Month: May 2026

Monthly Wrap Up | May 2026

May is coming to an end and this post will be going up a little early because I will be in the Philippines for two weeks. I’m not sure wh

I read 24 books.

Books I Read – 24 books

  1. The Becket Effect (arc)
  2. Dhampira by. Amy Pennza (arc)
  3. Between Tides & Thunder by. Leeza Kazak
  4. Verity Guild by. Mai Corland (arc)
  5. The Shadows That Listen by. Louisa Carmody
  6. Crown Me Yours by. Liv Zander
  7. Crown Me Dead by. Liv Zander
  8. Change of Plans by. Sarah Dessern (arc)
  9. The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by. Katrina Kwan (audiobook)
  10. Us Dark Few by. Alexis Patton (arc)
  11. A Merry Life by. Sarah Branson (audiobook)
  12. Miracles in Mercy by. Briony J. Shutt
  13. Double Happiness by. Heather Eng (arc)
  14. Soon By You by. Dahlia Adler (arc)
  15. The Last Page by. Katie Holt (arc)
  16. Malachite by. Ashley Andersen (arc)
  17. I Could Give You the Moon by. Ann Liang (alc)
  18. The Verdant Cage by. Jess Lourey (arc)
  19. Bloody Black by. Rhiannon Hargadon
  20. Heart of the Wolf Queen by. Sarah Gallego
  21. Starside by. Alex Aster
  22. Turncloak by. L.K. Steven
  23. Weavingshaw by. Heba Al-Wasity
  24. The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther

Reviews I Posted On My Blog: 27 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

Book Tags:

Birthstone Book Covers: April – Diamond | 2026

Blog Tours:

Other:

How was your month?

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Their Will Undone by. R.J. Valldeperas | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Their Will Undone (#1)

Author: R.J. Valldeperas

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 6/2/26

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Historical Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, 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 HarperCollins for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When a maiden is selected to marry the emperor, her journey to the palace will see her fighting both a spark of magical power and her growing feelings for her broody escort in this romantic fantasy duology opener, inspired by a true story from the Inca empire. 

In the Amaru Empire, it’s considered an honor to be chosen for the annual harvest. But when guards stole Nina’s brother away, it devastated her family. So, when the guards returned for Nina’s sweet sister, she threw herself into their clutches instead. And Nina has spent every moment since then in the acllahuasi, a gilded cage where women are trained to become servants or wives.

When Kasik, an obedient lieutenant in Amaru’s army, is sent to the acllahuasi to retrieve the emperor’s new wife, it’s only the promise of his own command—and a chance to escape his controlling father—that forces him to accept.

Kasik has no reason to trust Nina, nor she to trust him. But, as they begin their journey, their chemistry is hard to ignore. Also hard to ignore? The tugging sensation of magic in Nina’s chest, awakening more questions than she can possibly answer as she travels with a handsome stranger to her unknown fate.

Content Warning: violence, death, sacrifice

World Building: Set in a fantasy world inspired by Incan culture, I love how lush the world building is with the different words (use the glossary in the back), the customs, religion, mythology and politics.

Characters: Kasik is sent by the emperor (his friend) to retrieve a certain young lady to be his wife. But Kasik isn’t given all the information and when he meets Nina, she is always fighting him. Nina is a young woman who is trying to protect her sister, but she’s taken to be the emperor’s new wife and she feels like she has no choices. She finds out she has powerful magic and later in the story her female rage makes it’s appearance and changes her from someone with no choices to being someone to be feared and deadly. I thought it was fascinating to see what she would do with her powers. There are some other characters that stood out like the empress and the emperor that lended to the political intrigue going on in the later half of the story.

Romance: This is a forbidden romance between Kasik and Nina. She’s retrieved to marry the emperor but on their harrowing journey together, they are attracted to one another. Kasik knows he can’t have her, and Nina knows there is not hope between them, but it doesn’t stop him from yearning for her which I loved. By the second half of the book he will do anything for her. There is no spice, just some really lingereing looks and thoughts about one another. But I still enjoyed it that way since they can’t be together and makes me want to know what will happen in book two.

Story: Kasik is tasked to retrieve Nina and we get to know both of them on this journey. Kasik is loyal to the empire, Nina is trying to save her sister and figure out her deadly magic powers. I feel like Nina’s character goes through a few transformations and it was very interesting to see go from powerless to powerful and what she chooses to do with that power. I enjoyed the world-building a lot though I had to use the glossary to understand some things. And I really enjoyed all the political intrigue that was happening when they are all at the palace.

Narrator: I did have a hard time getting into the ebook because of all the words I had to look up in the glossary but once I started the audiobook I was sucked into the story! The story has dual narrators and they both were great, but at times I felt the male voice sounded softer than the female – her voice was crisp where his sounded just softer.

Final Thoughts:

I found the world-building lush and really loved the political intrigue especially in the second half. The narrators did a great job keeping me invested in the story and it makes me want to read book two to see what happens with Nina and Kasik!

Read if you like:

  • forbidden romance
  • political intrigue
  • Inca inspired world building
  • magic

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Game of Rogues by. Julie Anne Long | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Game of Rogues (The Palace of Rogues, #9)

Author: Julie Anne Long

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 6/2/26

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Regency Romance, Historical 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 Avon for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

One disastrous night. One devastating man. One diabolical proposition.

Gabriel Marchand ruthlessly fought his way up from the gutters of St. Giles to preside over London’s most exclusive gaming hell. Few dare cross him. But when a young earl gambles away his inheritance, Marchand makes an enemy: a woman with wit like a dagger and the softest eyes he’s ever seen.

Spend a night in his bed, and he’ll call off the debt. This is the offer he makes Guinevere Woodville, the earl’s sister, when she blames him for her brother’s disaster. She’d rather die, of course. But when their seething enmity gives way to sizzling attraction at The Grand Palace on the Thames, his offer haunts them. Soon it seems a matter of not if, but when.

It’s not long before Ginny is facing two stark truths: the so-called worst man in London is the best man she’s ever known….and keeping him would mean losing everything and everyone else she loves. But Marchand has one final card to play…and losing everything is a risk he’s willing to take if it means a chance to love her forever.

Content Warning: violence, grief

I’m not sure what made me request this book because I haven’t read a historical romance or regency romance in years – a decade maybe? But it was my first love that got me into reading decades ago, so I was intrigued with this premise and I know this author is a staple in historical romance. While reading this book, I forgot how well historical romances are written, especially for a slow burn romance, and it felt so nice to read this genre again!

Ginny is a lady who’s youngest brother that just came into money and titles, has gambled it all away in a gaming establishment. And she means to fix her brother’s mistake by asking for the money back from Gabriel, who is the owner of this gaming hell. Ginny loves her family and she had to raise her siblings after her parents passed away, so she is faced with many burdens and pressures. Gabriel came from the streets and climbed his way up to a successful businessman so he knows something about survival.

I love their banter, and watching them go from dislike, to desire, to something so much more was lovely. This is a slow burn and throughout the story Ginny is trying every way she can to save her family. For some reason, Gabriel, can’t help himself and starts to try to help her out, even though some of the debt is owed to him also. I loved getting to know both of the characters, and their stay at the boardinghouse with different guests was so funny and quaint. The spice came at the right time and it’s not too much, but enough to show that they are crazy about one another. Also, there is an age gap between them – she’s in her early 20’s and I believe he is in his late 30’s.

Now this is part of a series, and this is book number nine – I have not read any other books in the series at all and didn’t know it was part of a series until later. And although there clearly were characters in this book that probably already had their own story told, I didn’t feel lost without reading those books.

Final Thoughts:

I found this historical romance refreshing after not reading a book in this genre for so long! I was immersed in the world and invested in the characters. The writing is beautiful. There is humor, and also serious moments about grief, and a slow burn romance that I was rooting for. I really enjoyed this one even though I didn’t read any other books in the series.

Read if you like:

  • regency romance
  • age gap
  • banter

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New Book Releases This Week | 5/26/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett

Sexy new adult romance meets swashbuckling adventure when ex childhood friends Paige and Seb reconnect to finally track down the treasure that has been a legend in their small Michigan beach town for decades. Perfect for fans of The Goonies and Netflix’s Outer Banks who are craving more romance!

Star pupil Paige Malone just finished her first year at Harvard. Dropout Seb Jansen spent that time pumping gas for wealthy yacht owners at a Lake Michigan marina. They haven’t seen each other since high school. A shame, considering that they were once inseparable childhood friends who combed their coastal hometown’s sun-kissed beaches along with a couple of other middle-school pals—hunting the Golden Venus, a legendary local treasure that’s distantly connected to Paige’s family.

A treasure rumored to be worth millions of dollars. If it even exists.

These days, however, the former BFFs have traded adventure for reality. Paige is home for the summer and is spiraling after losing her college financial aid. While across town, Seb fell in with a bad crowd and now regrets his life choices, big time. Both feel colossally stuck. And alone.

But when Paige stumbles upon a hidden secret in her grandmother’s beach cottage, she must get their old treasure-hunting gang back together to finally unravel the mystery that has eluded her family for generations. Who the thrill of the hunt might help Paige and Seb find a path back to their lost friendship…or something more.

The Summer of Lost Things brings the summer heat with its combination of a high stakes treasure hunt and a swoony love story.

My Rating: 4 stars / 1 🌶️

A Queen Crowned in Flames by. Hazel McBride

The rightful queen and her fire-breathing dragon must fight against corruption and overcome the betrayal of the man she loved in the searing conclusion to the Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology that began with A Fate Forged in Fire.

Aemyra Daercathian is a queen on the run. Having failed to take Àird Lasair and betrayed by her husband-whom she grew to trust and ‘and was beginning to fall for during her time in captivity-Aemyra is forced to retreat with a raging desire for revenge. But before she can settle the score and fulfill a sacred promise to kill Fiorean, her forces must rest and replenish their strength.

No one can know the truth.

Even though Aemyra has a fierce dragon and a large army of elemental wielders called Dùileach standing behind her, she has lost what’s most important to her-her fire magic. Haunted by her love for her enemy, and unsure if she is even goddess-blessed anymore, Aemyra vows to do right by her people. Even if that means she must make a new kind of alliance, one that could mean winning back her kingdom. At a cost to her heart…

From the ashes, Aemyra must emerge a new kind of queen, but will she be the dawn for her people or the fire that burns everything to the ground?

My Rating: 5 stars/ 2 🌶️

The Summer Share by. Jenn McKinlay

When two misfits discover they’ve inherited the same beach house, sparks fly in the most unexpected ways, in this hilarious and heartfelt rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Free-spirited travel influencer Hannah Spencer has spent five years touring the country in her vintage van. An unexpected inheritance from her Pops brings Hannah to Cape Split, North Carolina, where she learns she’s the new owner of a worse-for-wear seaside beach house. Or, rather, fifty percent of one. Turns out Simon O’Malley inherited the other half from his Gramps.

As Simon and Hannah spend the summer tag-teaming repairs on the crumbling cottage, they discover the house was once home to a timeless love story. Soon, they begin to wonder if the house’s romantic past may be a good omen for their future together. But there’s one problem—Simon is set on selling the property at the end of the summer.

Hannah thought one summer at the Split would be enough, except it isn’t like any place she’s ever been, and Simon isn’t like any man she’s ever known—and she’s thinking about putting down some roots. She just needs Simon to see their budding relationship and this newfound community the same way or their first summer share might also be their last.

Bone of My Bone by. Johanna Van Veen

Bram Stoker Award–nominee and USA Today bestseller Johanna van Veen unveils a sapphic folk-horror tour de force—perfect for fans of The VVitch and The Salt Grows Heavy. A skull’s grin is eternal…

The year is 1635.

Sister Ursula, a young nun fleeing the ruins of her convent, and Elsebeth, a sharp-witted peasant, escape a band of marauding soldiers and disappear into the Bavarian forest. War scorches the land, and no one survives it alone. Amid the devastation, they find something in the arms of a dying the gilded skull of a saint.

It is said that if you reunite the saint’s skull with her body, a wish will be granted. Desperate for salvation, and each with secret desires of their own, Ursula and Elsebeth follow a ragged map across the blighted countryside. But darkness follows them. A necromancer, drawn to the relic’s power. The saint herself, whispering at night. And as the lines between blessing and curse blur, the women must face a harrowing the magic they seek comes at a cost.

At the journey’s end, they’ll face an impossible choice—one that could tear apart everything they know… or bind them to each other forever.

Bad Boy Era by. Amy Daws

Rule #1 on the Everly Fletcher Matchmaking Manifesto…Never fall for your best friend’s grumpy brother.

Everly is the matchmaking mastermind of her family, but her own love life is a bit of a flop.

Back from four years in Dublin, she’s ready for a quiet summer on Fletcher Mountain helping launch her aunt’s animal rescue center—until Conri “Wolf” Reilly shows up.

Wolf is her college roommate’s infuriating twin brother. He’s brooding, Irish, and college rugby’s resident bad boy with thighs that could crack a watermelon.

His red card reputation has trashed his rugby prospects…until a training camp in Denver comes calling. As a favor, Everly reluctantly gets Wolf a place to stay if he volunteers at the rescue center.

Now Everly’s finds herself working and living next door to the Irish tattooed grump who treats her like a nuisance—but looks at her like he could press her up against a hay bale until they forget their own names.

Wolf swore he came to America to fix his image, not fall for his sister’s best friend, but the more time he spends with Everly, the harder it is to keep his distance.

Perhaps Everly’s in her bad boy era…or maybe Fletcher Mountain might has its own matchmaking plans.

Perfect for fans of:
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Small Town Romance
• Irish Rugby Players
• Overprotective family
• Meghan Quinn and Tessa Bailey

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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2 Week Break | 5/26/26

Hi everyone! I will be leaving for the Philippines today so I won’t be replying to comments on my blog for 2 weeks. Any posts going up in the next two weeks have been scheduled to post while I am gone.

It’s been about 20 years or more since I’ve visited the Philippines so it will be a very interesting trip! I get to see so many family I haven’t seen in forever, including my grandmother who is 103 years old. I’m excited. It’s going to be hot, hotter than Hawaii, so hopefully I survive the heat!

See you in 2 weeks!

Weekly Wrap Up | 5/24/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Last weekend I was in Palo Alto, California to see BTS at Stanford Stadium. It was quite an experience! It was the first time for me flying into San Jose Airport and I like how small and not busy it was – not sure if that is usual, but it was such an easy place to fly into. Our hotel was a small vintage boutique hotel, built in 1924, called the Cardinal Hotel and it’s close by to the University. It’s vintage but renovated and I loved the room, even though it had no a/c – it did have a ceiling fan. I love how walkable it was – it is basically in Silicon Valley so it was interesting seeing Waymo driverless cars everywhere!

+ The concert was an experience! It’s my second stadium concert this year. This one being at a university stadium – there was a lot of walking involved since we didn’t rent a car. I had to pick up my pre-ordered army bomb light stick, which was easy, it’s for my daughter, since I was going to dance and take some video during the concert. We didn’t even try for merch. I was not about to stand all morning to try and get a shirt. 😅 We got to the stadium but I told my sister we didn’t need to stand in the lines, it will go down. Plus it was hot in the sun, and DUSTY – I didn’t anticipate the wind and it kicking up all the dry dirt around the stadium. So we stood in the shade across the street from the lines until the gates opened and the lines went down. My sister even got a chance to go to the merch lines to see what they had left…she got me a shirt that only had 2XL for sizes lol…I can sleep in it. We got in easy, found our seats and waited. What was fun about waiting is people passing out freebies. My sister made some freebies to pass out also.

+ BTS was amazing – my sister is ARMY, but my daughter and I are casual fans. Doesn’t matter, I was dancing my booty off and singing as best I could. I just love concerts in general, it’s my stress reliever. Expensive, I know! Also my bias (favorite) is Jungkook because his voice and that man is beautiful. I also love Jimin and Jin. So I was ecstatic that Jungkook came down the ramp on our side. 🥰 I saw lots of kids, families, elderly at the concert, which I thought was sweet!

+ I tried to post some videos but for some reason they are saying it’s “private” on wordpress. 🤷🏻‍♀️. So here are a few pics of Jungkook and V. Anyway, a time was had. I was EXHAUSTED after the walk back to the hotel, plus why was the street cleaning vehicle out in full force on our hotel street at 11:30PM?! Like…why?!…so I slept I think around 12:30am, a very restless sleep because my body/legs were aching, and I was winding down from the concert. We needed to get up at 5am to catch our flight, once again so happy there was no traffic and it was a Monday, airport was small and quiet – easy to get through. And I knocked out on the plane.

Here are some of the freebies we got at the concert from ARMY – they are so sweet and creative! Like, the time and energy to make these or buy them, pack it up, and carry them around then pass it out – I’m so grateful. Overall, it was a fun experience/concert – my sister hadn’t gone to a concert in 15 years…and now she’s even more addicted to BTS. I’m more addicted to Jung Kook after that concert 😅.

I told my daughter on the plane, I’m done with concerts this year but honestly I really want to go to Olivia Rodrigo. 😩 Me and my kids love her and I lost the Ticketmaster war for that one. But maybe that’s a good thing because I need to get my money back up after Bruno and BTS. 😅

+ My youngest nephew graduated from high school yesterday! We went to attend the ceremony and give him leis afterwards.

We are leaving for the Philippines on Tuesday, and will be gone for 2 weeks! Can’t wait to see family and do a trip where it’s not a concert, standing in lines, being with thousands of people, and buying expensive merch. 😂 So this will be our real vacation – time to relax, chill and see family! Can’t wait!

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Nobody’s Quest by. Alyssa Day
  • Fury Bound by. Sable Sorensen
  • Their Will Undone by. R.J. Valldeperas
  • Game of Rogues by. Julie Anne Long

Currently Reading:

  • The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovi
  • You Won’t Forget Me by. Mazey Eddings

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

+ I can’t wait for Olivia Rodrigo’s new album – and her single The Cure just came out. I LOVE it – it feels nostalgic and reminds me of the alternative/rock music I used to listen to as a teen in the 90’s.

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!

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A Queen Crowned in Flames by. Hazel McBride | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: A Queen Crowned in Flames (Bonded to Beasts, #2)

Author: Hazel McBride

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 5/26/26

Publisher: John Murray Press

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Duology, Dragons

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

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


The rightful queen and her fire-breathing dragon must fight against corruption and overcome the betrayal of the man she loved in the searing conclusion to the Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology that began with A Fate Forged in Fire.

Aemyra Daercathian is a queen on the run. Having failed to take Àird Lasair and betrayed by her husband-whom she grew to trust and ‘and was beginning to fall for during her time in captivity-Aemyra is forced to retreat with a raging desire for revenge. But before she can settle the score and fulfill a sacred promise to kill Fiorean, her forces must rest and replenish their strength.

No one can know the truth.

Even though Aemyra has a fierce dragon and a large army of elemental wielders called Dùileach standing behind her, she has lost what’s most important to her-her fire magic. Haunted by her love for her enemy, and unsure if she is even goddess-blessed anymore, Aemyra vows to do right by her people. Even if that means she must make a new kind of alliance, one that could mean winning back her kingdom. At a cost to her heart…

From the ashes, Aemyra must emerge a new kind of queen, but will she be the dawn for her people or the fire that burns everything to the ground?

Content Warning: death, violence, war, torture, religious trauma

+ I read book one last year and loved it! I was so ready to jump back in this world and I’m so glad I remembered everything and the characters. It starts off right after the events taking place after that cliffhanger ending in book one. Aemyra is in retreat, her friends and family are hurt or killed, her husband has betrayed her. The things they did to her at the end of book one was heinous and I was 100% on her revenge tour. Aemyra is trying to win her throne back against religious extremists. It will either push her to extinguish her enemies or force her to actually be a Queen for all of her people, even the Convenanters who worship their one true God. Aemyra’s growth and journey is everything in this story – from being broken and distrustful, to learning to open up again, accept help and reclaiming her power. She becomes the Queen she was meant to be!

+ I love how cutthroat this story with the war preparations and planning, and all the action during the battle scenes. It’s a hard fought war, with many death on both sides. There is even some betrayal. I love the dragons and how fierce they are, and their connection to their riders but I’m also glad it’s not the type of story where we see the dialogue with the dragons. I love that there is a connection to the rider, but the rider can sense emotions and see images but not necessarily talk to them.

+ The romance almost turned into a love triangle, but not quite. There is a new clan we meet in this book and a potential new husband for Aemyra, Thear, but how can that be when Fiorean is her husband? But after Fiorean betrayed her I knew if he ever came back he had to crawl back and beg forgiveness. As the story unfolds though, we find out it’s not that black and white. And Aemyra and Fiorean are true enemies to lovers because both sides have done something to hurt the other, and the biggest bridge they had to cross was forgiveness. I loved how everything unfolded. It was emotional and they had to confront a lot of things together. There is spice, but it’s well done, not too much, just enough because Aemyra and Fiorean’s connection is more than just lust.

+ I love the relationships in this story. Aemyra and her twin, Adarian, have a close relationship. And as mentioned, her new relationship with Thear. A thing that stood out to me that was unexpected was Aemyra’s relationship with her father in this story. He’s always been hard on her and we see it again here but it changes little by little and this time there is more chance for their relationship to grow and I loved that.

Final Thoughts:

This is an amazing conclusion to this great duology! I love this series because it gives House of Dragon vibes, it’s cutthroat, violent, Aemyra is a strong FMC. I could not put it down. I was emotionally invested, everything played out like a movie in my head – the tension, the war planning, the battles, the betrayal, the relationships, the romance, the struggles to overcome fear and grief and forgiveness. And the way it ended – perfection! I hope there are more books in this series someday.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

A Fate Forged in Fire by. Hazel McBride | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies by. Breanne Randall | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies (Sisters of Light and Shadow, #2)

Author: Breanne Randall

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 5/26/26

Publisher: Dell

Categories: Contemporary Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, 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 Dell for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


Dark secrets. Deadly choices. A destiny that can’t be outrun. Welcome to Shadowcraft Academy.

Eléa Deniz has dreamed of her home in the French countryside for the last four years after nearly dying in the Forgotten Forest. But when she finally returns, she finds the estate has become host to the Shadowcraft Academy, an elite graduate school where a world of mysteries and power plays await. It’s there she discovers a secret about her magic that’s not just a threat to the established order, but a prophecy that could change everything. What’s worse, her father is the school’s enigmatic and ruthless headmaster with an agenda of his own—one that could tear their world apart if she can’t find a way to stop him.

As alliances shift and her power is tested, Eléa becomes torn between Alex, her stoic first love whose loyalties are as murky as his past, and the brash, irreverent Logan, who challenges her to see herself in new ways. Faced with her father’s schemes, a secret society, and the weight of her own magic, Eléa must decide: Will she embrace her fate, or fight to reclaim her power and forge her own path? Destiny is calling… and it demands a price.

Content Warning: violence

+ This is book two in the Sisters of Light and Shadow series, book one being Spells, Things and Forgotten Things, which I enjoyed. I didn’t expect book two to go in the direction it went, but I did find it an interesting read.

+ Eléa is back home, after being with her brother Lucien in book one, where he falls for a Lightcrafter. Now with Eléa home in France, she finds that her father has created a Shadowcraft Academy and that she is in enrolled. I was surprised with this direction of the story but I went with it. She takes classes learning how to control her magic and makes lots of new friends. I liked the diversity of the characters.

+~ There is a romance between Eléa and Logan, an American student. But there is a big twist in the romance storyline that I was not expecting at all and didn’t totally love. It’s interesting, for sure, but I thought it was strange why it had to happen that way. But Eléa and Logan do have some fun chemistry and flirting, plus a few steamy scenes.

+ Eléa and her friends are trying to find ways to take down Wraiths and she learns something is different about her magic. There are some secrets about her family and betrayal, with some action here and there.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I didn’t expect that book two would be an academia storyline and it did help me explore Shadowcraft but I think I still liked book one more than this one. I did like the diversity in the cast, and the flirtation in the romance, but overall I think this one fell a little bit short for me.

Read if you like:

  • magic
  • found family
  • interesting twist in romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things by. Breanne Randall | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 5/20/26

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 W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I am in recovery mode after my BTS concert weekend in Palo Alto, California this weekend. SO tired and achy but we had so much fun.

Now I have to pack for the Philippines! 😅

What are you currently reading?

The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovic – 12%

Game of Rogues by. Julie Anne Long – 1%

Their Will Undone by. R.J. Valldeperas – 8%

What have you just finished reading?

Fury Bound by. Sable Sorensen – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/🌶️🌶️

Nobody’s Quest by. Alyssa Day – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/🌶️

White Lights by. Lauren Kate – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/🌶️🌶️

What are you going to read next?

There is so much I want to read! Hopefully I can get some reading done on my two week trip in the Philippines! I’ll have these on my kindle for sure and then some.

You Won’t Forget Me by. Mazey Eddings

Black River by. Ruby Jean Cottle

Witch Season by. Julia Blanco

The Winged Game by. Sophie Kim

What are YOU reading right now?

Fury Bound by. Sable Sorensen | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Fury Bound (The Wolves of Ruin, #2)

Author: Sable Sorensen

Pages: 608

Format: ebook (own)

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Series, Wolves


Revenge demands sacrifice. Don’t miss this action-packed, jaw-dropping, dark and romantic sequel to Dire Bound.

CROWNED BY DESTINY. CONSUMED BY VENGEANCE.

Against all odds, Meryn Cooper has inherited the crown—and a deadly war. As the Kingdom of Nocturna splinters under the weight of generations of lies, it is up to Meryn, her bonded direwolf Anassa, and their allies to bring the country back from the brink.

But the commoners, the Bonded, and the nobles are distrustful of their new queen and Meryn is caught in a deadly game of politics. Meanwhile, Meryn’s beloved younger sister, Saela, is more at risk than ever.

Confusingly, the one person Meryn can trust is Stark Therion—the dark, dangerous Alpha she thought hated her as much as she loathed him. Yet, his loyalty is unshakeable. His presence is intoxicating. And with his guidance, Meryn can seize an unthinkable level of power.

With enemies closing in and shadows stirring in her dreams, Meryn stands to lose her kingdom—and her heart.

Blood will spill. Bonds will break. Fate will be tested.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Back in the world of Dire Bound, Meryn needs to prove she can be the new queen of Nocturna. But Killian isn’t giving up his throne that easily. Meryn doesn’t stay put in Nocturna though because there is a quest in this story. It brings her, Stark and her crew across the last to Astreona where we get to learn more about Siphons (vampires). So there is a lot of travel in this story but I like that the world is opened up, especially when it comes to learning about Siphons and gods and goddesses.

Characters: Meryn is trying to assert herself as queen even if she doesn’t really know what she is doing – but there are a lot of challenges in the way. One challenge is to convince the packs to stay with her, which is tough because many are loyal to Killian. Also, Stark’s mother, comes in and takes over things, trying to assert her authority while Meryn is new to being a queen. So Meryn has a lot to deal with, along with figuring out how to help her sister who is now a Siphon. I hope there is still more growth because some of her actions were questionable. Stark is true to his word and sticks by Meryn’s side throughout everything and their relationship grows a lot but something happens that will make book three very interesting. I think one of the new characters I enjoyed a lot was Lucien, who is King of Astreona and a Siphon.

Romance: There is romance because it’s hard for Meryn and Stark to deny the bond and yes there is spice, but I didn’t feel like they had chemistry for some reason. Maybe I just wanted more banter between them or more scenes, just more build-up? More tension, more yearning – Not sure. I am glad they got together, but I was expecting more. Now what happens in book three after the ending though? We shall see!

Story: I thought it started well, with Meryn trying to figure out how to convince people to accept her rule. But Killian is a problem and then the story goes in a new direction with the Siphons, gods and goddesses. I didn’t mind where the story went and actually thought Lucien was an interesting character and the whole quest of finding Tears was interesting. There is more politics, and the world opens up. But I do feel like the pacing was off a bit. There were times I was into the story and then some moments it lost me so I would put it down to come back to it. I also didn’t like how some characters were being killed off – because I didn’t feel the emotions of the loss from Meryn. I think overall the story lacked emotionally connection. The ending is a plot twist I wasn’t expecting and not sure that I love but I guess we’ll see what happens in book three.

Final Thoughts:

I think this sequel was solid and there were some things I liked and others I didn’t. I think what it was missing most for me was emotional connection. Also, I was expecting more from the romance and though I like that it progressed, I felt like the tension and yearning was missing. I did enjoy the politics, and how the world building opens up. The ending is a very interesting plot twist that I don’t really love, but I’m willing to read book three to see how it plays out.

Read if you like:

  • wolves and vampires
  • romantasy
  • political intrigue

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Direbound by. Sable Sorensen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫