I've been addicted to books for about thirty plus years! Too bad I didn't track all the books I've read. 😬 Follow me on Twitter: @ylmpastmidnight , Instagram: @ylmpastmidnight and Facebook: ylmpastmidnight
Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.
A dangerous bargain. An obsessed prince. A forbidden love that could split the Fae court… and break the world.
Thanks to the Fae king’s heartless tithe, my family is starving. If I don’t do something soon, my war-wounded father and two little sisters won’t last.
So I make a desperate deal with our village mother– she’ll save my family, and in return, I’ll attend the royal ball in disguise and perform an unnamed task. She won’t say what it is, but it doesn’t really matter. Whatever it turns out to be, it’s worth it to protect the people I love.
All I have to do is get in, do the mysterious deed, and get out without attracting the notice of the cruel royal family.
But somehow I manage to catch the attention of not one, but *both* wicked Fae princes.
The Crown Prince acts possessive and won’t let me out of his sight. His growly, bad-tempered brother is another matter. His beautiful exterior is in complete contrast to the darkness inside him, and I have the terrifying feeling he can see right through me.
Which is a very bad thing once I learn the task I’m bound to fulfill–or else face unthinkable consequences.
If I fail, my family will die. If I succeed… I might not be able to live with myself.
A Court Bright and Broken is an epic fantasy romance set in the beautiful and dangerous world of the High Fae where magic rules, secrets abound, and true love will not be denied. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, hidden identity, slow-burn Romantasy with Cinderella vibes and will delight readers who love delicious romantic banter, toe-curling tension and chemistry, immersive world-building, magic, and royal Fae intrigue.
Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!
Categories: Dark Academia, Young Adult, Gothic, Urban Fantasy, Romance, LGBT+
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.
Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.
Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls–the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.
Page doesn’t know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots–roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.
Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.
This book definitely got the gothic, dark academia part down with it being set in Scotland. The setting is perfect for a boarding school filled with misfits. It’s dark, gloomy, always raining and cold, and surrounded by moors.
As for the story – something mysterious is happening at Agathion and it’s not only all the Greek philosophy being studied at the school. Something dark and sinister. That also was done very well in the book I feel, the whole atmosphere of impending doom.
Page is trying to find where she fits in at Agathion and she thought she finally found her place until she figures out what is happening at the school. Who can she really trust? Even with her new found friends, I didn’t feel like she could trust anyone until the very end. As a character, I didn’t really connect to her but I thought she had a lot of growth as the story went on. There is a little romance which I found to be kind of sweet.
I did like the chaos of everything happening in the book, there are a few twists and turns but I think there were times where too much was happening and at times it got confusing. It may just be a pacing issue for me and it being just a tad bit too long.
Final Thoughts:
I thought overall this was an entertaining read. It did take me a few days to read because of the pacing issues but I did push through even when things got confusing because a lot was going on. It’s got all the gothic vibes, a little romance, a little magic, some fantasy, and some demon possession. If you like dark academia, demons and Scottish mores, you might enjoy this one.
+ The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super bowl last Sunday! WOOHOO! So I was very nervous and couldn’t even watch the first of the game LOL. I could watch it after it was 24-0 BUT…knowing Kansas City, I didn’t trust that score until the end of the game. 😅 I love the Eagles but gosh my heart can’t take watching them in a super bowl. SO happy they won though.
+ More national news – but I hate the news right now. And because I hate the news, I watched Eagles highlights ALL WEEK. Just to be nice to my mental health.
+ The vog (volcanic smoke from the eruption on the Big Island) was bad on our island this week – the haze was covering the mountains. So my Monday and Tuesday started off with a headache. It always makes my allergies act up and my sinus fill up – so that wasn’t fun. Tylenol, saline spray, Claritin and a hot towel on my face did help 😅, at least to get my sinuses draining.
+ My daughter had a Honey Bee Valentine’s Day Luncheon (their mascot is the bee) on Thursday, so I went to eat lunch with her. It’s always crazy and chaotic at these luncheon events, and always so quick. I only have 20 minutes with her out of their 30 minute lunch – she wants to play at lunch recess lol. So that was a quick event but glad I could be there with her.
Super Bowl 59 – Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles – yay, the Eagles won!
Kendrick Lamar – GNX album
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!
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.
Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.
But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.
Well…this was a disappointment. And I was excited for this book even though I felt like Iron Flame was not as good as Fourth Wing, I had hope it would get better in Onyx Storm but for me it got worse.
I think my major problem with the book was the pacing, there would be action, then a good deal of no action, and lots of talking. And there was the cast of characters, trying to remember who was who and then meeting new characters and learning new places. I already thought Iron Flame could have been broken up into two books, but now with Onyx Storm….I think there is just too much going on in the story and a trilogy would have been better than a five book series.
I fell in love with Xaden and Violet in Fourth Wing but in Onyx Storm, I wasn’t feeling it – maybe because they have some challenges, I mean, Xaden is fighting himself as he turns venin. So I know they love each other, but there was just something about their interactions in this book that I just didn’t care for, not invested in and wanted to move past their romance. Maybe it felt repetitive? I’m not sure. Honestly, I wanted Xaden to turn venin just to see what would happen to their romance. 😅
And the fact that they had to do more training? And the whole professor/student relationship? I was like, what is happening and do we need this in the story? lol… So I did skip over a bunch in this book. Even now as I write this review I’m trying to remember what stood out to me but it’s like a blank!
So I’ll say my favorite part of the book are the dragons, especially Tairn because he keeps it real and he’s awesome in battle.
Final Thoughts:
This was a total disappointment for me but I was already wary about the series being five books long. There is always usually middle book syndrome, and I think this is what happened with this one so will book four be more tightened up and the pacing be better? I hope so but I think I will go into the next book cautiously. This one didn’t work for me, but I know reviews of this have either been hit or miss, so even though I didn’t like it, you just might!
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:
Favorite Romance Tropes & Book Recs for them (Aria)
Happy Valentine’s Day! What are your favorite romance tropes? What books would you recommend that have those tropes? Are there any books with those tropes on your TBR? Do you have any least favorite romance tropes?
What are your favorite romance tropes?
I LOVE enemies to lovers, it’s my favorite because of the hating that takes place lol. I just love a romance filled with tension and explosions I guess. I love good chemistry!
What books would you recommend that have those tropes?
Here’s a few books that have this trope, some old, some new:
Heartless Hunter by. Kristen Ciccarelli
The Bridge Kingdom by. Danielle L. Jensen
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guanzon
Quicksilver by. Callie Hart
Are there any books with those tropes on your TBR?
Rebel Witch by. Kristen Ciccarelli
Rivaled Crown by Holly Renee
Do you have any least favorite romance tropes?
miscommunication tropes – I lose my patience quick when the main problem is miscommunication.
I don’t love fated mates – especially if in the book they use the word mates over and over and it’s overkill. I don’t mind if it’s mentioned, it happens and they don’t go on and on about being mates. Like, we get it, you will be together forever…fantastic, let’s move on.😅 I used to love it until everyone started using it in romantasy.
TOPICS FOR FEBRUARY:
February 7: Reading Challenges: Do we love them or hate them? (Dini)
Prompts:What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore? Are there any challenges you participate in yearly? What reading challenges are you joining in 2025?
February 14: Favorite Romance Tropes & Book Recs for them (Aria)
Prompts:Happy Valentine’s Day! What are your favorite romance tropes? What books would you recommend that have those tropes? Are there any books with those tropes on your TBR? Do you have any least favorite romance tropes?
February 21: Non-Romantic Love (Dini)
Prompts:It’s the month of love but it’s not always about romantic love. What are your favourite non-romantic relationships to read about (i.e. siblings, parent-child, etc.) and what do you love most about them? Do you prefer to read about them over romantic relationships? What books would you recommend with your favourite non-romantic relationships?
Prompts:Prompts: How many books do you typically read in a year? Do you always track your reading? Does keeping track of the books you read motivate you or stress you out? How do you keep track of the books you read? Do you have a 2025 reading goal?
February is Black History Month so let’s celebrate some amazing Black authors!
Here are a few books that I have read over the past few years and books that are on my TBR list:
I read this cozy romance last year called Deja Brew by. Celestine Martin and really enjoyed it! It’s part of a series so I’m hoping to read the other two.
A Legend in the Baking by. Jamie Wesley – this one looks cute! And it’s a foodie book, which I haven’t read much this past year. So I need to get back on it – this one is on my TBR.
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!
A frenemies-to-lovers contemporary romance by Julie Tieu which takes place over the course of one make-or-break evening, almost entirely at a high school reunion….
“For the rom-com fans, you can never go wrong with a Julie Tieu book.”— Buzzfeed
Rachel Dang, once voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school, is funemployed for the first time. After years of doing everything her boss asked, it’s time to say yes to new opportunities. So when she gets invited to her twentieth high school reunion by none other than her former frenemy, Danny Phan, Rachel agrees despite their unresolved past.
As a teenager, Danny was seen as smart, but unfocused. Teachers often paired him with Rachel, hoping her work ethic would rub off on him. Though Danny and Rachel weren’t exactly friends, she had seen a different side of him, one that only existed online over intimate late-night AIM chats that never translated into real life. When they meet again, Rachel discovers their roles have reversed. Danny is thriving in his career while she’s the one flailing.
The reunion takes an unexpected turn when a simple errand takes them into town for a night of mishaps and misadventure where they run into a colorful cast of characters from their childhood. Rachel and Danny soon rediscover the feelings they once shared and must decide if this is only a quick trip down memory lane or a second chance for their happily ever after.
The dreaded high school reunion. Rachel Dang was that girl in high school, over achiever with ambition and goals. At thirty-eight though she’s laid off from her job that she’s been with for more than 10 years and she feels lost. Why does she go to this 20 year high school reunion? It’s to see Danny her friend from high school and maybe to reconnect with him.
I did like Rachel and her best friend Natalie (who is an upcoming movie star) – their friendship felt genuine and funny and I wish there were more scenes were fun. I thought the nostalgia factor of the book was really fun too – the chatrooms of the 90’s? Boy did that bring me back to a time! The mentions of certain pop culture things from that time was great like the music and burning cds.
The way Natalie and Danny meet is cute and a friendship begins but talk about all the miscommunication between the two. The story is told with flashbacks to Natalie and Danny in high school and they seemed like they had a solid friendship until they crossed a line. When they meet up again at the reunion, I just felt lost as to why they had a falling out. As the story unravels we see how the miscommunication between them and how it really ruined their friendship. The conflict isn’t huge it’s mainly the miscommunication.
By the way, a lot of this story happens in a span of days. The bulk of this story happens the day of the reunion.
Final Thoughts:
I did enjoy the flashbacks, the nostalgia and the reunion where crazy antics happen. I kind of wanted more from the romance but it does have a happy ending.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Oxford South Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A dangerous bargain. An obsessed prince. A forbidden love that could split the Fae court… and break the world.
Thanks to the Fae king’s heartless tithe, my family is starving. If I don’t do something, my war-wounded father and two little sisters won’t last.
So I make a desperate deal with our village mother– she’ll save my family, and in return, I’ll attend the royal ball in disguise and perform an unnamed task. She won’t say what it is, but it doesn’t really matter. Whatever it turns out to be, it’s worth it to protect the people I love.
All I have to do is get in, do the mysterious deed, and get out without attracting the notice of the cruel royal family.
But somehow I manage to catch the attention of not one, but *both* wicked Fae princes.
The Crown Prince acts possessive and won’t let me out of his sight. His growly, bad-tempered brother is another matter. His beautiful exterior is in complete contrast to the darkness inside him, and I have the terrifying feeling he can see right through me.
Which is a very bad thing once I learn the task I’m bound to fulfill–or else face unthinkable consequences.
If I fail, my family will die. If I succeed… I might not be able to live with myself.
A Court Bright and Broken is an epic fantasy romance set in the beautiful and dangerous world of the High Fae where magic rules, secrets abound, and true love will not be denied. It’s a magical slow-burn Romantasy with Cinderella vibes and will delight readers who love delicious romantic banter, toe-curling tension and chemistry, immersive world-building, magic, and royal Fae intrigue.
This is a light and fluffy romantasy with Cinderella vibes which I thought was cute and wanted to see played out. And I like that the “fairy-godmother” is kind of the villain. It’s a quick read though because the world-building is so light. It’s a world of Fae, Elves and humans with the High Fae ruling and humans being the lowest rank. I do think the world-building was too light for me, I just wanted more.
I also wanted more depth from the characters. They were just okay and I didn’t connect much to them. The romance is insta-love with no spice so I wasn’t quite into that because I wanted Stellon and Raewyn to get to know one another better, not just a week or whatever timeline it was in the book. Pharis, Stellon’s brother is the most interesting character probably because he’s loyal to his brother and protective and super suspicious of Raewyn.
Final Thoughts:
This was a very light romantasy read with insta-love and Cinderella vibes which kept it kind of interesting but I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series. I wanted more from the book and maybe that will happen in book two. If you don’t like heavy world-building romantasy books, then you might like this one.
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?
My Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl but let me tell you…I was a nervous wreck on Sunday. I couldn’t even watch the first half of the game so I missed a lot. I could only fully watch when I knew they were winning-winning LOL. My heart just can’t do Super Bowls when my team is in it. UGH. So proud of them, I love this team so much, especially this year. Like I was so stressed, I went to bed with body aches (and I did nothing physical except watch this game, maybe I paced around?!). Anyway, I didn’t read much because I was on a victory high since Monday lol…but I will get to reading this week.
I haven’t done one of these in awhile but I didn’t want to tackle the Top Ten Tuesday prompt for today because I feel like I’ve done it before. And this topic below seems easier to answer:
The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.
A WITCH… Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.
A WITCH HUNTER… Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.
AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE… When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.
In Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.
Severed from the Legendborn. Oathbound to a monster.
Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.
But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.
Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them…or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.
As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.
It’s been nearly two years since Vanja brought down the cult she started, and she’s still paying the price. As the Pfennigeist, she bucks the law in order to help the desperate and haunt the corrupt all across the empire—and no matter what, she works alone.
But an impossible killer is tearing through royalty, and leaving Vanja’s signature red penny on every victim. Suddenly the Pfennigeist is no longer a folk hero but a nightmare. When even the Blessed Empress falls, the empire’s seven royal families must gather to elect her successor within a matter of weeks, or risk the collapse of reality itself… even though it puts every house in the killer’s sights.
Vanja tells herself she’s wading into the royalty’s vicious games only to save the name she made, and the loved ones also in jeopardy. But the Order of Prefects has also put their sharpest official on the case, the one who swore he’d always find Vanja—until she broke his heart. Journeyman Prefect Emeric Conrad may no longer be the boy Vanja knew, but they’ll have to work together one last time to have any chance of surviving the deadly catastrophe coming for them all.
With bloody conspiracy, sinister magic, and old adverseries closing in, it will take everything Vanja has to save not just the people she loves, but the future she’s fought for. In this thrilling final chapter of the Indie Next series Little Thieves, New York Times-bestselling author Margaret Owen shows us the pain and beauty of choosing which demons to face, and which to forgive.
Paedyn Gray and Kai Azer return to the Kingdom of Ilya… And Paedyn has a life-altering choice to make. Whatever she decides will determine her fate – and the fate of those around her – forever. In the ultimate battle of love and loyalty, who wins?
Be swept away by the conclusion to the smash hit, dagger-to-the-throat romantasy trilogy.
The Nightshade Crown is in the hands of a ruthless god. Lore will stop at nothing to defeat him and save the troubled prince and tortured priest ensnared in his wicked plot, in this final installment of this lush, romantic, New York Times bestselling fantasy series from breakout star Hannah Whitten.
Lore has failed. She couldn’t save King Bastian from the rotten god speaking voices in his mind. She couldn’t save her allies from being scattered across the continent—their own lesser gods whispering to them in their dreams. She couldn’t save her beautiful, corrupt city from the dark power beneath the catacombs. And she couldn’t save herself.
Banished to the Burnt Isles, Lore must use every skill she earned on the streets of Dellaire to survive the prison colony and figure out a way to defeat the power that’s captured everything and everyone she holds dear. When a surprise ally joins her on the Burnt Isles she realizes the way forward may lie on the island itself. Somehow, her friends must help her collect the far-scattered pieces of the broken Fount—the source of all the god’s powers—and bring them back together on the Burnt Isles, returning all magic to its source and destroying, once and for all, the gods corrupting the land.
But as Lore gets closer to her goal, her magic grows stronger… and to a woman who’s always had to fight for survival, that kind of power may be hard to give up.
I look forward to finishing some of these series. I feel like I’ve waited forever for Oathbound!
📚 ~ Yolanda
Top 5 Tuesday topics: January 2025
7 January: Top 5 anticipated reads for Q1 2025
14 January: Top 5 bookish resolutions for 2025
21 January: Top 5 books I will definitely* read in 2025
28 January: Top 5 authors I want to try in 2025
*****
Top 5 Tuesday topics: February 2025
4 February: Top 5 series I will start in 2025
11 February: Top 5 series I will finish in 2025
18 February: Top 5 books I want to reread in 2025
25 February: Top 5 books I want to buy in 2025
*****
Top 5 Tuesday topics: March 2025
4 March: Top 5 books with a pronoun in the title
11 March: Top 5 books with a place in the title
18 March: Top 5 books with an emotion in the title
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 