masterclass in the art of revenge.
The first book in a dark academia, why-choose romance trilogy—set at a prestigious upstate New York art college, where Autumn Wood’s Nightshade meets the elite glamour of Gossip Girl and the dark thrill of Lights Out.
From New York Times bestselling author RuNyx comes the highly anticipated prequel to Gothikana: Arkana—a tale of lush, suspenseful, dark gothic romance.
A rumored sorceress. A ruthless lord of science. A cursed castle. What could go wrong?
A desperate woman, Lenore Emmeranne comes to the University of Verenmore―an elite institution of scientific learning perched high in the mountains―summoned by a mysterious offer of employment. On the run from misfortune and accusations, Lenore, who has always had a gift for healing, hopes Verenmore will provide her with a clean slate. She plans to keep her head down and blend into the shadows. But upon her arrival, she discovers it is not only the lord of the castle who is in need of help ―it is Verenmore itself.
Lord Draven Constantine, dean of the university, is a man of science and discipline, revered by his students. The last thing he wants is someone like Lenore disturbing his ordered world, and the secrets he must keep buried. But her presence shatters his ennui, sparks a dangerous fascination and their descent into doom begins.
Set in 1872 in a dread castle perched on a dark mountain where death and deceit stalk the unknowing, Lenore and Draven must navigate lies as they surrender to forbidden desire, and cling to life―and to each other.
And so begins a gripping tale of the gothic and the grotesque. An unusual and deeply passionate story about a love that blossoms in the unlikeliest of places.
Nessa Thorne survived her first year at Confluence Academy – barely. With an ancient water dragon tethered to her soul and rumours of her power spreading beyond the academy walls, she’s no longer just an offering fighting to stay alive.
She’s a threat.
As a second-year student, new responsibilities await, but so do new dangers. The unbound leaders Lorkan and Milena Grace are amassing forces beyond the walls, flying silver spiral banners as they conquer border cities. And they haven’t forgotten about Nessa.
Meanwhile, Raith has returned from a mysterious legacy mission, carrying secrets of his own. The tether binding them pulses with unspoken truths, and the history between the Aurenciels and the unbound threatens to destroy whatever fragile connection remains between them.
With Confluence’s brutal training intensifying and her friends caught in the crossfire, Nessa must decide where her true allegiance lies – with the Empire that would use her as a weapon, with the unbound who promise understanding of her true nature, or with herself.
Because in her second year at Confluence Academy, the most dangerous enemy might be the one she’s bound to her own heart.
The Emperor’s Enemy is an addictive true enemies-to-lovers dark romantasy with a heroine who doesn’t need saving, an enemy she can’t escape, and a war neither of them plans to lose.
Welcome to the Unsurvivable Love Duet, the all-new series by Jasmine Mas, bestselling author of Blood of Hercules.
Zora Ravenal didn’t join the Crimson Army to be a hero. She joined to destroy the empire.
A skilled hunter hardened by loss with a concerning capacity for stubbornness, Zora claws her way into becoming a Knight Mage: the Commonwealth’s deadliest defense against the Empire’s storm magic and her people’s only hope.
It almost works.
Now she’s stuck in a war she can’t walk away from, hiding dangerous secrets, and shoved into very close quarters with the one man she should never be alone with.
He’s a Royal Mage with a body count, a temper, and an unsettling obsession… with her.
Now they’re partners.
Sort of.
If “partners” means being forced to train together, trust each other with their lives, and somehow not kill each other in the process.
But the Royal Mage isn’t just dangerous—he’s paying attention. And the longer they’re forced to remain in each other’s orbit, the more twisted everything becomes. Who’s hunting who?
Perfect if you love: • True enemies-to-lovers • Sarcastic banter • A spicy slow burn • Touch her and die • Female rage • A shocking twist you will NOT see coming
Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Lawyer Romance, Second Chance Romance
Shira Wexler has had her fair share of trials (maybe tribulations too, whatever those are).
But now, at thirty-two, she’s on track to make partner at her law firm. Her perfect-on-paper boyfriend just handed her an engagement ring. She’s finally embraced life as a New Yorker and has *almost* forgotten about her former life in rural, small-town Texas.
Then she’s assigned to a career-changing case in Dallas, and the opposing counsel is all too familiar—Cole Wilson, Shira’s first-ever courtroom rival during the mock trial competition in high school. He was her first… well, a lot of things. And now Shira’s carefully planned future is clear as mud.
Cole hasn’t heard a word from Shira since she mysteriously fled Texas as a teenager, breaking his heart in the process. Sixteen years later, he’s facing a pending divorce while suffocating under the impossible task of trying to prove himself at his father’s law firm. The realities of adulthood mean he’s far from the hopeful romantic he used to be.
But coming face-to-face with Shira forces them both to examine the outwardly perfect lives they’ve built.
As they battle each other by day and relitigate their past by night, old feelings begin to emerge, and long-buried truths come to light.
Both really need a win right now, but focusing on work isn’t easy when you’re staying in the same hotel as the one who got away.
Content Warning: suicide attempt
+ Shira is a lawyer trying to make partner at the law firm she is working at and is determined to get on a case that will help her do that. She’s also 32 and ready to settle down with her perfect boyfriend, Miguel, except things are really perfect with him. It’s something she has to deal with but her career comes first. But when this case has her working oppose her ex high school boyfriend, old memories and feelings come up and this time Shira can’t run away from these problems, it’s time to face it. I like that this story is a romance with depth because although it’s a second chance romance, Shira and Cole are also trying to find their way through challenges in their personal lives.
+ This second chance romance between Shira and Cole had it’s ups and downs. They had an innocent high school love but something came between them that ended things, some of these things were things Shira kept secret which sucks for Cole. I can see why Cole was so hurt, but I can also understand that Shira was young and a mess with what was happening in her family life. I love how they reunite, the lawyer stuff brought the tension since they are on opposing sides. There are lots of unresolved issues between them but it was nice seeing them work things out eventually because there is undeniable sparks between them.
+~ The story is told with flashbacks to 16 years ago when Shira and Cole first met and fell in love in high school. I didn’t mind the flashbacks. There are a lot of things happening in Shira and Cole’s personal lives. She’s trying to make partner, she’s estranged from her mother, and now Cole is back in her life. Cole is going through a divorce, working for his father (and hates it because his dad is awful), he’s a dad and now Shira is back in his life. So these adults have a lot going and I think at times the pacing was off because of it. A lot of the lawyer stuff were so detailed and some things just went over my head. I kept thinking, wow, this author must have been a lawyer or they did their research very well! (btw, She’s a lawyer!). Though the pacing felt off at times, everything is tied up nicely at the end – I just wish some things weren’t rushed, like her talking to her mom again. There are some dark times in this story which I did not expect.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was an engaging read that was hard to put down. I enjoyed the second chance romance between Shira and Cole and loved how they were lawyers on opposing sides. Some of the lawyer stuff was so detailed it went over my head, and sometimes the pacing felt off because there is a lot going on in the story – there are family issues, things unresolved from the past, and the characters going through changes in their life path. But I’m glad Shira and Cole get a happy ending. Definitely check this out if you want to read a lawyer romance. I look forward to reading more from this author!
In a fractured realm ruled by warring noble Houses and the tyrannical Prime, the most coveted power lies in god-shards – divine fragments that grant extraordinary abilities to those who possess them.
Revel’s brother was murdered in pursuit of one.
A DEADLY GAME.
For avenging him, Revel’s life is on the line. Forced into a treacherous bargain, she must compete in the Call – a bloody contest of heirs vying for the throne – on behalf of her enemies, and assassinate the realm’s most formidable alchemist, the Warbringer.
Victory means her family’s freedom. Failure means death.
A MONSTROUS POWER.
The Prime sets the heirs on a brutal race to find the god-shard that could shift the balance of the realms. Everyone wants the win, but Revel just wants the kill. Except, the Warbringer isn’t the monster she was promised. Bound by secrets of his own, he is as dangerous as he is disarming.
With betrayals mounting and desire warring with duty, Revel must decide who to trust in a game where even the gods have their favorites. This Wretched Alchemy by Tina Mars is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy where love and loyalty become the very weapons that could destroy everything.
A LOVE THAT CAN CUT DEEPER THAN ANY BLADE.
Content Warning: death, violence
+ The narrator did a great job doing all the voices for this story! Her voice kept me engaged.
+ This is a world of alchemy where there are different houses with different powers. It sounds like the world takes inspiration from ancient Rome plus some Asian mythologies and culture which I thought was quite fascinating. Revel is traumatized by the death of her older brother and father – her sister and mother hate her because of events that took place involving the deaths. So Revel wants to prove to them she can fix things. She is forced to participate in a trial whose mission is to retrieve a shard with elemental magic and the journey to get the shard is full of danger and monsters. I felt like the story was a little slow moving with more action in the middle and the end, which I enjoyed. The plot twist at the end, which I sort of guessed, made things very interesting. I do wish I felt more connected to the characters.
+~ Revel is not the most lovable character. I thought she was funny at times though because she was full of rage and just didn’t care about people. But she did have a soft spot for Chloe, which I thought was sweet. Trusting is not something that comes easy to Revel because people have let her down, but trusting anyone during this trial is even more deadly. I felt bad for Revel because of what happened when she was younger and how her sister and mom perceives her. All she wanted was love but is also afraid of it because of what she lost in the past.
+ I enjoyed the cast of characters like Dex, Chloe and Mauve. Axus, the MMC felt like someone that was hard to crack. Yes, he was menacing and had a reputation and Revel is supposed to kill him as part of her mission, but there were times he couldn’t help himself around Revel and a romance brews between them. I also loved Orphy which is a like a sentient serpent tattoo on Revel.
+~ The romance is a slow burn, and yet insta-love by the end? There is not a lot of spice, so I’d call this one steamy instead. And yes it’s one of those books where spice comes at an inopportune time in the book. I feel like I needed more build up between Revel and Axus, but the ending clears up some things on his end. It doesn’t end happily for them in this book because of some secrets and betrayal so it will be interesting to see if they can make it work in book two.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was pretty good though I wish I had the ebook to read along with the audiobook because there were details about the world building I felt like I missed or maybe I would have felt more connection to the characters if I read it? I’m not sure but I did love the narrator – she did an awesome job bringing this story to life. I enjoyed the alchemy, found family and the action. The romance is one to watch since it went from enemies to lovers to enemies. There are some secret and betrayals in this one though that was surprising so I’ll probably pick up book two when it comes out.
When enemy heirs shelter together from the war, forbidden love sparks between bookshelves and behind dormitory doors…
When war erupts, heirs from across the continent shelter on sacred ground at the Archives of Avyshla. But our sense of safety is shaken when the enemy king sends his heir to join us.
Voran is not merely a prince but his uncle’s hunter and assassin. And what his uncle seeks belongs to my family—control of the wyverns—the Scale Crown. Although no one can spill blood on sacred ground, I fear the prince’s intentions are as sinister as he seems. He proves as much when danger breaches the isle, and he saves me to have me in his debt.
To survive, I make a secret deal with him.
Except survival soon becomes longing. A hunger for calloused hands, stifled breath, and accented murmurs that doesn’t end with the war. Instead, it blooms into something even more forbidden.
Something that could be my salvation—and the downfall of my kingdom.
A standalone romantasy with evil sunshine, enemies to lovers, and dark romance.
Content Warning: death, violence
+~ I’ve read one Ella Fields book and I thought it was pretty good and wanted to try her newest book. Ayla and other royal heirs/children are taking refuge on an island which houses The Archives of Avyshla, but then the enemy shows up, the Wolf Prince, Voran. He’s morally gray and a beast (literally he is a shapeshifter). The first part of this story takes place on this island where these royals have jobs the priestesses give them to stay busy. I thought it was strange at first that all of them are hanging out on the island staying safe. But while reading I didn’t see the point of knowing when they were going to do their chores or who’s turn it was to take a bath. It only gets interesting when Voran and Ayla interact because she’s an innocent and he’s got a scary, ruthless reputation. We learn a little about the conflict happening between the kingdoms, Voran’s uncle is laying siege to Ayla’s kingdom, but they can’t do much from the island and news comes sporadically which I thought was a little frustrating. I would have liked to know what was going on outside of the island.
+ I liked a few of the secondary characters, especially Celestine, who is Ayla’s best friend. I loved the baby wyvern, and later on I thought Ruvus was an interesting character. I think the person with the most growth is Ayla, she is someone who follows directions and doesn’t fight but I think near the end, she’s a tiny bit more assertive.
+ The romance is an enemies to lovers, forbidden romance. Voran is obsessed with Ayla but Ayla is so innocent she doesn’t know much about guys, just that he helped her so she is in his debt. He allows her to help him how to read but that means they spend a lot of time together. And all that forced proximity leads to kisses and then more. So in a way I felt like they were horny, college kids trying to find places to be alone and fool around! They get to know one another, and things get spicy! She likes him being in control. But things change when Ayla’s dad surrenders and Ayla is set to marry Voran’s uncle. I loved all the love confessions at the end though, swoon! I did love the two of them together and how opposite they were but so attracted to one another.
~ Throughout the book I kept thinking, this can’t be a standalone, because I felt like things weren’t progressing in the first part like I would have liked. I just kept wondering what was going on and why were they stuck at the Archives? I think I wanted more of the political intrigue and that does come in the second half of the book. But it didn’t feel balanced, and the pacing felt off because of the two parts. And even near the ending I was wondering if this was truly a standalone because Celestine’s story feels like could be a whole new book. Also, I want to know how Dusk will turn out. On a side note, there were some phrases that were repeated a bit too much throughout the book like “wriggled my lips”. 😅
Final Thoughts:
This is the kind of book that is good to vibe to plus it’s a standalone, which is nice. Though I do want a book about Celestine! It’s got a dark romance that isn’t super dark, and spice that’s is frequent but not too crazy. I think the two parts of the story made things unevenly paced so I did have some issues with that but Ayla and Voran’s romance kept me invested. They really are cute together because she’s soft and innocent and he’s hard and ruthless, but he’s obsessed with her. The love confessions were so sweet. I would have enjoyed it more if there was more political intrigue in the beginning as much as the end. But overall, this was a good escape.
The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:
What are you currently reading?
What have you just finished reading?
What are you going to read next?
Today is my birthday! And all I want is to buy some new books 😅. I’m still working on my arcs for the last 2 months of this year. Can you believe 2027 is right around the corner?
Title: In the Wake of the Ruined (The Siren Mage, #2)
Author: Kalie Cassidy
Pages: 432
Format: ebook (Libby)
Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series
The realm has a new queen… and a new monster.
Imogen can no longer hide. She has claimed her ancestral crown, and now the corrupted bond she shares with the ancient deity Eusia is stronger than ever. Though she is determined to sever it, doing so is no easy feat. The threat of war looms. Shifting alliances, a hunger for magic, and her feelings for Theodore, King of Varya, attempt to thwart her at every turn.
Meanwhile, Theodore is battling the strain of his own crown and commitments. When Imogen suddenly appears on his ship, every dutiful resolution he’s ever made threatens to snap. As they draw nearer to ending Eusia, lurking dangers and their perilous desire for one another prove more insurmountable than they could have imagined.
Will the chaos, ruin, and death that Imogen was prophesied to usher into the realm be the end of all things, or the beginning?
Content Warning: death, violence
+~ I was eager to read this sequel after enjoying book one. Imogen has to find Eusia and end her for good, but to find her she needs help. She’s also looking for her friend Agatha. Theodore is about to marry someone else, a political marriage with Halla, to keep the peace. Though I understood Theo’s duty, I did not like him marrying someone else other than Imogen.
+ Imogen is afraid that her monster will hurt people she loves so she tries to stay away but she needs help to find Agatha and kill Eusia. She gets Lachlan to help her since he loves Agatha. And Imogen has to ask Halla for help to take down Eusia – but can she trust her? I didn’t like Halla but I could see how Imogen didn’t have much options.
~ As much as I loved Imogen and Theo in book one, I really hated him needing to marry Halla. I don’t care if it was just a half-marriage and they weren’t bonded. Imogen has to be around them and they even have spicy scenes while he is married. I get it’s a political marriage but it still felt wrong – even though Theo yearns for Imogen so badly and has some pretty words expressing his feelings. I hated the back and forth between them.
+~ There are a few betrayals in this book which I did enjoy but I felt like even though goals are met at the end, everything felt dark even when Theo and Imogen get their happy ending. I did like how the story touched on the complicated relationships with mothers, but overall it really felt like a sad story.
Final Thoughts:
This one was just okay mostly because I didn’t love the romance, and that’s what I did love in book one and made me want to keep reading the duology. I felt like most of the loose ends were tied up but I thought it was interesting how they kind of left Halla with a magic book and her anger. Will there be more books in this world? I feel like there could be.
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!
November 3: One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read (This is a throwback to 2022.) November 10: Book Characters I Wish Were Real People (And feel free to tell us why! Would you date them, be friends with them, etc.?) (Submitted by Lydia Schoch) November 17: Book Covers Featuring Animals November 24: Thankful/Thanksgiving Freebie December 1: Holiday Reads (The holiday does not have to be Christmas. It can be any holiday you want! And if you’re not a holiday-themed reader, feel free to switch it up. Maybe books you’d take on a holiday/vacation, wintry reads, etc.) December 8: “Cozy” Freebie (I’m trying something new with this topic! The prompt is a specific word. You can incorporate this word into your topic however you want. Examples: Cozy Reads, Books to Read on a Cozy Day, Cozy Fantasy Recommendations, Books With Cozy Vibes, Cozy Scenes On Covers, Books I’m Planning to Cozy Up with this Winter, etc.) December 15: Books On My Winter 2026-2027 To-Read List December 22: Books I Hope Santa Brings (Bookish Wishes) December 29: Favorite Books I Read in 2026
